L'Enclos des Bories

This is a Borie. They were seasonal huts used by shepherds and other agricultural workers until the 19th century. They are made from the local limestone, no mortar is used and the stone came from the fields as they cultivated the land. Most had rounded roofs, again without any rafters or beams to support the dry stone. The site has been used from Neolithic times. Like Buoux yesterday it is on a steep ridge as defence was pre-eminent.

The Enclos de Bories near Bonnieux has not been changed at all. There is another village of Bories near Gordes that has the full tourist paraphernalia with rebuilt Bories. However this one is run by the land owner and his wife. Directions to it are typically French, basically it's down an unmade gravel road, surrounded by woodland for about a kilometre with few directions. Eventually you reach a place to park and a small sign indicates the way in. There in a hut, not a Borie, is Madame who spoke slow, well enunciated French so we could understand her brief history of the Bories. She was excellent.

The Mistral has blown all day. A cutting cold wind from the North but accompanied by deep blue skies and glorious sunshine. It'll do for me.