On leaving Roussillon this morning, I once again spotted the dog that runs the town. He was trotting down the street like he owned it.
We got up early and did a good day of cycling. We were on the road by 8:50. The first part started out by following the book, and that still caused trouble. There were roads that we were supposed to take that existed on the map, and in the mind of the writer, but we’re simply not there. I even checked on Google Earth afterwards, and I couldn’t see how anyone could take that route.
However, once we got off book completely and were doing our own thing, life became easier. We were now in charge of our own destiny. And if mistakes were made, we already knew we couldn’t trust the source completely (namely us), so they were easy to accept. When we were on the book, we assumed that it was semi-responsible and could be trusted. When it let us down, it was hurtful.
In any case, it was a pleasant ride in the morning. It was still cool when we made most of our distance. And when we hit the hills that form the Plateau de Vaucluse, it wasn’t that bad; it was cooler, and they were smaller than the ones on the road over the Luberon. The ride down to Fontaine de Vaucluse was steep but enjoyable,
If you do only one thing in France, climb the Eiffel tower. If you do two, then go to Fontaine de Vaucluse. The village is absolutely gorgeous. The waters of the Sorgue are incredibly clear. The restaurants serve nice crepes. The walk up to La Source is beautiful, and there aren’t nearly as many hawkers as twenty seven years ago.
La Source isn’t that spectacular if you are going by its name. Yes, it is the source of the Sorgue river, but all you see is a pool. Most of the water is flowing underground and just appears as a river further down. But the cliff is massive. It looks like half a mountain fell away to reveal the pool.
On the way back down I spent about twenty minutes wading in the Sorgue. Very cold, and probably good for my ankle. It brought back some nice memories.
After a snack of some crepes (lemon and sugar; never get any other kind) we biked on to L’Isle Sur La Sorgue. I lucked out beforehand and asked the tourist information for a good route. She gave us a nice map with a better route than the one I had planned. We even passed under a Roman aqueduct.
Along the way, I passed some people walking along the road. As usual, I said “Bonjour”, but after I passed they yelled “Canada!” The patch on my backpack had let me find some other Canadians. We talked a bit, and they gave us some good tips. Remember kids, always wear your Canada when traveling.
L’Isle Sur La Sorgue was, well, disappointing. It felt a bit like a dive. The canals were gorgeous. But the tourist route through town was really boring. We abandoned it and went our separate ways. I spent my time following the canal all around the island. I was looking for a memory.
When I was last here, I had a nice walk with my father. I don’t know if there was a purpose to it, but it was a nice way to spend time. We came upon a tree that a sign had been nailed to. But this sign had been put up years ago, and the tree was growing around it. The edges were all gone. It looked so cool. I wanted to see if I could find it again.
But none of the trees were that one. I suspect that the town probably replaced the sign with one on a pole that won’t be grown over. But I think that is a shortsighted tactic; I came to town to find a cool artifact. Others would probably do the same.
The only memory I really recovered was a restaurant I believe the family had eaten at before.
We cycled back to Cavillon. The route wasn’t that great, but it got us here safely.
2012-9-10 19:27