Friday, December 19, 2014

Reconnaissance in the Dentelles de Montmirail

A playground of limestone pinnacles above the Rhône Valley, the Dentelles de Montmirail offer spectacular hiking and superb vistas. Yesterday I updated route notes (Roadbook) for our self-guided tour, this the first of 5 walks:
Under the Silhouette of Mont Ventoux





The walk begins in the medieval village of Séguret, through the cobbled streets, here bathed in a morning light. Séguret is listed among the most beautiful villages in France. It was about 12°C yesterday and sunny: perfect walking conditions.  And I had the trails all to myself.




Updating route notes: yes, being paid to walk...  




...and cycle: since the walks are linear -- from A to B -- I needed to park the car at B and cycle to A. Then walk to B, and retrieve bike at A...
Does that make sense?
Sometimes it doesn't to me.




The vines above the village of Gigondas -- half-way through the walk -- terraced so that every usable square foot is carpeted with the coveted vines.




A short detour up to the jagged limestone pinnacles for magical views of the Rhône Valley.





The setting sun highlighting the perched village of Séguret from the Domaine de Cabasse hotel.




And just because my camera tends to over-contrast pictures, I decided to take one in black and white.


Monday, December 15, 2014

hotel reconnaissance: l'Isle sur la Sorgue

 Nadia and Sonja back in action in l'Isle sur la Sorgue, meeting hôteliers and visiting their accommodations. l'Isle sur la Sorgue boasts several lavish B&Bs, hidden behind narrow streets, harbouring jaw-dropping rooms.






The two pictures below are from Le Clos Violette, one of our favourite hidden B&Bs in l'Isle sur la Sorgue:









And the two below are from Carol'Isle, another one of our preferred B&Bs in l'Isle sur la Sorgue.








l'Isle sur la Sorgue is featured in several of our self-guided walking and cycling holidays, such as this one:  From Ventoux to the Mediterranean Sea




Wednesday, December 10, 2014

A winter's hike around the village of Malaucène

Yesterday I was around the village of Malaucène, tucked on the north face of Mont Ventoux, checking our self-guided route notes for holiday: Under the silhouette of Mont Ventoux

The air was crisp, below freezing on the slopes, but the light beautiful, and so serene. I didn't see another walker all day.





Malaucène doesn't boast the same jaw-dropping scenery as some of the villages in the Luberon, but it remains authentic, picturesque, quaint. Dilapidated façades, real cafés where yesterday the locals were smoking indoors, older men playing cards and chess, women wrapped in winter gear buying produce at the market (yesterday was Wednesday, the village market day). No fancy cars, and no cameras... except mine...  





The camera wasn't working during the hike itself, which took me up to the chapel Saint Sidoine on the northern slopes of the mountain. Ventoux is an isolated mountain, and you need only climb 200-300m before the views are wide sweeping. Perched above a jagged cliff, the chapel became my short sandwich break before the steep slopes led me back down to the plains.

The plains are carpeted with cherry orchards, vines, truffle oak plantations, and framing a few sleepy hamlets. Below is a lone persimmon tree. It took a while to find a ripe one that hadn't rotted, but it was the sweetest thing I'd eaten in a long time.






The truffle oak below sits on a clearly parched surface, where there is no vegetation. it's a clue that there are truffles below. The truffle is a very finicky mushroom, and isn't keen to grow amid other vegetation. In fact, it'll send up a toxic substance that kills the vegetation at the surface of the tree, hence the clue.