Day 11-July 12

Another beautiful day in Provence.  Up at 6:30, on bike by 7:00, again rode to Rousillon where I enjoyed l'Equipe, a croissant, and a cofffee while overlooking the ochre cliffs and the Luberon farmland below.  Back at Le Mas Perreal in time to shower before breakfast.  Kevin and Elizabeth serrved waffles with apricots today. Yummy!

We took the "Lavender Route" to the village of Sault which sits a the foot of Mont Ventoux.  The window for viewing lavender in Provence is much like foliage season in New Hampshire.  You can never predict exactly when it will come and it varies depending on elevation.  We hit the jackpot.  Absolutely incredible!

In Sault, I read the paper at an outdoor cafe while Joni shopped.  We had a 1:00 pm reservation for lunch, so we really could enjoy a leisurely morning.

 For lunch we returned to the Bistrot de Lagarde, which was one of the few places that we liked so much last visit that we decided to return.  This place is in truly in the middle of nowhere; it's about 15 km from the nearest town, located on the summit plateau of the Monts de Vaucluse, which is a range that runs East-West, parallel to the Luberon.  The restaurant is in a modern building by European standards, and it sits on property that was once part of a nuclear missile bunker.  You can still see the abandoned missile silos.  Weird!

This restaurant also has earned a star in the Michelin guide, and it is rated first in the area on Trip Advisor.  Below is the menu, and photos of most of the courses.  Looking at the menu, the only choice you're offered is between two main dishes, all the starters and desserts are automatic.  I had the goat, and Joni had the fish.

Yes, we were each served all three of these appetizers!

Joni's main dish.  They ran out of the original fish that was supposed to be included, bonito, so the substituted tuna...it wasn't chicken of the sea.

My main dish; goat in a variety of forms.

And yes, we were each served all three of these desserts too!  This is total gluttony...but good!

After this incredible meal, we drove to nearby Simiane le Rotonde to purchase some pottery that we have been continually buying for the past seven years, and then we returned to our B&B. 

Dinner tonight will be simple:  a baguette, some camembert, some rose wine, and a chocolate bar.

...oh yeah, and to top it all, the rose matched my shirt!