Normal service is resumed

except on France Musique where they have been on strike for at least a week!

Not much of note doing since the Alpilles trip. Yesterday we did however have a wonderful late lunch with N Ireland and Germany in the vines where the former are house sitting. Have to be circumspect in what I reveal as the owners are v twitchy about it!  

The weather is sunny and warm with that gorgeous soft autumnal feel. Plumes of smoke rising from the hillsides, vineyards turning red and gold, starlings flocking and pretending to be buzzards or espresso machines - whatever their latest trick happens to be! And on the subject of bird tricks, well last night on some nature prog we saw the most extravagant display.  A Great Argus Pheasant. I just have to have one! Made peacocks look mediocre. All I can offer is this preying mantis.

As it is almost certainly half term somewhere next week we decided we’d visit Bédoin market today just for a stroll and on the way get the six pack of  Ventoux to bring home. Hmm…seems to be half term already to go by the groups of school age beings. But it was a pleasant visit taking in coffee. Then off up into the hills south round Flassan and Monieux.  Smashing road up through the forests, almost on the turn colourwise, then down again to the Nesque valley and the pretty village of Monieux. 

There’s a restaurant there that I’d like to try one day - bare 3 courser of amuse bouche, plat du jour and dessert for €25.50 - but it looked closed at the moment and in any case we were too late. Instead we had a good walk around, I bought some postcards from a sweet little pottery guarded by an orange cat called Picasso and took a photograph of the designated Official Winter Tyre area poster at the Poste. Why? Has she finally flipped? Ah well chers lecteurs/lectrices…hereby unfolds a tale.

Gérard is greatly concerned by the latest intelligence that between 1 November and 31 March it will be Obligatory for all vehicles to have winter tyres or chains or, possibly, all season tyres. I have done some research and it seems that 48 départements are concerned - mountainous ones - and even there only in designated communes where the risk is greatest. In addition it will not be enforced this winter apparently. I can understand his concern as obviously they drive through a lot of these areas on their way to and from the Black Forest but then again it is already compulsory in Germany and they do have a car with winter tyres! As for us we will either a) ignore it, b) ajust our timings of visit or c) use a non mountainous route.

Moving on. We returned via the dramatic Gorges de la Nesque where 31 years ago we did a very long walk on the other side. The road goes through several rock arches and all along the edge the Municipal Topiary Artistes have plied their trade, as they do round these parts. 

Today. however, we came across the best one yet - a rival to Road Runner even. It was an actual cabanon with open door. Chapeau!