Bullfrogs and crickets tear down the night...

At Chateau Acorn when I go to bed at night, this is what I hear outside my bedroom window-- only, imagine it ten times louder...

The hills are alive ...

...with the sight of ochres. And not just one shade -- many! These pigments are commonly used in paint and dyes, easily identifiable in and about Rousillon. This morning, we went for a hike in the Luberon ochre hills and then spent a lovely lunch overlooking the cliffs.

In the afternoon, we visited Appy, an amazing nursery (that makes one very happy), where we surveyed the situation. Fruit trees, herbs, olives, cypress -- among the plantings ahead. In the meantime, we picked out some jasmine, bouganvillea, and grape vines that will be installed tomorrow on the pergolas. A multiculteur, or cultivator, will arrive in the next few days so we'll begin with the heavier labor.

The place to be ...

Chateau Acorn is a force to be reckoned with. Nestled off a little path in Rousillon, the property boasts 3 acres of complete potential -- green fields bound by a few firs. The two-storeyed house, built in the 1700s, looks out onto the hills of the village, swathed in colors of native ochres found in the soil. There's plenty of room for orchards and serious gardens here. Can't wait to get started on the vision mapping with Mistress Margot -- who by the way, knows how to minister some fierce wine and lovely stinky cheese.