Venturing out part deux

 Venturing out #2

            

By the time I got back from my Valensole excursion on full day #1, I decided to find a real supermarket for staples of coffee, milk, and water. However, my phone was almost out of battery.  It shouldn’t be that hard to find a store, right?  The trusty GPS in her last gasp of battery guided me to a Casino Supermarket in Manosque. (No, there was no gambling there—that is just the name). I drove and GPS said I was there.  Looked around, saw a plumbing store, and a E-lect something, which looked like a clothes store or an electronics place.  I decided to go through the town of Manosque blinding looking for a damn Casino Supermarket.  The smart thing would have been to ask someone at the very beginning of town but instead I drove through about 10 round-abouts and taking some iffy turns into neighborhoods that clearly could not sustain a big market. 

 

I finally rolled down the window and asked a gentleman about a store.  He gave good directions and soon I was in front of an E-lect (something) where people were carrying out groceries.  EUREKA. Got my shopping done and easily found my way home.  The moral of that story is there are no Casinos in Manosque—put your money on the electric store for all your shopping needs from food to clothes to automotive and more (think Walmart). I got enough food for two dinners for me and Mangy and lunch for a picnic.  

 

The next day on Wednesday 9 (full day #2), woke up early.  Again---no curtains and sun rises up early.  Hung around the Airbnb until 9 am.  Good time to hit the road.  This time headed south thinking I would do a “8” pattern driving through Gréoux les Bains then back through Valensole up to Puimoisson and around to Riez then back ‘home’.  Out of Gréoux les Bains I took the low road and figured that wasn’t right. Turned around to take the high road.  After about six miles out of my way, I decided that wasn’t right either and consulted GPS.  The roads around here are windy, there are tight curves and fast cars coming ‘round the bend. Yikes! I am changing my mind.  I will go back through Valensole and head to Puimoisson not making the full crazy “8”; it might be lunch by then.  Oh. My. Gawd., I must go through the small narrow streets of Valensole?---what am I thinking.  It’s over. Now I am thinking it wasn’t so bad. It was easy and fun. 

On my way to Puimoisson, I found the sweet lavender field (from previous post), I stayed there a while taking photos and watching people with their cameras with models posing for the cameras and the drone that sounded like a huge bumblebee.


 



A little way down the road I spied a tree in the middle of a lavender field that looked strangely like the famous picture of Provence.  I turned down the dirt road and over the hill to get a closer look.  After a few pictures (nothing like the famous photo I can assure you) I drove the car under the shade of the tree shielded from the road.  No one knew I was there except fo the helicopter that buzzed me (twice) and a couple of guys that drove up to talk about the lavender.  This is where I had my picnic lunch of prosciutto (they call it speck on the package) and goat cheese with slices of melon.  Despite the flies, it was a good bathroom break spot as well. TMI, right?







          The dog belonged to the two guys.  I thought it safer to take the dog's pic. (unedited)
                  This is me in the best lavender field. Not where I got "buzzed" by Helicopter.


I finally made it to Puimoisson. Lucky, I had lunch when I did because there was nothing open except a boucherie or meat market and a pottery store. It would have been nice to get a cup of coffee, but you get what you get and I got lots of pictures.  My job is fini. 




Going to Paris airport tomorrow to fly home on Friday.  Two dreaded travel days.  

 

See you when I get home.  

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