Today we left the Luberon behind and our route took us into the Vacleuse and into view of Mont Ventoux, the largest mountain in the area which almost looks snow-capped as the summit is covered in limestone rubble with no vegetation at all. Adding to the bleakness, the mistral winds blow at over 56mph for 2\3 of the year. The Tour de France sometimes includes a climb to the summit and the race has ended there eight times, but little did we realise that it is also part of the route this year ... today in fact! The ascent is up the far side so hopefully we won't get too caught up in traffic, but some 500,000 spectators watched the race go by last time, and this year it is Bastille Day and a public holiday so it might attract more. Later, we found out that those very same mistral winds which have been blowing for a couple of days, have meant that the end of this stage of the race will no longer be at the summit, but at Chalet Reynard, 6kms lower.



Anyway, off we set, towards what proved to be our first hiccup at St Saturnin-les-Apt, where they were holding a huge Bastille Day second-hand/junk/pre-loved/brocante sale which closed the centre of this very small hilltop town and attracted every vehicle in a 20km radius to come and park down every side road. Why not hold the event in a nice big out of town field, accessible to all ...? Signage was poor and we ended up heading down a narrow lane which seemed to be going in the right direction, so we stuck with it ... but after 6km or so of very pretty scenery the road deteriorated into a unmade track with rocks ... so about turn and back we went ... and so did the car behind us! We managed to get out of the town safely in the end, following a big white van who didn't take any prisoners, and headed toward Sault across the Plateau de Vacleuse, with lots of lavender. And where there is a nice photographic field of lavender, there will you find eager Chinese tourists taking their holiday snaps!  

    


We didn't stop in Sault, as we figured on a public holiday everything would be closed and it would be better to return the next day. Instead we headed for a short hike through lavender fields, but we ran into our next hiccup as the access road was closed for the Tour de France. We tried taking another route and got a bird's eye view of the area we were meant to be walking round.



Finally we found a spot to park and started the 5km circular walk at a different place. The Chemin des Lavandes was a good route, mainly along roads, but so minor we only saw a couple of cars. It made such a difference to be on foot rather than trying to see everything from the car and every few steps brought a different angle so we took far too many pictures.  

 
 
 

 
Afterwards, we continued to Montbrun-les-Bains where we are staying for a couple of nights at Le Bellevue. A key had been left for us in a jar with our name on and we let ourself in to a lovely breakfast room and found our apartment with bedroom, en suite and kitchenette looking out to the mountains. We checked on the progress of the Tour de France online as De Gendt crossed the finishing line first and Chris Froome collided with a cameraman breaking his bike then ran down the road! He was later reinstated in the yellow jersey by a jury decision. Some of the other guests had watched the race pass but we were quite happy to read about the result rather than be there. We also met the owner Mathieu, who was helpful with tips on places to see.

 
 

We wandered round town and later went out to eat and came across our third hiccup ... we should have booked! No table to be had at the cafe, creperie or pizzeria! Fortunately the pizzeria offered emporter or take-away and we returned an hour later (I said they were busy) to collect. Meanwhile, we tried to source some wine, but the only shop was the tabac and it was closing. We asked if we could buy a bottle of wine and proprietor went inside and came back with a bottle of rose. We asked how much and said he didn't usually sell wine by the bottle and we could have it, but we couldn't accept such a generous offer and gave him €20, probably far too much, but he had done us a favour! The pizza was one of the best pizzas we have ever had, made better by the wait, and went down nicely with the rose!

 
 
 

The next day after a lovely breakfast eat in a group with the other guests, we drove up Mont Ventoux, not quite following the Tour as they took a different route, but we still reached Chalet Reynard where the race actually ended, and then continued to the summit at 1912m as the race would have done of it had not been too windy. The first part was quite wooded, but this got sparser towards the top and it got colder too with the summit at only 10 degrees. There were lots of cyclists and apparently this is usual throughout the cycling season.

 
 
 
 

 
We came back down to Sault where we stopped for a wander and crepes for lunch and bought some of the famous nougat for a friend.

 
 


Onwards to Ferrassieres, for an hour's walk round the lavender fields on the Plateau of Albion, probably the last place we will see lavender in such quantity. The afternoon sun gave a mellow glow to the little borie in a field and Chris picked me a sprig of lavender to take home.
 
 
 
 
 

Leaving the lavender behind, we now drive northwards,