Santons

The people are about 5 inches tall.

Santons are a uniquely provencale item. When the manger scene is set up at Christmas, not only is there the usual crowd, but in Provence, all the locals come too. Little people made of clay, then painted, some are even dressed, to look like people who live and work in villages. All are placed around the manger to worship the baby Jesus. They are quite expensive, for such tiny bits, but very pretty too.

The wine makers house.

Village shops.

In the car park area of our gite there is a bulletin board with all sorts of information on places to see or eat. One poster really caught my eye, Santons de Provence. This was one of those times when knowing the language might have helped, as I read it to say there were 300 people making Santons. What it turned out
to be was a museum with 300 santons on display. I’m glad I read it wrong, because I probably wouldn’t have gone knowing it was a museum.

A moulin.

Bories, stacked stone houses.