Lubertadventure: Lourmarin France

We headed out with our trusty GPS telling us to turn left when there was no left to turn to, to turn around and go back the way we came, but to be fair, we eventually ended up heading the right way to Lourmarin France.
The drive to Lourmarin is absolutely beautiful, winding through vineyards and mountains. Lourmarin (the birthplace of Albert Camus, the Nobel prize-winning author) is in the cleft that runs right through the Luberon mountain range, separating the Grand Luberon from the Petit Luberon, Lourmarin itself is on a plain, with two slight hills (more like rises) - one houses the village of Lourmarin, on the other is the (mainly) Renaissance chateau. The chateau is known as the Villa Medicis de Provence, and is used for concerts and exhibitions.
Lourmarin has been described as one of the most beautiful villages in France, in fact, it has the honour of having been officially designated as such by the independent and respected “Plus Beaux Villages de France” Association. The village deserves its reputation. It is like stepping into ancient history.
We wandered the town and sat down to drink in the views, and to drink up the wine. We ended up having a dinner in a small restaurant by a river, starting with foie gras, then what was described as a fondue but was really Camembert melted on fresh bread, followed by a mixed salad and beef carpaccio.
We were forewarned not to park near our hotel because the “grande marche” the next day would completely take over the town, making it impossible to get your car out until they felt like ending the market.
Wandering the stalls the next day was a bit like swimming in the ocean – where you dive through layers of temperatures, suddenly hitting a cold swath, then rising to a warmer, sunlit one. Only these strata were the smells: of spices, followed by flowers chasing the aroma of freshly cooked chickens, morphing into the incredible scents of dozens of cheeses. We disciplined ourselves not to buy anything that we couldn't pack home, but were sorely tempted by so many offerings.
We felt relaxed and refreshed in Lourmarin – definitely a place we could have spent more time in, but headed out to Italy the next day.