Because it’s there

Following last night’s storm, (Yes it did eventually happen.) we ignored the grey clouds and set out for Bédoin and Ventoux. Determined to make it to the top this time. And also because I needed to change some shoes I’d bought on Saturday in Ste C.  Man had given me pink ones instead of grey and I hadn’t noticed! But I remembered he was also on Bédoin market, etc etc. You get the idea.

As we neared the town we could see Ventoux had a vast grey fug on top. No summit visible. Ah well, thought us, it will clear by the time we leave the market. So, shoes were exchanged sans problème, we battled through Benelux crowds, bought nems and noodles for supper, had a coffee,  even purchased another pair of stripey trousers. All was good.

But on our way up the lower slopes we could see no improvement up top. The road was awash with cyclists in both directions, laybys filled with B and NL reg vehicles their passengers armed with cameras to snap papa/husband/significant other on his/her triumphal progress. And as we neared the limit of our walk the other week at the Simpson memorial, the cloud settled over us and visibility was zero. It started to rain frozen stuff. Ghostly cyclists appeared ahead puffing up and zooming down.

And as we rounded the last bend we were stuck behind the road clearing trucks. Bit scary.

Anyway we managd to go over the top and into the restaurant car park where we reckoned we’d be safe from collision. It was icy and cold out there. I had hoped for a plate of chips but nothing doing - resto closed.

Nevertheless we got out and braved the traffic as far as beloved bench. Still there and picturesquely iced up.

Not a place to linger long and we rapidly got back to the car and slalomed down the mountain again round intrepid cyclists, crazy motorcycles and boy racers.
















Stopped in Malaucène for pizza then back to he warmth of home. Off to see Death of Stalin at 5.

Gathering Storm

Or so they promise. We went down to the river - well to the canal siphon beyond Gigondas. And past the collection of discarded earth moving equipment, growing ever larger! It was grey, warm and breezy and the clouds were whisking themselves into a whirly folds. But no rain.

Nightingales were singing fit to burst and we set up a big heron. Quite a lot of water in the Ouvèze too.

The canal was running fast too and just by the exit of the tunnel some huge spiders had set up their fishing lines.

More pix on Google - Close ups!

Just a brief sortie and when we got home there was a delicious aroma of Sunday lunch from next door... we had a couple of small bowls of left over chili con carne.

Storm supposedly imminent. Just a bit of rain so far.

Later...pouring down!

The Escape

Just been to see this film The Escape I loved it. Super music, interesting direction. But is it really not released in UK until August? Come to Vaison...cutting edge culture capital! Monday is Death of Stalin.
Weather still lovely though slightly cooler today. But we continue to scoff on the terrace.

Technical IT error

flickr links were a bit dodgy but I have corrected them so they should work now. Sorry for inconvenience. Not offering you all 5% interest though! There is a proper post for today as well, earlier.

The church bells always ring twice

Well they used to. But ever since we got  here back in early March, they have been fitful and erratic. Sometimes striking a couple of times, occasionally a longer peel. But never right. On Wednesday they seemed to go completely mad, striking at twenty to the hour, pinging off a rally at various odd moments. Until we realised that they were in fact being fixed. Yesterday they resumed their orderly repeat chiming and we once again know what time it is. Such a joy to hear 7 strike in the morning and know it isn’t time to get up!

Today I disgraced myself. We were in Intermarché and Adrian went to get a bottle of cider while I proceeded to checkout. As my purchases were travelling along the ‘tapis’ towards takeoff I realised that he hadn’t caught up. A quick scan revealed he was miles away looking lost. Too far to shout. So I apologised to the people in the queue and did one of my whistles. To general amazement of course!

To Séguret

Haven’t been up there for months but today was the day. Quite a strong northerly but the sun is on full power so it meant we could walk in comfort. All the flowers are out now...borrage, hawthorn, pyracantha (nearly), elder, geraniums various, buttercups, anon daisy-like yellow jobs, strange shaggy spires like grape hyacinths, and Poppies! Swathes of them swaying in the wind.

Dog roses sheltering behind their thorny stems are coming out in swags of pink. And as the path passed through a patch of scrubby hedgerow it was like listening to temple bells with nightingales on one side and goldfinches on the other.

Séguret was looking jolly but we didn’t linger. Just a walk through and return. The plane trees are leafing up and creating fascinating sculpures with their knobbly flaky bark and mysterious hollows.

We returned along the top terrace path where Adrian spotted a hoopoe in the vines. I didn’t - it was behind me. A man was pruning his olives and another was colour coordinating himself
with his house and pool. This is our favourite ever house. Whenever it is for sale it is snapped up before even being advertised- there must be a network of spies on constant alert.

A copious sandwich at the bar for lunch, sitting watching the working man tuck into his three courser. Bruno busy showing folk round the building site that was next door’s restaurant. And is to be an extension of le Bar des Sports. This morning he was stripped to the waist standing on the back of a tipper truck, hefting blocks of masonary out of the place.

Malaucène again

We are becoming creatures of habit but we like Malaucène market. It’s easy to walk through, there’s a nice bar where you can sit aloof and watch. And today we needed milk and raspberry jam as well as door hooks. All of which can be obtaind in either U Market or the droguerie. And now there is a brand new parking lot for Campervans that keeps them neatly corralled in one place, away from civilsed folk. They can stay for three days and get permits for other similar laagers. Already Danes and Luxembourgeois had their breakfast tables out with gingham cloths and were sitting in full view as the traffic circled. Bliss!

But all was not well on the selling front. People were not parting with their lucre. We sat in the bar for a good half hour behind the Nougat de Monségur girl. Not a single sale despite her offering free tastes to all passers by. She was fed up! But then there are at least three nougat stalls on this market. Nougat is mega expensive - not your everyday must have. One of the other stalls did have a customer though. At the third, the man was cleaning down his Samurai slicer. Either to threaten or pehaps he’d just made a sale. I fingered some nice Italian trousers at one stall and the bloke pleaded with me to buy something! Half joking but I think he’d not had a profitable morning either.

It was such a nice day but we didn’t feel energetic enough to stride out in the heat so plan B took us rather circuitously to Puyméras for a plat du jour at the lovely bar.

And a walk round the village. Amazing what you see sometimes!
And we heard nightingales.

Tuesday

Well really not moved far. It was very warm and we took tea with Kaisers in their delightful garden this morning. Then back to our own terrace for bread and cheese! Then in the mid afternoon there was a great scraping and shouting below...van parked up the montée, woman and two blokes lugging an old style sideboard into Mme Vrastor’s. She was sweeping the back of it as it moved! So we assume the house has been either  let or sold. Earlier on a chap had been down the electricity manhole and last week someone was repairing the shutters.
We were going to cinema with J and G and when they got here there were even more people and cars plus a van parked in the garden. Oh dear, change!
Anyway we left the heat of the evening and sat in the comfort of the Florian to watch The Sense of an Ending. And home later still in sunshine.

Flora and Fauna

We did a couple of short walks. One in the vines.
Black redstart.

Cherry Unripe by our cabanon.

And up behind Crestet to La Verrière.
Stopping first to buy more pots like the one we got the other week.
We now have a family of them!

Lots of  birdsong and aromatic perfumes from the trees. Very pleasant temperature and all in all a jolly good thing!

The fenced in sheep were baaing and bleating quite a bit. Then I spotted their Patou on the hillside ushering them out of the vines and back
into the woods.

The heat is on

yeah! More sun. Not that we’ve been out in it much. I tottered up for cakes and basmati rice

and later we sat nursing two pre lunch  drinks across the road from the bar,.

La chienne du village was there, soggy as usual, with her master. We watched her trot off behind him for lunch. Then home to the shady terrace and my utterly delicious triumph of a chili crab soup. Modest, moi!

Transformation

Overnight everything has turned green! Vines that were dead to the world are now in full leaf and flower. Horse chestnuts are sporting candelabra. Quince flowers already going over.

Even the lavender is leafing up.











And at Ste Cécile, proof that we have ‘arrived’! No sooner had we parked ourselves at a table outside the Bar de L’Union than two large coffee cups of Grand Crème were placed  before us. The waitress had seen us crossing the road and knows what we like! No need to order.
Then on our way back through the throng Adrian spotted the next must have kitchen toy...wooden tongs to extract toast from the toaster without blowing a fuse/electrocuting oneself. The chap said he swore hy them, having previously done it with a fork until the fateful time...They now hang above the appliance.

Such a lovely day that we just dumped the shopping and set right out again. This time to Villedieu Coop to buy (sshhh) Chardonnay. Theirs is really nice- nothing like the ghastly oaked Californan and Australian stuff. And then a short walk up through a wood and some vines. It was so quiet, even the birds were silent. Probably too hot it now being almost 26 in the sun.

The final treat was a cool drink in the square at Villedieu. All three restaurants were set out with parasols. Pink for La Remise, Blue for La Maison Bleue (of course) and Green for the bar.

Most picturesque...pity we weren’t hungry. But it’s crab and prawns for tea so we are saving ourselves.

How time flies

Goodness, two days since last post. What have we been up to? Well...a bit under the weather with throat and general weariness. But I perked up sufficiently to go out for lunch in the blazing sun! Unfortunately the mulberry trees at Roaix are reluctant to burst into leaf so there isn’t much shade. Even the cabaret artiste /waitress remarked on this.  But we had a good meal made gooder by the fact we were paid for! So generous of dear Liz.
Then no sooner home and rested and dosed with Lemsip than it was time to go out again. This time to Schloss Kaiser for apéro watching the sun go down over Le Plan. Always a treat and good laugh there.

Today is even hotter. Finished m’book. Adrian painted the terrace wall. We’re actually not fussed about doing much for a day or so. The pigeons are busy though. A pair are even nesting in Max and Janice’s window box! That will be a charming surprise for their son when he next visits.

I pottered round the vines in the afternoon heat en route to boulangerie and boucherie. Everything is blooming, lilac, poppies, wisteria, judas. Houses are being rendered. Call up papers posted!













Stop press. Just heard first cuckoo.

Lazy

I have bad throat so am excused. And after a week of visitor we decided to go nowhere! It’s hot and sunny and ideal day to wash and air.
A terrible clanging this afternoon resulted in the 30 km sign being erected across the way. Not yet discovered where the other one is. I certainly can’t spot it from the look out post on the terrace.

Like the new strides?!

Etang de Berre

A glorious day! Last day for Terry as we were taking him back to Marseille airport. But en route we had a good few hours down by the étang, first St Chamas...a strange place with a viaduct in the middle of the town surmounted by a clock tower, and Troglodyte houses in the cliffs overlooking the water.

 I think these might be quite smart by the looks of the plate glass!

We drove along to Berre l’Étang in search of lunch. I was all for mixing it with a load of rowdies outside a pizzeria but the chaps demeured and we subsequently found a nice little place with outside where the menu is presented to you on an ipad and the toilet paper is dark raspberry pink! Food was good and reasonably priced. Serving wench charming!

As we had a couple of hours to spare we drove down to the wonderfully theatrical seafront with its sinuous concrete seats, giant palms...

...and oversized pots.

Watched  the planes take off and land across the water and listened to the children’s sailing lesson.

Loud instructions being bellowd by the bloke in charge.

It was all pretty idyllic but eventually the time came to leave and we deposited T at terminal 2 and headed home

Walking up that hill

Bédoin market. Sun shining and it was warm. Very busy and colourful. After shopping for non essentials we headed off up the mountain only to find it was still Fermé.

So we set out on foot determined to make it to the Tom Simpson memorial. The road was actually snow free most of the way but now and then a snow plough would shoot past us.

It’s actually a fairly easy climb and the gradient isn’t steep. And the views are tremendous.

 As we approached the 1km from the summit post we feared the memorial might be covered by snow. No sign. And then, rounding the bend we saw the snow blower and the deep snow on the road and the granite monument peaking above.

Lovely lovely up there with the road more or less to ourselves apart from the departement vehicles and rogue motorbikes, oh yes and cyclists!

Good walk and the best bit is that it’s downhill on way back of course!
Then we returned via the north side of the massif and Brantes