I'm wondering after reading all this, if Sault isn't worth an overnight stay en route from Moustiers-St-Marie to the Vaucluse. What do you think?
I could do a Montbrun/Brantes/Vaison/ Malaucene/Mt Ventoux round trip from Sault, and reduce my subsequent few days' meanderings from Gordes to more manageable proportions!

>>>I could do a Montbrun/Brantes/Vaison/ Malaucene/Mt Ventoux round trip from Sault, and reduce my subsequent few days' meanderings from Gordes to more manageable proportions!<<

This area is easily accessible from Gordes. I think I posted my "Lavender Route" a week or two ago. Clck on my name & try to find it. The drive from Sault through Montbrun, to Brantes to Malaucene is quite pretty.

While near Sault, drive to Simiane la Rotonde - it's a gem. Take the D245 to get there (it's really the D244, but Michelin has it mis-numbered on my map). This road has lavender fields along it - the northern D30 does not.

Stu Dudley

Yes You're right, Stu, the area is easily accessible from Gordes. It's just that there is such a lot I want to do from Gordes that I'm afraid I won't fit it all in. If I can get that higher area done earlier, before I even reach Gordes, so much the better. Then I can come back down from Sault and approach Gordes via Simiane-la-Rotonde as you suggest.
It means missing the Gorges du Nesque, but as my trip (a week or so later) passes through the Gorges du Tarn, I'm not too concerned about this. Or should I be? Are the gorges totally different?

>>>It means missing the Gorges du Nesque, but as my trip (a week or so later) passes through the Gorges du Tarn, I'm not too concerned about this. Or should I be? Are the gorges totally different?<<

The Tarn is much more majestic. We spent several days there this past Sept. The other gorges in that area are quite scenic also. Did I send you my Languedoc Itinerary? It has some notes about the Gorges du Tarn & the Lot river area. E-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

twoflower, we drove through the Gorges du Tarn last fall. I agree with Stu's assessment--it is quite spectacular.

I wrote a bit about it in another thread, where someone had asked about Château de la Caze:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34493121

Anselm

Hi

you don't say what time of year.

It had snow on it on Thursday.

Peter
www.the-languedoc-page.com

Hi There Twoflower

A few years back my wife and I stayed for two weeks in the village of Venasque in Provence the view every day out of our window was of Mont Ventoux. Therefore it seemed only logical that we go for a drive up it to see what it was like. I thought it was great as I like views from on high. My wife was less impressed. Mainly because the road to the summit is very windy and narrow. At times when she was looking out of the window she only had views of the great blue yonder as she could not see the edge of the road as we had to drive fairly close to it.

The view from the top is amazing, though make sure you are up there on a clear day. There was not alot up there. Some vendors with food and nick nacks, the scientific station and a lot of bare rock.

Mont Ventoux is often on the route for the Tour de France and as such you see some of that graffitti painted on the roads (Advertising vinyards, saying hello, pushing political agendas etc.) After you have got top the top you certainly appreciate how fit those cyclists are to get to the top. On the Eastern side about 200 metres from the summit there is a statue to an English rider of the 60's who died on the mountain. I think his last words were something like, "Let me get back on my bloody bike" or something to that effect - He then proceded to keel over with a massive heart attack. The words are inscribed on the statue.

I heard a story when I was there that said the reason the mountain is bare on top is that when the Romans were the rulers of Provence they felled all the trees on the mountain and all efforts at reforrestation have failed to get trees to grow on the top bit. It does look good though. Even in Summer it looks like snow on the top.

If you are going to go up. Make sure you take a jacket even in summer as it is a lot colder on the summit than it is at the base.

Because I like mountains I would say go. I also concur with some of the others. Skip Orange. Boring town.

Cheers

Steve

The Tarn is wonderfu. Next to Verdon, it was my favorite drive and they have widen the roads so it's not as narrow and scary at points.

Kiwi_acct: your description of the drive to the summit sounds scary. Not being too happy in vertiginous settings, I'm beginning to have second thoughts.
Stu and others - thanks for comments on Gorges du Tarn. Sounds wonderful.