This morning we were able to find the proper bus to Vaison la Romaine and when we climbed aboard we stationed ourselves in the very front seat so we could have an unobstructed view out the large front windshield.  Our bus driver was very amiable and when he realized that I was taking photos out the windows he began pointing out notable buildings and sights to us and then would slow the bus down for a moment to try to minimize the bumpiness for my photos.  It was extremely thoughtful of him, although it helped only marginally considering the ride was still very bumpy, even at slow speeds, and shooting through a bus window is never very clear.

            After about a half hour’s ride through rugged vineyards and small villages we got off the bus in Vaison la Romaine and headed in the direction the driver had indicated to us.  We soon found a long street leading into the heart of town which was lined with vendor’s booths.  We got waylaid at the very first booth – a woman selling quilted bedspreads, table runners and placemats – who was very aggressive in promoting her products to us.  She was determined to show us something we just couldn’t live without and continued to pull out bedspreads in every conceivable design and color scheme and we could hardly escape her.  We were finally able to move on down the line and were amazed at the variety of products offered.  There were plants, trees, linens, new and used clothing, baskets, purses, tools, knives, kitchenware, honey, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, sausages, rustic breads, olives and olive oil, books, fabric, fresh flowers, and an endless variety of prepared foods such as pastries, crêpes and paella.  I bought a chausson aux pommes (apple turnover) and ate it as we wandered the market and Jayné at last bought a sweet crêpe Grand Marnier!

            When I was waiting for Jayné to use the restroom I was able to discreetly observe one man who was selling some sort of cleaning product.  When he saw a potential customer approaching he began to vigorously demonstrate and proclaim the virtues of his product.  He spoke loudly and rapidly and although he spoke in French and I had difficulty understanding it all I imagine it went something like this:  “Step right up ladies and gentlemen and see the amazing wonder cleaner!  It’s the only product you’ll ever need!  It cleans, it shines, it polishes!  Use it on copper, silver, brass, steel.  It will clean anything, guaranteed!  See how it cuts through the grime on this pot…” and on he would go as the people walked right on by without even glancing in his direction.  When they had passed out of “range” he would stop in mid sentence and drop his cleaning cloth and pot back on the table with a sigh and glance impatiently at his watch.  Then he would spot another potential customer coming his way and grabbing up his pot and cloth his “performance” would begin all over again!

            We wandered deeper through the market and into the heart of town.  At each intersection we were amazed to see that the market kept going up and down every street.  It was huge!  The market would be closing at noon and we began to get a bit frantic in trying to see it all before the vendors started packing up.  We decided to buy an array of local products for a picnic lunch.  We stopped at one of the cheese vendors and he gave us samples of his cheeses to taste.  Of course all of them were incredible and when we told him we would buy some he happily cut Jayné a massive wedge of cheese!  It was great to see how knowledgeable and enthusiastic this man (and in fact each vendor) was about his products.  He was able to tell us who made the cheese (his brother), where it came from, and the differences between each of his cheeses.  It made shopping an enjoyable experience, and when we consumed these items later it made them taste all the better just knowing the love and care that had gone into the making of it – just for our enjoyment.  You can never compare that to buying your food at a supermarket! 

            When we had assembled a small feast of cheese, salami, bread, olives and apples, we headed over the river across the ancient Roman bridge and up the hill through the medieval fortress town.   The ancient town seemed to be made of rock. Everything was lined with stones – the walls, the buildings, the narrow street beneath our feet that was not much wider than a path.  Yet it had a mysterious beauty and was balanced with brightly painted shutters and doors and greenery growing from tiny walled gardens.  We were headed to the ruins of the château which was the crown of this village and was perched on the top of a rocky outcropping that jutted out above the landscape below like the prow of a ship.  Just as we reached the summit it began to drizzle and the drizzle quickly turned to a downpour.  Fortunately, we had remembered to bring our umbrellas with us today but the wind was blowing the rain sideways and they offered very little protection from the elements.  After huddling for a while in the leeward side of the château in hopes that the rain would stop, we eventually gave up and headed back into town and the relative shelter from the wind and rain that the very narrow streets of the medieval town provided.  No sooner had we headed back down than the rain stopped just as suddenly as it had begun.  Our lunch would have to wait until we found a dry place to sit!

            We wandered back to where the bus had let us off as this was where the local wine cooperative was located.  In France about 30% of the wine is produced by wine cooperatives – a cellar that is run in common by a group of vine growers of the region.  The grapes produced in that region are pooled together to produce the wine and each vineyard owner gets a cut based on his percentage of production.  (Because in France what is most important is not the varietal of grapes but rather the region of production.)  The co-op in Vaison la Romaine had about two dozen different wines for sale, none of which cost more than €8 a bottle.  We were able to taste 4 different wines which were all very drinkable and one of them was quite good with some complexity of flavors.  I purchased a bottle really not knowing how I would fit it in my luggage for the trip home.  They also had about a dozen of their wines available in “bulk”.  We watched as people came in with giant plastic jugs and had them filled with the wine of their choice from spigots that were obviously fed by a large tank of wine somewhere in back.  The prices of this “bulk” wine ranged from 1€ to 2€30 a liter! 

The samples that they gave us were very generous and we left with about two moderate glasses of wine in our stomachs.  Not wanting to miss our bus which was the last one of the day back to Orange we sat on a bench near the bus stop just outside the wine co-op and leisurely ate our picnic.  It was not exactly the picturesque spot we had intended but we had a good view of Mont Ventoux and could watch the comings and goings of town.  There was a mass of bright pansies planted in the median between the street curb and the sidewalk along with a row of grape vines.  Eventually our bus came and we climbed aboard and said goodbye to the Côtes du Rhône Villages as our bus wound its way back to the city of Orange.

It was only late afternoon when we got back to Orange and so we went for one last walk around town (stopping at the patisserie for some sweet treats) before heading back to our hotel to begin the arduous task of packing our suitcases.  The sun was still streaming brightly through our hotel window when we began to pack and by the time we were done it had turned to total darkness outside.  I had found a niche for everything in my bags and my suitcase was one solid mass – I don’t think there was a square inch of unfilled space!  I was ecstatic with my success!  Now my only concern was that it would exceed the weight restrictions for the airline!  With the business of packing done we sat back and savored some more of our fresh market food and finished off our open bottle of wine from the day before.