The hill keeps going up!
This was just a magnificent road. A long climb with great views, and rock outcroppings the whole way. A bit hot though!
Down a long fast hill into St. Leger-du-Ventoux. I was hoping for Orangina. No stores though, and they would probably have been closed for lunch even if they'd existed.
We spent a long time sitting in the shade by this fontaine, wondering if the water was drinkable. No sigh, but notice the long white notice in the middle of the board? We didn't notice it for a long time.
When we finally did, it told us in great detail exactly what was in the water at this source, and looked very good. So we drank our fill. Our experience in this region was that whenever we asked if water from such a source was drinkable, the answer given was "yes" unless the water was specifically marked "eau non potable." We drank from a number of these with no noticeable ill effects.
The village of Savoillan where we sat next to the church, and had a lovely lunch. A artisanal boulangerie across from the church was open just late enough to sell us a baguette (and two orangina)!
In Savoillan
Riding toward Aurel.
We stopped for a cold drink (white wine, and mercifully, ice water) at this cafe with a view at the top of the hill (about 800 meters altititude) as the road ran through Aurel. Bill and Teresa's Bike Friday's caused a great deal of consternation and excitement!
There's our cafe as we ride out of Aurel.
View from window of our hotel in Sault.
Church in Sault
View into the valley of the Nesque river from the ridge coming out of Sault. That's lavender, but it isn't purple yet. Recall we are at 800 meters, so it is probably cooler here than lower down.
Road down in a plateau now, though we are still significantly above the Nesque, which runs through a gorge.
Not-yet-blooming lavender up close and personal.
Yes, there is Mt. Ventoux. It isn't snow covered - it is only about 6000 feet - that is just the color of the rock.
Lavender in foreground, Ventoux in background.
One field of blooming lavender in the middle of many fields of not yet blooming lavender.
I'm using Teresa's bike as a camera stand here. Unfortunately, I failed to get her bike completely out of the shot.
Using Teresa's bike as a camera stand. Unfortunately I didn't get all of the bike out of the way!
The Nesque gorge.
It is pretty much impossible to describe how beautiful the ride was from Sault to Gordes. Mostly downhill, but a lot of flat riding on top of the plateau or on a ridge, with views across the Nesque gorge.
This is a level road in the direction of Gordes from Sault. It is relatively high altitude (700 meters maybe) through scrubby forest, and was very quiet and very pleasant.