Provence, Day 1

Leaving Moneglia took us through another series of one-way tunnels. When we finally emerged, we made our way to the autostrada for our trip into France. We zoomed out of the Italian Riviera into the Cote d'Azur. We didn't get off to stop in Monaco, so we can't add that to our list of countries visited! (Or...can we? We certainly saw it!) The car quality all around us increased significantly as we drove through the area. But it certainly beautiful, and even from the autoroute you get a sense of why this area has been so popular. (Please note language change for the freeway from Italy to France! Pretty cool, huh?)

After we left the autoroute we headed off into the Provence countryside to the town of Venasque. Just east of Avignon a bit, Venasque is an ancient town up on a hill, facing the slopes of Mont Ventoux, the highest mountain around. We managed to negotiate our way (with some local help) to our B and B, La Maison des Volets Bleus. It is a charming old place, run by the same couple for 26 years. She does dinner a couple times a week, and that night our meal was right there with two other couples staying there. It was very good, and a pleasant way to begin our time in Provence. Here are pictures of the entrance to the place, of Venasque, and the view: