Rain on a Roman holiday

Our last major excursion of the week got rained out. Rats.

We managed to see part of Vaison-La-Romaine, which has been settled since before the birth of Christ, but not all of it. Rain chased us out, but on the plus side, we ducked into a small cafe to stay dry and the waitress gave us a plate of greens & cheese sprinkled with walnuts and olives even though the kitchen had closed for the afternoon.

Vaison is in two parts, the Haute Ville, or High town, and the lower town, once home to a Roman settlement. They are split by the River Ouveze, which you can cross by a bridge dating to Roman times.
We saw the Haute Ville, a stone village built on and into a limestone cliff in the Dentelles de Mirailles, which is a small chain of mountains in the Vaucluse part of Provence. Haute Ville is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets and shaded alcoves of private homes, punctuated by fountains.

We made it to the top of the cliff to see the ancient eglise, dating to the 15th century, and it was worth the climb because the view was gorgeous. The church itself is off limits. The walk up was partly sidewalk and then you were on your own over the limestone escarpment. (I was wishing I had worn tennies, sandals didn't quite cut it, but then I wasn't the only one not dressed for hiking!)

Despite our disappointment, it was well worth the drive for what we did see. But the rain and the cool temperatures reminded us that September is drawing to a close.

Again I say it: Rats.

Les photos:

 1) Les Dentelles de Mirailles

 2) Out of the coop and pecking for snacks in Vaison-La-Romaine.

 3) Le Pont Romain over the River Ouveze.

 4) If you are interested in buying a vacation home, dial that number.

 5) The 15th century church over Haute Ville.

 6) Twenty-first century visitors to Haute Ville.

 7) The streets of Haute Ville all look pretty much like this. The arch is the main entrance.