Melting

just looked at the two week forecast... 40 degrees for the foreseeable! The only thing for it is to go out in the morning for some exercise, preferably under trees,mandvtgen retreat to watch Tour,in the afternoon.

Today we limped as far as Ventoux Base Camp where  there is an ancient water source by the side of the road. Pretty enough and home to ducks. Note their Parliamentary standard Duck House.

From there we did a 3 km walk into the woods past a redundant cement works, soon to be renovated.. .more below. It wasn't the most interesting of walks but at least it was largely in shade. Going downhill on the stony track  was a touch precarious though- like walking on ballbearings.

The old works are soon to be transformed into a heritage and visitor centre plus business start up units. Grand Designs indeed.

Across the road is yet another former industrial complex- a paperworks. Nothing doing here but it is surrounded by buddleia bushes teeming with butterflies of many varieties- swallowtails, fritillaries, marbled white, tiny blue and yellow jobs - all drinking theselves stupid on the heady nectar.
Home via Crestet for ice-cream. A particularly successful pairing of mandarin and pistachio for me and lemon and raspberry for him.