Mount Ventoux

We’d been meaning to visit nearby Mt. Ventoux for months, so when we heard the workers would turn off our electricity Friday, we planned a trip. It had snowed there, so Susanne especially wanted to go. Mia had seemed depressed after several days of rain, so she needed a good outing, too.

I was hesitant, because mid-winter didn’t seem the best time to drive a Fiat up a mountain. But if I’m good at anything it’s following others’ initiative and finding myself doing something new and different.

At 6,300 feet, Ventoux isn’t especially grand, but you can see it from everywhere and it’s a favorite destination for cyclists. I hope to ride to the summit later this year.

When we set out from Apt it was overcast and foggy. But in a half hour we broke through the fog and the sky was blue. Behind us it was like looking down on a cloud or a white ocean.

The ground gradually got snowy. 7km below the summit we passed signs saying “road closed.” So we stopped and found a country road going into the countryside. Mia, who hates cars, was happy to get out and run around.

After hiking for a couple of hours we went to the local restaurant and had wild boar for lunch.

I should have had a glass of red wine with it. Next time.

I skipped the coffee, certain we’d find a nice cafe in the nearby town called Sault, famous for its views over lavender fields.

The fields are on the other side

Strangely, nothing was open, so we decided to look for a cafe in Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, a much livelier place closer to home. But it was basically dead, too.

Instead we stopped by a shop where you can custom order tables and other furniture. It has a commercial automatic coffee machine, so I got my caffeine fix while we waited. When the guy finally came to help us, we talked about tables and even getting shutters built. The wait time for a table would be around three months.

Cool hand-made table that we’d get tired of fast

When we got home the electricity was back on, and the circuit breaker box had been installed in our new laundry closet.

Glad to see this upgrade to our electrical system

Painting starts next week, followed by installation of lights, electric heaters, and treatment of the terracotta tile floor. Somewhere in there they’ll “pave” our front terrace and install a drainage system. Then we can start moving furniture back in.

I’ll be relieved.