Flowers, Frogs (the amphibious kind) & Fragrance (credit to

So, here we are then, screeching into blog post #12 and again this comes on a Sunday, although this one is decidedly more sunny and warm than my last post!

The remainder of last Sunday was spent essentially trying to stay warm and dry in the van, and not succumb to too much in the way of cabin fever!

Monday dawned much brighter although still a bit on the cooler side, so we set out for a walk to the supermarket for a few supplies and also to set up the car hire for later in the week. We took a decision ages ago to use a car while Mum and Paul were here so we could strike a bit further afield with our sightseeing without having to pack up the vans. After a nice lunch, we headed down to see Mum and Paul heading towards their pitch & setting up. We spent a lovely afternoon swapping stories from our various trips and generally catching up over a cuppa (with some English milk) and a French apple pastry. After settling in, we took Mum and Paul on an orientation tour of the site - pointing out which showers were best (and accepting no responsibility if they went off plan there), and had a nice walk to check the view of Ventoux and the old town. After a brief drink stop we headed back to the vans for a lovely Spag Bol dinner.

Tuesday dawned and again it's market day in Vaison, although a much drier affair than last week! We spent a lovely morning wandering around the stalls, sampling some bits and pieces and selecting some lovely local produce for meals later in the week. We'd also promised ourselves a wine stop at L'Arbre a Vins (lovely Rose), and then a lunch stop, with Jase, mum and Paul opting for the set menu (lamb or pork) and a lovely choice of desserts. My first taste of the Cherry Clafoutis was stunning!

After lunch, I pulled my brave pants on and headed for a haircut (with my mum in tow - you need support at a time like this!). As those who know me well will know, a dodgy haircut some 25+ years ago left me very nervous at using a different hairdresser, but with 9 weeks away and not being able to see out, I was left with no choice! We chose a nice looking place, mainly on the strength of the GHD products in the window, and headed in. Luckily the stylist did speak a bit of English, and I've come out of the ordeal with a tidy head, although we think her 2cm and mine were slightly out of kilter - hey ho, it should last a bit longer this time! After a wander up the old town for some lovely views, we had a brief tasting at the local wine cave and then headed back to camp. Jase and I then spent a happy few hours going through all the treasures that mum and Paul had kindly brought down for us. It's surprising how cheered we were seeing some of our new (but previously stowed) clothes. Of course, equally nice to be sending some of the heavy winter stuff back the other way!

Wednesday was a very early start as we headed to pick the car up and our first sightseeing day further afield. It was a stunning morning so we decided to head up Mount Ventoux - our first way up was via Malaucene but the summit was closed from this side due to road works. We headed back down and then took the road from Bedoin - success this time! Lovely views all the way up, although the top itself was a bit clouded out & down to 8 degrees! Good, although emotional to see the Tom Simpson memorial as well (he died on the assent during the 1967 Tour de France). As you'd expect, there were no shortage of cyclists testing themselves on the ride up - we managed to raise an odd smile or two as we gave some encouragement.

On the way back down we took a slightly different route back via Sault - we had hoped to see the lavender in bloom but we are too early. That said, the whole area is covered with lavender bushes, it must be incredible when it does bloom.

Although it was a shame to miss the lavender, we have noticed that the whole area is covered in poppies at the moment - equally as stunning I think.

Our lunch stop was at Roussillon, another of the Beau village. After a nice picnic we set about exploring the town - this one is an ochre coloured village which, when set against the bright blue sky is simply breath taking.

Our final stop of the day was Gordes, another Beau village which is built high onto a hill - again just stunning.

On returning to camp, Paul cooked up a fab BBQ featuring asparagus from the previous day's market - yummy!

Thursday was an even earlier start as we had a longer drive to see the L'Occitane factory site in Manosque. Views stunning the whole way, up and across various cols. Once at the site, we explored the beautiful gardens before heading in for the tour - no photos allowed here of course. It was fascinating though to see the production lines in action, and hear the various stories of the brand. My particular favourite was around the packaging and how they try and take the story of the main ingredient as inspiration. Throughout the free tour we had various samples too, and with 10% off at the shop, it would have been rude not to make a purchase!

After a layby picnic lunch we headed to L'Isle-sur-Sorgue which is a place Jase recalled from a James Martin TV show, which has been likened to Venice. With good reason as it turns out as it is surrounded by two rivers and as the name suggests, is effectively an island. We had a lovely wander around before picking a bar for a refreshing drink - a first for me, cider served in a jug & tea cup!

Friday was the last day with the car, so with a final early start we were headed for Pont Du Gard. The trip took us around Avignon which looks amazing, so that's gone on the list for another time! Pont Du Gard is a roman aqueduct crossing the Gardon River, and is noted as a UNESCO world heritage site. The layout of the site is very clever as you can't see anything to start with. The tour starts with a short movie on the bridge - the fact I enjoyed the most here is that the span is equivalent to 3 A380 planes - followed by a museum. You then head outside, and the first view is amazing. You are able to get many different views from the vantage points, with the best of these being while we paddled in the river below. Stunning.

We then took a short drive to Uzes which our friend at the wine shop had recommended (thanks Mathieu) and had a brief wander around - another lovely place that probably needs a 2nd visit!

Our final stop in the car was Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a couple of samples. There is a tip here - if you ever find yourself in a wine town, make sure you choose the family run places. The first two we tried, we got ignored in the first, and the second said we could try but how many bottles we were buying! The last 2 were brilliant though, clearly family run and very knowledgeable too.

On our return to camp and after returning the car, we had a refreshing dip in the pool, with Paul, Jase and I having a go on the water slide!

Yesterday (Saturday) we had a welcome break from early starts, and Jase and I went out for a short spin to Seguret and Roaix, with some more lovely views.

Mum and Paul cooked us a lovely brunch which was a real treat, and then we each spent the rest of the day on housekeeping jobs.

Our evening was a meal out at L'Arbre a Vins in Vaison. We had a super meal of Rabbit with Orzo and then a rice pudding to die for! This was all rounded out with a carnival procession through the town! Not entirely sure what the reason was (and I have tried to find out), but the floats were really well decorated, although some of the kids looks truly terrified. Our favourite was the King Arthur one as it had a Welsh flag and reminded us of our lovely nephews back home (miss you both Ben & Josh xx).

And so to Sunday (today). Jase is out riding the hills around Vaison for the final time, and I've caught up on the finance stuff. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Mum and Paul and head south to the sea hopefully. Route is not entirely planned out just yet, so that should keep you all guessing!

Finally to the question, this week from my sister. It's a timely one this as it relates to budgeting and comes on the first week that we went over - only by €2.05 but it all counts! Our budget is €250 per week, and everything (with the exception of the odd rainy day treat) has to come out of that - so all food, fuel, camping & anything else we want to do. We came up with this amount in two ways really. We first worked out how long we wanted to be away for as a maximum (18months) and thought that £18,000 or £1,000 per month would be about right - this is just slightly more than our net income from the rent on the house, so tallies there as well. We always said we didn't want to rely on the rent, just in case something went wrong (just as well, as we've had more than a few unwelcome expenditures there!), so the pot had to be saved up. We did this over the last 2 years or so of living as frugally as we could - there's nothing glamorous in this, but it did mean saying no to coffee or drinks out, and resisting as many takeaways as we could. It wasn't easy at times, but it's paying dividends now. In terms of sticking to the budget now, again it's hard at times, but it's just a question of thinking things through before committing to a spend - and not just the big ones! Getting free camping nights is a big bonus for sure, and we have to maximise them, but equally we've always said that we don't want to skimp and ruin the experience - as with many things in life, it's all about balance.

So that's it, we have a teary goodbye tomorrow I am sure, and then we'll catch you from the Med hopefully. Til then, stay safe all
J&J x