Sault to Crestet; Mont Ventoux

The cycling shop in Sault was a blessing.  It was well equipped and the owner spoke English.  Anna was able to replace her wheel, which  allowed us to tackle the climb on Mont Ventoux.  Sasha got an hour head start while Anna, Patrick, and I enjoyed the view of the valley while sipping coffee on a patio.  Patrick and I had been joking all summer about the climb up Mont Ventoux, our longest climb and highest ever on bicycles.  It was a challenge that we had looked forward to with some trepidation.  It turned out to be much easier than we had expected.  Certainly, it was easier than two of the previous days on this trip.  We enjoyed a long, pleasant climb through forests on a lovely day -wonderful riding in fact.

 Until we rounded the corner and encountered a severe headwind in the alpine area.  Then it was a tough 3 K to the top.  You can see Anna and I in this picture if you really zoom in. 

 It was fun to see painting on the road from the Tour du France.

 This is a monument to a man that died racing here.  I didn't get much of a look at it as I was fighting to hold the bike in the wind when Anna and I passed it.  Patrick must have stopped to take this photo.

Candy stand at the top of the mountain!  That seems like a marvelous idea.  I passed on the opportunity to buy a celebratory treat as I had carried a bar of almond candy up from Sault.  The summit was a happy place for many cyclists - a little parade of them continued up both directions during the time we were there.  In fact, two men took photos to sell of cyclists climbing.  They snapped a picture of me struggling in the wind, then pushed a business card into my jersey pocket.   The festive mood reminded me of a low key race. 

Go, team!!

My pride in seeing Patrick and Sasha reach the top was huge.  Yea!!!!  It was rewarding to see the views of mountains - we need to come back and check out the tall Alps next time.  I was starting to shiver when we headed down, so I descended with all of those clothes on, and kept them on for lunch.  The way we descended seemed steeper and harder than what we went up and Patrick had a ball flying down the switchbacks.  I took it slower, as the beast was sluggish with the weight on the rear.

The town at the bottom had a rental shop with a fleet of Pinarellos for rent.  It was very tempting to rent two and head back up with Anna.  Instead, we loaded up my bike with two bottles of cider, a melon, and the fixings for dinner for four and headed to an apartment in the hills near Crestet.   It was a nice enough place, after we made it past three barking dogs and cleaned swarms of flies out of it.    Patrick had an upset stomach and took a nap in the afternoon. Sasha, Anna, and I headed out for tour of the very scenic countryside.  It was enchanting in the evening.  We rode past a vineyard with the thick scent of grapes, cycled to a ruined castle perched over a village, and wound our way back past trees heavy with pears.  I did another loop in the area checking out another winding road by the river with a different view of the ruins.  The castle is being restored by private owners and was originally built in 900.  This area looks very, very promising for more cycling in the hills northeast of Crestet.  Let me know if you want to go, I'm up for a return trip!

Top food of the day: pastis (anise liqueur)