Dinner in St Maurice sur E

First, morning coffee in Nyons, then ...

... after a hard day around the pool (36 degrees!), to dinner.

We're sending this to Centrelink so Cathy can claim the pension.

Cathy insists on photographing every meal, so here is tonight's:

 

 

Winter is coming!

Anne and Pierre off to their chambre d'hote

The rest of us off to bed.
 . 

a Vaison la Romaine

Dinner on the terrace. Why Claire needs tomato sauce on perfectly good Australian food, I don't know. She doesn't put it on French food!

Ah! The 'Romaine' in Vaison la refers to the Romans.

They left their mark.

A question for Peter O'L. Is this a public toilet for small Romans?
Or not.

Roman columns.

and so on.

More columns of Romans.

I will not make any comments about ruins. 

And now for something completely different.
No, not the 2CV, but ........

.... Tour rest day in Vaison. All the empty gear looked quite forlorn.

 

A voiture officiel scuttering past.

Yesterday's pennants.

Tomorrow's Podium

Le tour depart.

Peter checking that they're really gone.

 

An afternoon stroll

Adam and John and Val decided to go for a 'little walk' to a nearby church. Something in their voices warned most of us, but Pierre was up for it!

Early stages

You need to know where you're going

Upward ....

... and upward, over rough and rough.

A lingering backward glance

and at last, Our Lady de Beauvior

 

Recovery time ...........

 ...... then fantastic views.

 

 

 

Val looking very satisfied.

P.S.

Couldn't resist adding this - peak hour traffic jam in Mirabel

Encore le Tour

Val invited some friends to bring their kids to swim, so before we set off for the Tour our legs erected a tent. You can guess who owns who's legs but there's no prize.

Advance party outside Mirabel.

Cathy went and charmed the local gendarmes, but then noticed that their shoulder patches said "Montjoy Ecole de Gendarmes". This clue, plus their baby faces, explained why they departed early for their afternoon nap.

The leader of the Caravan

Bookgrocer sighting

Potential power clash at the Tour.

Anne and I eschewed photography and set ourselves up in a prominent position to get TV coverage for the Bookgrocer and Australia. Helicopters flew low over us, and motorbike cameramen focussed, and team cars waved, BUT!!!!! Total coverage up to the straight just before Mirabel, then they cut to a bloody ad!

 

 

Anne has a thing for the Sappeurs-Pompiers (firemen) so had to go and get her photo taken.

Here comes the breakaway

 

...and there they go.

That's me in the background. Heavily photoshopped to appear thin.

Here comes the peleton.

 

The maillot jeune

Cadel!

This guy was having a bad bike day with Ventoux still to come!

Within 10 minutes of the Tour passing, these guys collect all the advisory signs. Meanwhile, we raced home (about 3 km) to watch them going up Ventoux.