We’ve cracked it! Get up early, get out before eight. So today it was Malaucène market for breakfast and supplies of fruit. After which we drove up Ventoux. Temperature droppng on the inboard display at a satisfying rate. Not too busy when we go to the summit - the usual cohort of Belgians getting their vertigo rush, groups of middle aged cyclists justifiably proud to have made it. And paragliders sailing off into the void.
It was quite fresh. Not cold, but comfortable. Mind you the waitress at the brasserie was wearing her fleece, albeit unzipped.
Bench was sat on and patted. We observed that its last remainng slat is a little loose and the bolts are wobbly but decided it would be terribly bad form to try to remove one as a souvenir. Anyway it would have required WD40 and a monkey wrench, neither of which we had to hand. As we were sitting enjoying the view, two delta wing fighter jets crept up on us and roared over the mountain, banking and descending south. Obviously having a jolly good time!
Then we went off for an hour or so down to the plateau below the summit.
It looks totally barren but if, like us, you fix your eyes on the ground, it becomes a botanst’s paradise of alpine flowers. I took masses of photos, too many for this post, and they are in a separate Google album on the right hand side.
And there were vultures riding up the thermals above our head.
We decided not to eat at the Vendran so drove down to Bédoin. Didn’t fancy that either and I suggested the bistro at St Pierre de Vassols. We ate there once when it was just a local bar but now it has been done up and looks rather nice. But you know the curse of the Melling Smythes! It is a given that anywhere we aim for will be exceptionally fermé that day. And so it was. This eatery does not open on Wednesday...bugger! But
nil desperandum...Caromb was in sight. They have an unpretenious caff where we’ve had plat du jour before. We parked in some shade and braved the outside. My goodness it was like an oven and we had to walk at least 200 metres. Would we make it? Thankfully, yes.
And no way were we eating outside even under the awning. Inside was deliciously cool and empty, save for one table set with a carafe of red wine and three plates of food. - a cheese platter and two others each containing salad with lardons topped with a fried egg, half a stuffed aubergine, half a stuffed tomato and a portion of chips. No customers. The lively pretty waitress popped over and said That’s the plat du jour. do you want it or shall I bring the menu? Of course we wanted it, just for the novelty value if nothing else! Eventually the other customers drifted in from the outside. Their food must have been stone cold by then but they polished it off. Well most of it. The bloke left his lettuce of course!
Replete, we returned to base to sit in our shady middle room. All windows and curtains firmly closed to keep out the heat - it works!
Wow Latest news from Mairie... François Hollande is signing his book here on Saturday. Journée du Livre. Place your orders!
