Day 10, July 21

A lot of driving today.

After my typical morning ride and breakfast we drove to the town of Vaison-la-Romaine, where it was market day.  This is one of the best in Provence, so Joni was very excited after months of planning on what she'd like to buy there.

It's a 90+ minute drive to Vaison, winding back country roads that go over the Vaucluse Plateau and into the Mont Ventoux valleys which are full of lavender farms.  

Driving around Mont Ventoux is very similar to driving around Mt. Washington;  one side is very different than the other.  We took the less traveled, more spectacular scenery route and enjoyed every curve and kilometer.  Like Mount Washington, Ventoux is usually surrounded by clouds or haze, but today was a "blue bird" day.

We arrived in Vaison around 11...it was very hot and very crowded.  We had tentatively arranged to meet Anne Toole from Cape Cod at the market, but she was long gone by the time we arrived.  We would be joining her, her daughter, grandson, and several of her French friends for dinner, so missing her at the market was no big deal.

Joni shopped and I read the papers, drank coffee, and stayed in the shade at the Cafe du Thym.  Around 1:00 pm most of the vendors at the market started to pack up, and the 100+ degree heat also convinced us to get out of town.  It was actually 111 F in our car!  Oh, la, la, c'est chaud!

For the remainder of the afternoon we kept cool by visiting an ice cream/candy shop in Crestet, drinking Orangina at an outside terrace in the tiny mountain top village of Brantes, and then stooping for a "pastis in the shade of a plane tree in Buis le Baronies.

We then headed to Mazan to meet up with Anne Toole, her family, and friends.  Anne served all of us drinks and cocktails at her rented farmhouse.  It was lots of fun catching up with everyone since we have known them since we first started our string of trips to France in 2008.  I will always be grateful to Anne for convincing us to come to Provence.  We worked together in Barnstable for 30 years and as French teacher, who knew I lived in Paris as a 1st grader, she continually invited us to join her for a summer at her farmhouse...I'm glad we finally gave in.

Dinner was simple...pizza...so no pix were taken.  Finally around 11 PM, we said goodbye to all, and headed back to Saint Saturnin-les-Apt, arriving just before midnight.