Cotes du Rhone

Today's activities began in bed - with a skype call to Peg and Al.  Our plans for the rest of the day revolved around the Cotes du Rhone wine district.

First however, we set off for the markets at Vaison-La-Romaine - a gorgeous village that is divided in half by the Ouveze river.  The market is spread all over the lower half of the village - similar to, though more up-market than the one we went to on Sunday. We bought bread, grapes, strawberries, olives, tomatoes, saucisson etc etc, and a T-shirt for Brian.  Today was the warmest day we've had so far - much too hot to stay in the sun.  

We had coffee at a cafe under the huge plane trees in the "place" (town square) and then returned all of the produce to the car before "hitting" the high half of the village.  We had to cross a magnificent Roman bridge (originally built in the first century) and then wind our way around the narrow cobbled streets up, up and up.  We thought that we would visit the ruins of the 12th century castle which was clearly sign-posted.  What they didn't tell us that it was located at the end of a path which became a treacherous, steep, rocky sheep track!  Anyway, we didn't actually reach the castle because it was just too difficult without a sherpa, but we did get close enough to be able to take a photo!  Then back down the track and off to another one of France's most beautiful villages - Seguret.

The drive today was absolutely gorgeous - through lots of vineyards (with quite a few teams of pickers scattered around the place), villages, rocky fields and beautiful olive groves - and everyone is so friendly.  Provence is wonderful. 

We drove into a pretty, shaded parking area below the village and had lunch at a little picnic spot there.  Then a longish walk up the winding road into the medieval village.  It really is beautiful - and they've got medieval castle ruins as well, and once again the path to reach it is very well sign-posted.  So off we went.  A nice walk out of the village, up more winding, narrow roads which also became more of a footpath, and then a goat track - and the angle of ascent became sharper by the minute!  "It can't be much higher than this" I said to Brian at least 10 times! Anyway, it was a great work-out for the thighs and I overheard Brian telling our landlady this evening that he had gone for a cardiac stress test today and passed!

So back down the hill - and what do you do when you're exhausted? Go into a wine shop to taste and buy some Cotes du Rhone wine - and that is what Brian did.  Then back into the car and off to Giacondas - a gorgeous little Cote du Rhone village to taste and buy a few more wines.

Everyone we met today was absolutely charming.  From the stall sellers at the market, to the elderly man who cheekily posed in front of me as I tried to get a photo of Brian at the cafe, the people we met as we walked around the villages and up and down the castle tracks, the stranger who insisted on taking a photo of Brian and me with our camera, the women who served us in the wine shops and the little boy (maybe 4 years' old) on the cross walk behind his dad who waved to us when we stopped for them to cross, and then waved goodbye to us as we drove away - all behind his dad's back. 

And then this evening, a vegetarian dinner of baby artichokes served with a butter and lemon dipping sauce, tender, sweet ribbon beans and sensational little porcini mushrooms (I know, they're not French but I just couldn't resist) with fabulous bread, little strawberries and some of the cheese that's still leftover from Burgundy - and of course some lovely Cotes du Rhone wine.