Hill Towns – Haibun Thinking

AnElephantCant claim he is supersonic
But he does like to wander around
Down here in Provence
There is no time for yawns
He gives you a glimpse of a few spectacular hill towns

Yep, he is still doing it.
The motivation provided by the temporarily suspended Haibun Thinking produced by his friend Al is still going strong, so AnElephant decides to continue his one-pachyderm assault on the elegant genre of Haibun.

Bormes les Mimosas by AnElephantCant

Hill Towns
The little hill towns of Provence are unusually beautiful in themselves.
They also have stunning views across valleys and down to the Mediterranean Sea.
This, of course, is why they were built back in the days when raiders plundered their rich lands from all sides.
Pirates from North Africa, Italy and Spain, marauders from lands far to the north and the Middle East, and even their own neighbours, were all serious threats to their property and lives.
When invaders were spotted bells were rung and beacons lit, and the locals, with their beasts and carts containing whatever goods they could carry, climbed the steep slopes to seek safety behind the walls.
But from their bloodthirsty origins these villages have developed into spectacularly picturesque and very individual attractions.
For example, Bormes les Mimosas, as its name suggests, basks in yellow flowered glory as early as January each year.

Grimaud, Gassin, Ramatuelle by AnElephantCant

Grimaud, with its windmill and ruined castle, looks down on the Pont des Fées, the Bridge of Fairies.
Gassin has impressive ramparts and sits above the more famous St Tropez.
Like nearby Ramatuelle it has narrow cobbled streets, and a still functioning bell tower with panoramic views of its vineyards and the Gulf of St Tropez..
I think back to the country of my birth, where a similar tradition raised mighty castles at Edinburgh, Stirling, Inverness, Eilean Donan and Dumbarton, to mention but a handful.
Now world-famous tourist attractions.

man’s ancient aggression
creates great wonders
poetry to the modern soul