The Gorges du Verdon is the largest canyon in Europe and about an hour north of where we are staying. We visited on Saturday to see the impressive sights, as well as experience some of the craziest roads I’ve ever driven. The canyon itself is up to 2300ft deep, with many overlooks (and roadside edges) that drop straight down. The roads are thin and super curvey with many switchbacks, even more so the roads needed to get to the area. They were made tougher by the too-large Ford I was driving and the crazy locals that would fly by in the other direction within inches, but the roads would truly be a blast in a MINI.

We stopped very late for a meal in the cute town of Aiguines near the top end of the gorge, then continued down past the Saint Croix lake and up to Moustiers Sainte-Marie, a small town on the side of a cliff. The town’s geography is incredible, with chapel on the peak, cliffs looming over all the small shops and cafes, and a natural spring flowing through the center to a large waterfall below.