Verrans Big Bike Ride: Aix to Montfort

We had to leave our house in Aix which is always sad. So we started the day with the obligatory pastries - last chance for the visit to Bechard. Then there was the cleaning and packing and then we were collected by a very speedy but friendly taxi driver to take us to our car at the TGV station. We soon discovered that our trip was only about an hour at most from Aix. But then we realised that we were having none of that as we were travelling in completely the opposite direction - Bode was handling the wrong side of the road but I think the sun coming from the South was too much for us. Anyway, we found a great little place in Trets for a Tapas lunch with Spanish beers. We were their only guests so they presented us with some dreadfully strong liqueur afterwards which kept us going to Montfort.

This is a tiny little charming village on the side of a hill with one of everything. The house is on 3 levels (one bedroom on each) and a nice sunny spot outside the kitchen where we sit if we can fit anything more into our tummies. My bedroom is on the top floor overlooking the castle wall. We have been on a couple of exploratory drives through some of the other villages and find ourselves quite often in Cotignac which is beautiful. We had an emergency breakfast there this morning when we found the boulanger doesn't open on a Monday in Montfort. In fact most of France appears not to open on a Monday. Bode braved the little narrow winding roads through Entrecasteux and Aups and some stunning scenery. We even managed quite a long walk last night, through vineyards and olive groves, picking figs and berries on the way, so rewarded ourselves with a dinner at the local restaurant called Marmite