An Apt Encounter

Despite Bradley Wiggins' victory, Le Tour continues with our jaunt to Apt spliced by colourful knots of breakaway cyclists. Camilla drove courteously allowing only one Frenchman the opportunity to lean on his horn. Once we had passed through the ticket issuing tollgates, three lanes of the A8 permitted frequent passing at 130 kph but no chance of a bladder-emptying pastoral pi pi!. Acre after acre of vineyards line the expressway leading us to the magnificent silvery ridge of Montagne Ste-Victoire and the exiting tollgates.

We have now seen everything!. The approach to the A8 tollgates prior to Aix en Provence offered drivers 30 lanes to transgress every EU road rule. Laughing uproariously we permitted Renault Dusters, Picassos, Scenics and Twingoes to brazenly flit from lane to lane seeking minute advantages of one car space in their quest to get rolling again. A memorable encounter was the parting of the waves to allow a Peugeot 307 towing a caravan to pass from left to right directly into the path of an oncoming 18 wheeler!

Australia's tollgates allow drivers to throw the toll into a basket. The French, however, require coins to be force fed into slots. Sure enough, the driver of the Fiat Punto two cars ahead drops his change and has to retrieve it. This proves too much for a bantam Frenchman who exits his car, some spaces behind us, and struts up to investigate the delay. By the time he arrives the Punto has left and hastens back to his car and finds others have filled the space ahead of him. It was the best €9.20 spent thus far!

Apt Farmer's Markets are closing promptly at midday as we arrive at the appointed place, but not before bread and cheese are bought. We occupy outside seats at Saint John's Pub where wifi and beer are on tap along with restorative rose. Reconnection with the world outside Provence is established. With the exception of wine purchasing and an encounter with a truckload of baa-ing sheep, absolutely nothing eventful happens on the trip back.