May 20 - Avignon to Vaison la Romaine
There was no pressure to get up this morning. Our next deadline was at 3:00 when we needed to leave for the TGV station to meet our BAC tour. After breakfast, we checked out of our room, left our luggage at the hotel and went exploring. Our first stop was at Musee Calvert. We were given audio guides as part of our entry fee. The guide led us into a section of Northern Masters - paintings by Flemish, Dutch and German artists in the 15th century and later. I have seen enough of this style in the many museums we have previously visited, so I was disappointed. Then we entered a section of French impressionists. It was a good collection of Paris painters in the late 19th through the mid-20th century. I really enjoyed this exhibit.
When our museum tour was finished, it was time for lunch. We tried to eat at a recommended restaurant close to the museum, but it was sold out. We walked a short distance to E. A. T. - Estaminet Aromes et Tentations. The temperature was a little cool so we wanted to eat inside. No luck. We sat at a table outside on a very quiet street. The sun was out, so it slowly warmed up and was comfortable. Our food was wonderful. Ann had chicken breast with couscous. I had grilled pork with quinoa mixed with fresh vegetables. Our sauces were very good. For dessert, I had chocolate fondant while Ann had cheesecake. While eating our meal, two couples from our tour and Bay Area residents walked by and chatted for a few minutes.
After lunch we went back to our hotel for downtime. Then we gathered our luggage and took a taxi to the TGV station to meet our tour. Gail Blanco and Alberto Lanzas were there with their BAC signs so we had no trouble finding our group. A good percentage of our group is from the Bay Area and members of Valley Spokesmen. After several weeks in Spain and France, it was nice to see some familiar faces.
We loaded our bus and were on the road to Vaison la Romaine right on time at 4:00. Heavy traffic and a detour caused us to be a bit late arriving in Vaison. Syd Smoot and Ken Keeler, our ride directors, were so organized that the late arrival caused no problems. The people that rented bicycles were fitted and the people that brought their bicycles assembled them in short order. Our Happy Hour and dinner at the hotel were on time. We sat at a dinner table with Gail and Alberto along with Sandy Owen and Mike Tiller from Bloomington, Indiana. We had a good dinner conversation but some of it was lost in the loud noise of 40 people talking in a small room.
May 21 - Vaison
Because Ann and I were not riding, we had an opportunity to sleep in this morning. Our breakfast was in an empty breakfast room because everyone else was ready to ride. The weather was cold and very windy. We were happy to be in a warm hotel. Our hotel, Hostellerie le Beffroi, is a wonderful place to stay. We have a large, antique-furnished room called Jumelle. There are no room numbers. We get to it by climbing an old narrow irregular circular stone staircase. It is very quiet both from the street and from the other guests. Here is a short description of the hotel: "A residence built in 1554, this family house has been modernized and lovingly furnished by the owners of the past fifty years". We love it.
Ann and I spent most of the morning trying to find our way around the newer section of the city. Our objective was to find somewhere where we could rent a car so that we could explore the surrounding area. The recommended place was strangely in a supermarket. When we finally found the market, we discovered that there were no cars available. Thinking positively, we were not too disappointed because we got a walking tour of the city and we can discover it in depth in the next few days.
The cold wind was getting to us, so we trekked back to our hotel and dropped off maps, cameras and non-essential items. Then we went to lunch at a restaurant just below the hotel. We sat at a table next to the window and had a wonderful view of the city and the river far below us. We split a large salad and a salmon pizza with dill sauce. It sounds odd but it was tasty.
We older folks need downtime, so we spent most of the afternoon in our room by reading and dozing.
Happy Hour was at 6:00. Our theme tonight was self-introductions. We now know who everyone is in theory. It will take a couple of days to verify that. We had a fresh salad for dinner along with chicken and a pear tart for dessert.
May 22 - Vaison
It was sunny this morning and the hotel decided to serve breakfast on its patio. We arrived after the cyclists had left. The wind had started to pick up and it was too cold to eat outside. So we had breakfast inside with Gary Hsueh, Marlene Wong and Cathleen Deornelas. Gary and Marlene were just engaged in a romantic setting at the Eiffel Tower.
Ann and I went on a walk in our ancient part of the city. We climbed cobblestone streets and rocky paths to the medieval fortress at the top of the hill. The decaying fortress was boarded up to keep people from going in and getting hurt. The panoramic view from the hill were fantastic.
We slowly picked our way down from the fortress and wandered back to our hotel on ancient paths past beautiful gardens and very old stone buildings. By the time we arrived, it was close to lunchtime. We ate at a creperie below the hotel. Spinach, ratatouille and sucre were our choices. Although the restaurant had outside seating with a panoramic view, it was too cold for us. We ate inside.
Downtime was welcome until our batteries were recharged. We decided to stretch our legs and walk down the hill and over the Roman bridge into town. Our objective was to find some souvenirs. We didn't find any that we liked, but we did find some of our cycling group that had returned from the day's ride. We had various chats to get acquainted and to pass the time.
Happy Hour was at 6:00. Dinner was at 7:00. We sat with Kathy and Bob Strain and talked about their post-Provence plans in France, Spain and Germany. Our meal started with melon with Beaumes de Venise Muscat (carved melon with Muscat wine). Our main course was Saumon a l'oseille du jardin (salmon with sorrel sauce from the garden). For dessert we had fresh fruit salad.
Someone announced that there was a piano bar in town, so a bunch of us walked to the main square to the cafe with the music. We all ordered drinks and started conversations. It was much easier to hear what people were saying than it was in our dining room. We never heard the music because the musicians were either on a break or had stopped for the night. When Ann and I finished our wine, we walked back to the hotel. Bedtime was after 11:00.
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