Provence / Côte d'Azur: What to See & Do: Day Trips: Cucuron

Cucuron

The town of Cucuron makes a lovely day trip from central Provence. To get there, you will cross the Luberon mountains. These are gentle hills, not the Alps. On your way, stop to explore the narrow, residential streets of nearby Vaugines (about ten minutes away), whose Saint Barthelemy church was in the film, Manon des Sources. Cucuron, population about 2,000, is quiet, beautiful and historical. I found that the inhabitants, whether young boys on bikes or widows in black, are happy to give directions. The first sight is the breathtaking bassin de l’etang, a large, rectangular pond, edged in soaring, 200-year-old plane trees. To soak in nature’s grace, I like to sit at the Bar de L’Etang (+33-0490-772311) and have a citron presse, freshly squeezed lemon juice—you add the sugar and water. (Tuesday is market day around the bassin). Walking into the main part of town, stop in at the tourist office (Rue Leonce Brieugne; +33-0490-772837) for good maps, points of interest and history—in English. On the same street, I noticed a house that had a sign in the window, “confitures maison” (homemade jams), and so I bought jam made from the local grapes, prepared right on the stove in Madame’s kitchen.

Cucuron is made for wandering. I enjoyed the cluttered antique store, Antiquites N. Justum (rue de l’Horloge; +33-0490-772366) for glassware, Limoges, serving cutlery, decanters, and paintings, the Notre Dame de Beaulieu church, and the Donjon Saint Michel, which often has special shows. The Musee Marc Deydier (+33-0490-772615), housed in a 17th-century building, has exhibits tracing the daily life of the area and its history, with particularly good photos. The day I went, a note on the door said the curator was at the butcher shop. Cucuron is so small that I easily found it, and him, buying couscous, the plat du jour, for lunch, and we walked back to museum together. “People were here before cars,” he said, gesturing with impatience at the one car that passed us by. “They should wait for us.”

Olives and vineyards have grown for centuries around Cucuron. You can go to Moulin a Huile Dauphin (+33-0490-772617) Rue du Moulin-a-Huile, where they make and sell local olive oil. The wine cooperative has walking trails through the vineyards and it’s possible to taste and/or buy a variety of local red, white or rose. You should definitely plan your visit to include either lunch or dinner at La Petite Maison de Cucuron (+33-0490-682199 www.lapetitemaisondecucuron.com). You’ll feel immediately at home in the small house on the Place de L’Etang, a sober and cozy setting with beams, antique porcelain, and a tapestry on the wall. Chef Eric Sapet, who worked in such Michelin-starred, Parisian restaurants as La Tour d’Argent and Jacques Cagna, is a culinary magician. The menu, of course, changes with the season. I still remember the taste of the chicken in the pot with root vegetables. The ordinary is the sublime. Just like Cucuron.