Ok so I (Laura) have to admit, seeing the lavender fields at the height of their bloom has been on my bucket list and oh my goodness I have been rewarded. Having never been to the south of France before we both thought it looked like Italy (or what we think Italy should look like!). Golden and red hues everywhere (a welcome change from the (admittedly drizzly) northern Rhône) and lots and lots of lavender fields. The steep slopes afforded amazing vistas were everywhere we looked. 

We also stopped at several Domaines and tried the local rosé and white wines – we’ve been lucky quality- wise for days,  And, being suckers for a good corkscrew museum…  

One of our favorite stops was Sault where we got lavender marshmallows. The weather is very warm with a constant summer breeze, a nice change from the colder wetter climes we have been through in the first half of our journey.

This drive afforded some incredible vistas of Mt. Ventoux, but Albert – despite have a “thing” about that mountain tied to Tour de France stages he watched or read about as a kid – refused to drive up. “The only way up is on a bike.”  He was somewhat jealous of the cyclotourists, and clearly intends to avenge his missed opportunity. 

Our lodging for these next days was in a super modern resort, quite a bit different than the old chateaus we’ve been staying at. Castles are pretty cool however they are quirky and having a perfectly modern working shower is something we’ve missed! Laura also appreciated that we were given permission to pick freely from the orchards and garden all over the grounds. What we found to be “in season” here in Provence are apricots, plums, peaches, cherries, asparagus, and peas. 

One of the nice things about the modern lodging is that the cuisine is lighter. We had an entire meal sans-duck, and composed almost entirely of vegetables!  Of course, we did take the old man’s suggestion, and added some fruit.