Travel: Day Trip to Gourdon, France

"Close up" view of village

They called them "perch" villages...and at first you don't get the full implication until you come upon them.  What would seem like an unlikely place to live, much less build, is home to some of the most charming little villages in France.  We visited this one several years back and our first trip there had us praying it was not a two way lane - our right back tire was barely on the road as gravel and bits of stone fell onto a stream alongside us.  Talk about white knuckle driving!

This "perch" village sits on the top left high above

Once we passed this narrow stretch we were on a main roadway, well maintained, very wide and with panoramic views.  When we finally reached Gourdon, it was amazing!   A few trips later, we discovered two other ways to reach this little village.  And it is truly "perched" on top of mountain, at it's very edge!  Back in the day, guess they would have had some vantage point to see the enemy coming.  Today, the townspeople have the advantage of seeing when a tour bus is approaching!

The village is small, but it has a castle.  We've yet to take the tour, but it is on our "to-do" list.  We always stop at the shop where soaps are pressed with the help of an old looking hand cranked machine.  And the scent of soap is delicious...we run down to the shop and buy up more than we can use...but they are so creamy and smell so nice it is too hard to resist. (Serge Mele & fils We then make our way to the shops that have tablecloths and curtains (made in France) and another with candles in all shapes and size and scents.  There is a small shop that carries locally made preserves, tapenades, freshly pressed olive oil and a medley of seasonings and spices.  Gourdon is a great place to walk off a lunch, browse about the shops and fill your shopping bag with special little goodies.

Gourdon is high in the mountains behind Cannes.  And it's views are spectacular.  You can see from beyond Cannes to Nice and more...but don't look down...it could give you a tingle of acrophobia!
(Look under "Videos" to view a slideshow of photos)

If you want more info on Gourdon here is the official link in English: http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en/gourdon