Exploring Sault

After checking into our rooms at Val de Sault — air-conditioned, thankfully — Cheri and I set off to explore our new surroundings. At the top of the town is a belvedere, with a broad vista taking in the farms in the valley below. Sault dates from the 11th century, and remnants of its fortifications are visible today, including a castle built during the 1500s.

The town was fairly busy on this Friday, and the shopkeeper selling truffle products lured us in with samples, as did the nougat maker.

The town is a staging point for hardy bicyclists aiming to complete the rigorous climb to Mont Ventoux, which looks over the town. Its white summit is often mistaken for snow, but it is actually bare granite.

I have to add a note here about driving. We have a Renault 6-speed manual, which handles pretty well; but as the days went on I found that my clutch foot was prone to cramping at night. The roads are in good repair, but for the most part are quite narrow, and hairpin turns abound. Add to that the dozens of cyclists we encountered, especially in the early morning, and driving could be a bit harrowing.

During our peregrinations we found a little café called L’echappée, where I had a wonderful salade Niçoise.

It must say something about me that my largest photos are of food.