The Rain Found Us

It is raining this morning. We actually had a heck of a storm here the night before last, complete with thunder, intense lightning, and crazy powerful wind. At one point it sounded as if one of our bedroom shutters was being ripped from the side of the house, so I nudged Jarrett and had him close up the window -- the first time we closed the window the whole trip. This is the first morning it's rained, though, so I don't know if it will alter any of our plans for the day or not (still waiting for the others to get out of bed). Our plan was originally to drive up to see Mont Ventoux, probably the most famous climb of the Tour de France. We were also going to stop in Carpentras either on the way or the way back to check out a cheese shop we read about, also in the National Geographic Traveler magazine I spoke of earlier.

Yesterday we went to Pont du Gard, part of a Roman aqueduct that was built sometime between 40 and 60 AD during the 15-year construction of the waterway connecting Uzes and Nimes. The sight is quite impressive and thought-provoking when you consider the amount of stone used to create it and the fact that the aqueduct spans 50 km. By the creation of this system, Nimes flourished around a prestigious urban development that included fountains, spas, sewage networks, etc.

After spending some time hiking around the Pont du Gard, we made our way back toward Saint-Remy, stopping for lunch in Tarascon, and went on to visit quite possibly my favorite sight so far, Les Baux de Provence, a little village created atop a plateau overlooking Provence. During our hike to the top of the mountain, we were met with awesome sweeping views of the vineyards and olive groves below; once at the top, we were welcomed with winding stone alleyways, small chapels, and little shops and restaurants. So, yes, they have turned the little village into a bit of a tourist trap, but that didn't subract from the fact that the place was filled with history. For a charge you can explore the ruins of a castle, the presence of which was attested by documents from the second half of the 10th century. The castle was destroyed in 1632 at the demand of the inhabitants because of trouble provoked by rebels who had taken refuge there. We didn't choose to pay the money to go through it, but just the sight of the ruins as you look up from the base of its stoop is completely amazing.

We made our way back into Saint-Remy in time to pick up a pork loin from the town butcher, veggies from the local fresh veggie market, as well as a few other essentials from the grocery store we've visited quite nearly every day, the Intermarche. Tim prepared another fabulous dinner of rotissieried pork loin, wrapped in bacon and seasoned with fresh rosemary, sage, and garlic; roasted potatoes; sauteed green beans; a fresh green salad; and a yummy dessert made with oranges, peaches, raspberries, and mango sorbet, which we had with a very good champagne.

I think I finally hear some stirring upstairs... and now the rain is coming down even harder. Hurrumph. But I can't really complain -- the weather has been quite fabulous until now.