Don’t get your knickers in a knot. Nothing is solved and it just makes you walk funny
Sunday 19th June 2022
Leaving Avignon was tricky. All roads led to low bridges. Bridges too low for Reggie to get under. We ended up travelling around the city walls and then south. A quick fuel stop calmed us down and a 3.8m bridge finally released us from Avignon. We passed wheatfields turning brown and grapevines that were rich green with leaves on the way to Carpentras (we’ll be unexpectedly back there later). Mont Ventoux sat ahead of us, shrouded in a heat haze. At 10am it was already 29C and the cicadas were singing loudly.
There be more problems ahead….
Near Le Barroux the road started to rise, and the surroundings became rockier. We could see the Dentelles de Montmirail in the distance and then the road began to twist and turn with spectacular views. We squeezed through Malaucene to turn onto the D974 for the ‘Tour de France’ route over Mont Ventoux. We had forgotten that being a Sunday, there would be a lot of cyclists tackling the mountain, apparently for fun. It was tough enough in Reggie and I’m not sure even my E-bike would enjoy it, but it was a very scenic drive (again).
We need some cooler temperatures and we had to go to the top of a mountain to do that. On the Col des Tempetes at 1841 metres there was not a cloud in the sky, the wind was blowing wildly, and the temperature was a fabulous 19C. Relief at last.
Problem no.2. After our first ‘Kodak stop’, Reggie displayed a transmission warning light which stated we needed to consult the manual. Rodney had no gears available, and we were parked on a downhill slope facing backwards! We consulted the manual, page after page of it and could find nothing related to the problem. We both agreed that we couldn’t have found a worse place to break down………on the top of a mountain, on a Sunday, in France. Mind you, it would be a speedy ride downhill on our bikes to get help! Fortunately, we didn’t have to do that because after a bit of a rest and another wriggle of the gear stick, Rodney managed to lose the warning light and find a gear, phew! So we gingerly continued round the corner to the top of Mont Ventoux to start our descent down the other side to Sault.
Problem no.3 for the day. The road down was closed due to a sports car time-trial event. I cursed and I cussed. Neither of us was happy with the situation. We took a few photos at the top, did a three-point turn and drove down the way we came, back to Carpentras, yet again. So, I have now been up Mont Ventoux twice and both times have not managed to get over it. The first time in 2013, snow was blocking the pass and this time it was stupid sports cars. I am obviously doomed to never see the other side. However, it was an absolute relief to get down off that mountain safely and start our diversion around it. We found a nice shady pique-nique spot with views across to the cursed mountain and then continued on to Sault in the Vaucluse region.
Problem no. 4. We chose a café in a tiny square in the centre of the village and when we sat down for a nice cold drink at 3:15pm, the waiter informed us that they were now closed. As was practically everything else in town. I did manage to buy a big bunch of fresh lavender, with instructions on how to dry it properly, then we returned to Reggie, guzzled some cold water and drove on to Banon. We then drove straight through Banon and out the other side to Camping Flower L’Epi Bleu. Checking in was simple and then we had……
Problem no.5. An elderly German couple in front of us were blocking the narrow road to our allotted pitch. They nearly hit a tree with their caravan, then seemed to have problems unhooking it and then more problems moving it. I wandered around the small campsite to see if there was another way through, nope. So while Rodney sat and waited in hot and sweaty Reggie, I checked out the laundry and shower blocks for later. It’s quite a nice campsite and surrounded by lavender fields which are just coming into colour.
Fifteen minutes later, we finally reached our pitch and set everything up for two nights, then we threw ourselves into the swimming pool as it was still 33C at 5pm. The momentary pleasant cool temperature on top of Mont Ventoux was already forgotten.
Monday 20th June 2022
It felt like we were back to motorhome life in the slow lane, although life never seems to be in the slow lane these days. There were two loads of washing (in a very tricky machine) to start our day, followed by breakfast outside in the fabulous temperature of only 20C….ahhhh heaven. The temperature rose again throughout the morning and as we cycled into Banon we could smell the lavender in the heat of the day. It was a tough slow slog for Rodney, uphill all the way, but we got to the only supermarket just before it closed at midday. The huge water bottle was strapped to the back of my bike and Rodney cycled with the rest of the groceries. Or did he? Back at the campsite we discovered that Rodney The Distracted had left the shopping bag of fruit hanging on a tree where his bike was parked. I contemplated being grumpy, but it was more fun waving him off back into town on my E-bike. I think he did a secret little victory dance, because the bag was still there, and he got there and back in super-fast time. Perhaps there’ll be another E-bike purchase next year.
Later in the day we apricated on our sunbeds by the pool, trying to read, but constantly dozing. Eating dinner outside was a bit of a challenge with flies, flies, flies constantly buzzing around us and getting inside Reggie, every time we opened the flyscreen door. Sadly our resident spider is still not big enough to catch them with her weedy little web. Ah well, the cherries that Rodney rescued from the tree were the best yet.
