The 'Nouvelles'

On Sunday I finally got to take my Luberon bike ride. I got off the bus with my bike in Cavaillon and immediately spotted the signposts for the Tour de Luberon ride which I'd gotten off the internet site of the Luberon tourism bureau. This was a gem of a ride that took me through Les Tailledes, Robion, Maubec, Oppede-le-Vieux, Menerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux, ending in Apt where I caught the last bus back to Avignon at 4.30. I got to see some hill towns here and I see what all the fuss is about --- they are so high, so ancient! The tough parts about this ride were that I had to start late because of the bus schedule and then follow the signs, not a road map because this ride was designed to use back roads, which it sucessfully did. I was just high enough up in the valley to see over it. Thank god I found all the signs--- what a cliffhanger that was! The big climbs were to the three hill towns & I was not alone out there on the bike. I had lunch in Bonnieux at a carefully chosen restaurant that had a patio overlooking the entire valley and then a totally downhill finish into Apt--- what a plaisir that was. This ride was 47.5 km or about 30 miles but the hills made it harder.

Lunch: I opted for something light. I had marinated uncooked rouget fillets with roasted marinated peppers. The fillets were in the middle of the plate, they were small, light and firm, and three whole peppers were arranged around them: one red, one green, and one yellow. All fresh! Over it was drizzled olive oil and it was garnished with a whole sliced lemon and fresh rosemary. This was not a fancy place, mind you. The people at the table next to me were eating fries and pizza. The lemons taste great here--- different.

On Monday I caught up on my Avignon tourism and saw the Palais de Papes and took in a wonderful play in the afternoon: Le Malade Imaginaire by Moliere, interpreted by Theatre Kronope of Grenoble. These are mature professionals and the show was excellent. It included masks on top of the face, two characters on stilts, a swing (or trapeze), fabulous costumes and a giant bed. The actors were constantly adjusting the height of the bed, etc., a good visual gag. This morning I saw a children's show called Jeux de Fables-- Hommage a Jean de la Fontaine. It was very elementary theater for children, I was dissapointed.

Today I took a van ride with 7 other tourists to see the Abbaye de Senanaque and the hill towns of Roussillon and Gordes. Very nice day in country with a fun group.