Midweek

Yesterday was still bright so we strolled the canal into Beaumes. The vast building site in the middle is a social housing development and U Express, not as we thought a new school! New flowers appearing along the path - quince, poppies -  and banksia lutea rambler up the house walls. We visited the Kaisers for tea in their garden - the first of the gang to appear.

 It rained a bit last night and today is grey and cold. Watching the UK weather on television though we’re not quite as bad as back home! Ventoux was wreathed in cloud this morning and there was some snow up top. Malaucène market a shadow of its summer self but we got enough supplies for the week despite that. The lovely butcher man actually gave us a huge salami for free! I think he saw Adrian wistfully eying them up before my disapproving gaze😀 And…we even sat half outside for coffee.

So a fairly sedate couple of days. Not without some excitement however. La Patrouille are upping their game and today are on Advanced Smoke Release. Many passes over the terrace with increasing complexity of colour. Here is a sequence…

A lettuce the size of Anglesey

 

…is how He described it! A scarole, large and flat from the Bédoin market stall where it sat. I had to fold it carefully to squeeze it into the salad drawer.

But that was later. First we sat at the Espresso Bar with our macchiati and enjoyed the sunshine. Then purchased a bathmat from the lady with recycled cotton rugs (see pix last Monday). Then strolled up to the top and back gathering a cauliflower the weight of a cannonball, some clementines and bananas and asparagus.

Returned via Roadrunner, who is still wearing his mask, and a bit of a stroll through the woods, then  Malaucène for a sandwich. Not a very energetic day but very pleasant. Still warm and sunny, but we await the cool change threatened for later in the week.

Return of the Native

 

Our visitor left today sadly. We’ve had a wonderful time this past two weeks, travelling down through France, exploring, eating and doing far more long walks than we’d normally do in a complete stay! The weather perked up and on many days we have been overdressed by lunchtime.

Yesterday we breakfasted in Puyméras then walked around the Toulourenc hillside, ending up in quite a nice restaurant in Malaucène where salads came with pansies and primroses.

Today it was all aboard for TGV Avignon. The city was quiet and the river twinkling - only a couple of behemoths in (plus old faithful Chardonnay). Once the fond farewells were over we returned via IKEA (on a Saturday! I hear you shriek). Well as we were passing at opening time it wasn’t too busy and I’d had a wizard idea re repairing the injured table. Get some trestles…and as luck would have it they stock some black metal ones that match fairly well. Think self assembly zimmer frame! Two purchased, plus a reduced saucepan and two mugs. Only in there an hour which is good going. I should add that visitor got a ticket from Avignon to Lille for…22 euros! No railcard involved either. Lille St Pancras was £120 standard premier.

Somewhere on the road back came wizard idea the second. Lunch at Roaix. Otherwise we’d have to go supermarket shopping as we were too late for the market. And it is such a lovely day and we could have the magret de canard and chips. 

Deposited the IKEA spoils and went straight off, arriving exactly at 12 - just as well as the place was full, latecomers turned away! Elsa and David greeted us warmly, all was perfect.

Back home Mr DIY ASSEMBLY MAN did his magic on the trestles and we once more have a terrace table.

Nature trails

Another warm day with much activity. First off we went into Vaison for coffee in Place Montfort and croissants from the fancy bakery. Just to be civilised and watch the world go by. A most informative poster on the back of the loo door.

Then the serious business of the day - The Walks!

We started off above Suzette and around the hill to the Eagle’s Nest rocks where we saw not only a pair of Ravens but also group of Alpine swifts. And many butterflies including this tiny green one. 

On the way back to the car I nearly squashed this line of processional caterpillars! They are pretty destructive of pine trees (those huge cocoons you see in the branches) but it would have been sad to trample them. In fact I had to alert a following troupe of ramblers to the hazard!

Then another walk on the upper road past the house with the beautiful garden. So neat and manicured with the first Judas tree in flower of the season.

Lines of vans and cars tearing up the hill meant it was lunchtime so we moved down towards Le Barroux where there is a restaurant as yet untried. It was closed - of course. So swiftly on to Vacqueyras where we sat under the bare plane trees in the sun for a plate of tagliatelli.

The final flourish was a ride up past the chocolate works and hunting dog kennels to the other side of Eagles Nest and a walk along the track towards the old monastery of Prébayon. Not all the way!We flagged.

On the way back there was a most sinister sound of helicopter and we saw a big black creature hovering close to the top of the rocks. Scary.

On the tourist trail

 

Off to Fontaine de Vaucluse while it is still relatively quiet. Lovely sunny day and warm. There were a few folk around including a coach party but luckily they had been to the top before us so were descending as we got there. 

The river was full and a gorgeous green with weirs and rapids and dabbling ducks. The air filled with birdsong. But…not much water in the gaping chasm! 

We had to disobey the warning notices and climb under the barrier to get closer before spotting the pool. Winter is better after the autumn rains but there is still a huge volume of water gushing down.

Nevertheless it was most agreable wandering by the Sorgue and having coffee on a terrace in the sun.

After that we went up to the pont canal that carries the Canal de Carpentras at a vertiginous height over the road and walked alongside the water for about half an hour. Quite idyllic really. 

Mind you I couldn’t watch as a couple of intrepids actually jogged across! But it was now 1 o’clock and no lunch…tried the little bistro in Saumane - closed until tomorrow. So a pitstop in St Didier instead, where we sat in ever increasing heat for a slow cooked pork belly with polenta. I now know I don’t like polenta! but the pork was good.

Back home, La Patrouille are performing above the village for our entertainment.

Fantastic! Mr Fox

His nose appeared out of the bushes as I stood looking at the bare vines above the Chapelle de St Hilaire. Followed by the long sleek back and outstretched tail. But he must have sensed me because he suddenly turned and looked intently for a minute in my direction then turned and slipped away. No time to get out the camera.

We’d gone up to the chapel for a walk in the sun - much warmer today. No one around, not even any volunteers, so we had the hilltop to ourselves. The iris are just coming out but the vines are resolutely not!

It was peaceful and exhilarating at the same time and once again we were so impressed by the care and love that had gone into the restoration.

We debated about where to eat and decided that although Vacqueyras was closer, it would probably be in the shade, so Villedieu was a better bet! Got there on the dot of 12 and sat by the fountain for the menu du jour. Then a lightning dash to Tulette Intermarché for supplies and home for tea on the terrace. Next door’s adopted cat is staring at me from their terrace roof…plotting how to get over to ours no doubt!

Gigondas and Ventoux on foot

On Sunday Beryl and I walked to Gigondas and back. Adrian drove to meet us at the café below and opposite the new NI abode where we had good coffees. The skies were black to the south west as we walked back and it definitely was not a warm day!

Today (Monday) was brighter so off we toddled off to Bédoin to first fortify ourselves for the ascent on foot of Le Géant. Well at least the bit from the barrier above Chalet Reynard. We stopped off for a wine BIB from the Coop then had a stroll through the market, which is so much nicer when it isn’t tourist season. 

We sat in the square with delicious coffees from the coffee man. He does all sorts of proper brews - cortado, macchiato, latte, espresso etc etc. Great. Could have sat there all day. But Ventoux beckoned…

The slopes were bare both of leaf and cyclist and we saw no one except earth moving vehicles until we got to the barrier. It was actually open but the notice said No Entry and we are nothing if not law abiding. Anyway we had come to walk dammit. A mere 5 k to the top and an easy gradient…piece of cake. 

The wind was a touch keen on some of the bends and it was slightly alarming to see the 60 tonner hurtling down towards us but we made it in about two hours with a few stops to take photos and have a little rest on the arnco. 

One or two cyclists and a Belgian car ignoring the No Entry lumbered up. Beryl and I saw a pair of choughs.

There was a bit of snow near the top and the wind got ever more piercing. Beloved Bench survives. After a quick walk to the summit platform we drew stumps and headed back down. 

This time it only took an hour! Smug and chilled we returned to our sunny 17 degree terrace for cups of tea.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cfrFEpY6ZzhpASUr8

Hoopoes

 Returning from the market across the plain what should suddenly leap before us but two hoopoes! We’d only recently been saying we thought it was a bit early for them. Anyway they kindly sat still long enough for me to extricate camera, point and shoot.

We had rain last night but it’s sunny again and warm. After unloading the day’s spoils (monkfish, prawns, asparagus, a few veg, chili con carne) we went for a couple of hours walk almost to Séguret and back then had cheese and crisps on the terrace…sun just reaching it!

Adrian is having a rugby fest.

google album France Spring 22 https://photos.app.goo.gl/cfrFEpY6ZzhpASUr8

First Friday

 

France was mostly closed on Thursday - at least the bits we drove through. Admittedly this was the Gorges du Tarn where tourists roam in season. But this is not yet Season, so every single bar, restaurant, hotel, boulangerie, tabac was barred and shuttered. The only activity was builders, plumbers, electricians - all fettling establishments in anticipation of Easter! There are locals and farms and inhabited houses so where do they shop?! 

Mind you it was a treat to have the road and scenery to ourselves. You really do not want to be there in season mixing it with campervans, kayakers, bungie jumpers etc.

We did eventually find an open bar in Ste Enimie, full of local folk. But no croissants - no boulangerie! Very odd as it is a decent sized village with residents. Maybe the shops are all having their annual holiday before the onslaught. No matter, by then we were resigned to having to wait until Florac to eat. Which we did in a charming little square by the weekly farmers’ market selling local smoked trout, jars of local snails and various chestnut confections, rhubarb crowns, potatoes, leeks etc. 

Then over the hills along the Corniche des Cévennes with long views to snow capped peaks. We got to Sablet about 3 and unpacked  checked, ordered pizzas for tea and settled in. Only one slipped tile - Mr Fernandes has been emailed! I suggested Adrian try to get to it by putting the ladder on the terrace table but er…he was too heavy and table legs collapsed! 

Mr F appeared while Beryl and I were out for a walk. He’d been to a funeral in Sablet so was all in black. Adrian dealt with it and Mr F refused any payment!

A bit grey

 

Périgueux to Millau via the Causses. We headed through the Dordogne past caves and trogolodye buildings in warm limestone. Nit many settlements and none with bars even less boulangeries! So it was Les Eyzies again. But yikes! everything seemed closed…on a Wednesday. One baker with tables though where we had coffee and the usual. Overlooked by Cro Magnon. We carried on to Sarlat where the penny dropped. Wednesday is market day so presumably all the surrounding population shuts up shop and goes shopping there.

Not really an inspiring drive over the bleached landscape. Definitely back to winter up here. But everywhere flashes of yellow in the trees and hedges which we concluded is Cornus Mas. It flowers in February in our garden. 

Stopped at the lakes near Pont de Salars and ate our sandwiches in the chill. Tried to get a coffee in the next village where once we supped in deep snow, but it was also closed and there were major road gentrifications going on.

Never mind, we drove over the hills and caught glimpses of the viaduct before fetching up underneath it for the worm’s eye view.

Ibis was located with ease as we’ve been before and it too is being refurbed. Our rooms are very smart and there is a swish lounge area with billiards table no less. After a wander around to the river we ate at Le Mangeoire and enjoyed saucisse grillée with Aligot ( my favourite) plus a couple of puds. Very good.

Gorges du Tarn and Sablet tomorrow.

Saumur Sahara

We descended into the carpark at 8, wove our way through a group of military men with braid round their caps standing outside - must be a convention or something as they left in a transit can. Anyway then we noticed that all cars were in desert camouflage - besmirched with sandy deposits! The Sahara had dumped on us. Fortunately we carry a towel for such eventualities so Adrian managed to wipe off the worst of it and we set off for breakfast in Montsoreau along the river. Hey ho! Boulangerie fermée but there were at least three bar/cafés. I plumped for the most likely and asked if they had croissants. No, but the lady at the door ran the grocery next door and she was the Dépot de Pain so had the works. Not open for another ten minutes so we sat and ordered our coffees. Then another customer beckoned…you can go and get your croissants now he said, I was just waiting until your coffee had been served. He knocks at the grocery, tells lady to serve me, which she charmingly did! Then opened up. So friendly.

Pretty uneventful drive via Richelieu, Confolens. We tried a couple of car washes but the world and his camel were sluicing off the desert! Every car was a dusty orange. Even the clouds looked ochre. But then we spotted an empty one outside an Intermarché and paid a small fee to get Skoda clean. 8 euro magic.

Sandwiches at Chauvigny on the Vienne and another drive down to Périgueux Ibis. On the river in front of the cathedral. 20 degrees and sunny. Good meal at Chez Fred.

St Malo to Saumur

 

Four hours to Portsmouth and on board by 7. We’d had the foresight to bring the remains of a bottle of Touraine with us so settled down with that and three crab salads crisps and a pâtisserie - all for free! As Club Voyage members we get a food allowance of £10 per person plus 10%  off in addition over a certain amount!

Having watched Portsmouth slip by we went to bed and snoozed away the crossing ready for dawn over the entry into St Malo. And then along the coast road round the beautiful bay for photo opps of Mont St Michel from the polders. Really fabulous landscape - flat marshes with oyster beds and fields and big skies.

After that it was a steady drive down to the Loire where we sat and ate hard boiled eggs and retrieved fruits and veg from home in Chalonnes. Sunny and breezy. And eventually to Kyriad centre Saumur which is an old building with more character than your usual budget hotel - and walking distance to supper…if, that is, anything is on offer, it being Monday!

I’m doing a Google album of photos to save mobile data but will add one or two here if wifi is available.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cfrFEpY6ZzhpASUr8

Off again

 This time with Beryl. Portsmouth to St Malo on Sunday night. But le …Bog évolue. Fewer posts less frequently because we are on mobile data these days.