You can tell there's no one out here because the road is littered with rock fall. Made it all the way to the top of the climb without seeing a car, just two lone motorcycles. Down into Sault to sit on the steps in the sun drenched square, eating sandwiches with the rest of the cyclists. I don't know who trims that hedge into a tiny house, but I love them for it.
Over the Col de la Croix Rouge into Drome. I'd sort of forgotten about this one, but coming down off Col d'Ey, through les Baronnies provençales, is a good time.
Into the pines on the D1. Sandwich outside the church in Monieux and coffee in Gordes. The descent through Venasque bests the climb, but it's good both directions.
Riding roads to the southwest that we hadn't explored. The sky darkened about half way through. Not thunderstorm dark, that dull featureless dark that says "This will come slowly, and it will go slowly" And it did. Now I need do go shove towels in my shoes.
The D217 and D1A, high above the valley, are silent, just the occasional bird chirp. The trunks and branches of the evergreens on the south side of the road are covered in undisturbed lichen. It's still winter, certainly, but hints of spring are starting to appear in the warmer bits of the gorges. Climbing out of Veaux, a small patch of purple flowers are just starting to bloom.
