Friday May 9, 2014 - Carpentras and Area - Day 9

We woke up with the sun - about 7:30.  Breakfast with Philippe at 8:30.  Today - rice and coconut - delicious.

We left about 9:30 for the Carpentras market - only 15 minutes away.  Parking was tough but we found a spot on the street just outside of the old city.  We headed into the old city and enjoyed the markets and sights.

I bought some trail mix and tried on a French beret.  I asked the woman in French - "Does this make me look like a Frenchman?" and she replied in French - "Well, it is a French beret".  LOL!!!!

We walked all over the city and the markets.  Lots of beautiful produce and items for the home.

Another beautiful city well and fountain

The "glass covered walkway" - the Pavilion Boyer

Beautiful produce and jellies and foods at the market in Carpentras

One of the old "gates" to the city of Carpentras

An old cathedral in Carpentras

The flowers were beautiful at the Carpentras market

A memorial to WW II on the outskirts of Carpentras

The famous nougats of Provence - they looked yummy!

Yet another fountain and cistern - and perhaps a wash basis

 

We left Carpentras to head to our picnic at a vineyard.  The GPS failed us again and 2 women were walking down the road and gestured whether we needed help.  They spoke no English so I tried to get help.  They invited me into their garden where we were and their father also spoke no English but he looked at our book and knew the vineyard.  He gestured to me how to get there and we made it.

The vineyard, Domaine de Marotte, is owned by Daan and Elvira from the Netherlands.  We had our wine tastings and ordered 3 bottles of wine.  We took a guided audio tour of the vineyards and then they brought us a HUGE picnic basket for our lunch.  We enjoyed lunch with Terry and Marlene from Canada who had booked with Emilie but were on a different itinerary.  We enjoyed their company and the picnic.  Before we left, there was another large English-speaking group and they started singing "Larry's Wasted!" to the tune of a "O' My Darling, Clentine" - They were NOT singing about me but rather one of their group, but we got a big laugh out of it!  LOL!!!!

In the vineyards at Domaine de Marotte

View from our picnic table at Domaine de Marotte

The private gardens at Domaine de Marotte - beautiful

The wine cellar at Domaine de Marotte

Our picnic - huge basket of food - bottle of rose and bottle of water - YUMMY!

We had to leave Domaine de Marotte early to get to our dune buggy ride through the vineyards at VMV Caves des Vignerons du Mont Ventoux.  It was about a 25 minute ride and we got there right at 2:30.  Daniel was our guide and he had to stock the shelves before we could leave.  There was one other couple.  We got in our dune buggy, with Tim driving (was that a mistake?) and TOOK OFF into the fields and small pathways.

A strip mining operation in the middle of the vineyards

Many of the grape vines were already covered with grapes

In one of the fields with Mont Ventoux in the background

Riding in our dune buggy with Larry holding on for dear life - thank god for the OMG Bar!

A good view of the high and low elevation vineyards - this changes the taste of the grapes

The OMG bar!!!!  It worked!

A demonstration vineyard with all varieties of grapes for VMV Caves des Vignerons du Mont Ventoux

Daniel - our tour guide for the dune buggies and sommelier for the wine tasting

 

Daniel shared 5 whites, 5 roses, 5 reds and 2 aperitif wines with us.  I think he enjoyed serving us and using his English.  He's going to be in Miami in October.  We had a great time.  We bought 4 more bottles of wine and headed home for a much needed nap.

 

Dinner was with Philippe at the table d'hote.  He had a fish dinner.  Carol and Michael from Philly and a French couple and a Texas couple also joined us.  We had a good time and talked until after 10:30 and then headed to bed.  Provence is wonderful.