Last time we were here in Provence (pre kids) we made the memorable trip up "Mont Ventoux." It is part of the Tour de France bike race, and can be seen rising up into the sky from many viewpoints down here in the valley.
Sara said, "I'm so excited, this is going to be great!" as we began our drive towards the mountain. It was 9:00 AM when we were in the car, rearing to go.
Our first stop was a town that our guide book said "cute little Bedoin, which as a local Monday market." We thought we may as well stop there - see the market and keep driving.
Well, the market was spectacular. And after all the markets we've seen thus far - we can tell a good one! It was friendly, not crowded, full of good stuff, and huge, huge, huge. It snaked through town and we found our selves asking, "how much longer can this go?"
Julia was sleeping in her car seat when we arrived. I draped a sweater over her, and carefully lifted her up and into the Bob stroller still in her seat. Great. I then put my own sweater over the open area so she had a little nest. She slept for over an hour like that.
Since Julia was sleeping Dan walked ahead with her. Sara and I lingered behind. I stopped to show Sara some spices (the spice displays are wondrous) then I shopped to show Sara some dried flowers (such as lavender) and before we knew it we were lost from Dan and Julia. We kept looking for them, and wandering on our own. I didn't worry too much. I had my back pack with food, water, and even 2 Euro in my pocket! With 2 Euro we could buy 2 loaves of bread at any bakery - so we were not going to be hungry.
We have a rule that if we get "lost" we go back to the last place we saw each other. So Sara and I waited up by the spice vendor, where I knew Dan saw us. Sure enough a while later Dan was there too. The market wasn't crowded, but still it was nice to re-join up - since it was big and we were on unfamiliar territory. There was one time I didn't know where Sara was - and that makes me feel hollow inside. I yelled her name, kept walking, and sure enough saw her up ahead waiting for me. We were glued together after that.
Once we four were together again we decided the market was ultra cool and we may as well stay for a while! It was one of those travel gems that just turns out better than you think it will. We grabbed some pizza at a restaurant and watched the market from our seats. We had two pizzas. One plain and one with pesto. Both were good. The main challenge was no high chair for Julia. So we were sitting outside on the pizza restaurant's picnic table with her on our laps. For half the time she sat like a dream. Just rooted to my leg and happily eating. For the other half of the time Julia was a wiggle worm, staying in the same place about as good as a bumble bee in a flower patch. It was a struggle to hold her. She just wanted to get down. Finally after a while Dan got her to sit, and when I commented on it he said, "it is amazing what a choke hold will do" - he had his arm around her belly to help her realize she should stay put! It was funny. Sara was a wiggle worm too. She ended up falling on her head under the table. (Yes that is possible.) I think that is why we so often eat "at home" it is just more pleasant than trying to struggle through a meal at a restaurant. Sometimes they are perfect at a restauarant; but other times every minute is work trying to get them to sit still. It isn't a matter of discipline really, they are good kids, but sometimes they'd rather do anything other than sit for an hour to eat.
Before we left the market Sara bought a sachet of lavender It smelled wonderful. She gripped it in her hand the rest of the day.
From Bedoin (where the market was) we wound our way up to the top of "Mont Ventoux" 1911 meters high (6,000 feet). The altitude isn't the main draw, it is the view -- all the way to the Alps - and also of the valley below. And boy, it was windy up there! We had our sweaters and wind jackets on. Julia got the prize. She just stayed in Dan's arms and went with the flow perfectly. It was the opposite of lunch. Julia looked around - even with the forceful wind blowing in her face and whipping her hair. The only thing she did was squint. She was a great, great, baby. Sara did well too. She said, "make the wind stop!" but she liked the view and thought it was a big adventure to be on the peak of a mountain. The landscape up there is unique - it is all white stones. She asked "who put all these stones here?" - and we had to explain they were natural. They did kind of look like landscape stones - but bigger.
The drive up the mountain was just as fun as being at the top. Since it is part of the tour de France there were a lot of cyclists going up and down on the narrow road with us cars. I admire their strength, and Sara said she'd bike it one day. (I'm sure you can do it honey!) The road was narrow - but bi-dirctional, and twisted and turned like one of those bendy straws they sometimes put in drinks for kids. It was like driving on a figure eight. The landscape kept changing. From vineyards near the bottom, to meadows, so forest, and finally to the white stones and "lunar landscape" of the top area.
After that we drove back down the mountain. The trees we whizzed by were gnarled - as if angry they couldn't grow taller. Then they did grow taller as the type of tree changed over time. The car got quiet. Our red cheeked girls were zonked asleep. And I slept too. Dan probably enjoyed the quiet! ;) The girls slept so well, that when we got back here, Dan slipped out of the car to begin telecommuting, and I stayed in the car while the girls napped. They napped for 1hour and 10 minutes more - giving me a chance to read our guidebooks - and admire the cathedral that we were parked by. It was nice.
Then we painted (the girls have 10 colors and the color they both got into the most was black - so Julia had black fingers and smears on her face), played lego (Sara made a pont du gard bridge!), and had dinner. I made pork chops and fruits/vegetable and we ate outside. Julia went to bed at 6PM.
Sara and I went swimming in the pool in the front yard, she was proud of her self for being independent with the float vest they are letting her borrow. After that we played lego together.
She ate two yogurts before bed and we did her bedtime books.
As I sit here Dan is telecommuting at this same wooden table. We will stay here in town tomorrow - as it is market day here so why go anywhere?
Five quotes of the day:
A) Mama: "There are lots of things that have lavender in them, soap, ice cream, and honey."
Sara: "And honey lavender scones."
[Wow, good memory Sara. We had a honey lavender scone at a bakery on Ocracoke island in North Carolina back in May! Dan and I were impressed she remembered that little detail!]
B) Sara: "I want to bike up this mountain someday. I need someone to push me up."
C) Sara: "I'm pretending to be a sculpture, that's why I'm staying so still." (she said that in the car.)
D) Sara: "You can kind of go ice skating on yogurt. Just your fingers, not your whole self." (said as she swirled her fingers around the top of her yogurt at bedtime.)
E) Sara: "We are Romans, building a Roman aqueduct. (Pause) Do you think we make good Romans?" (said while we were playing legos, making a pretty impressive aqueduct!)
End of post - thanks for reading!
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