1) perfect weather for walking, albeit a bit crisp -- but in my books 15°C beats 30°C.
2) extraordinary light for picture taking, and hardly ever any rain
3) no one on the trails but you - a guaranteed authentic experience
All of this was true for me yesterday, updating our Roadbook from the village of Malaucène to Vaison la Romaine. It's the last leg of our self-guided tour that circumnavigates the Dentelles de Montmirail, a chain of jagged limestone teeth set above the Rhône valley.
My long hike (about 20km) actually began with a bike ride, as most of my updating missions do, placing a car at one end and a bike at the other. Extra exercise. And so by the time I began my walk in Malaucène I had already worked up a sweat...
Climbing into the hills, and looking towards the Rhône Valley.
Climbing on the southern slopes, bathed in the light, carpeted by a brush of aromatic herbs such as thyme and winter savoury, their perfumes intensified by the ever-present Provençal sun.
My lunch break, looking eastward towards the peak of Mont Ventoux, the summit under cloud cover:
Arriving in Vaison la Romaine at the end of the walk:
the ruins of the feudal castle set atop the medieval village of Vaison:
Come and see for yourselves!
Self-guided walking -- under the Silhouette of Mont Ventoux
