plateau d'albion

The D40 runs west along the northern flanks of Ventoux from behind Mollans in Vaucluse eventually into the Drôme where it briefly becomes the D72. You can then go on to Séderon in one direction or Sault in the other. Betwixt the two is St Trinit. More of St Trinit anon.

In springtime there is no finer way to get to the Plateau d'Albion: simply beautiful scenery, the towering and steepest flanks of Le Géant, several small hamlets and villages, a wild river usually withdrawn and calm. And in spring, very little road traffic to vex the dawdlers we want to be on this route. There is the spectacular perched village of Brantes. Yes, a minor honeypot, but deservedly I think. Note to self: must do a postcard featuring Brantes, we've been there often enough, I dreamt of living there even (no shops!) but today we pass beneath Brantes and cut up instead through Rheilanette (to take a look at it) then round the side of Montbrun and up onto the target area: Plateau d'Albion. It's a perfect day.

Plateau d'Albion. What a heady area of high ground. Air like wine etc. We like it lots. Big big skies, stonking and unfamiliar views back to Ventoux, and towards the south, emptiness, hectares of lavender, next to no vines for a change… and really rather empty. They grow lavender, did I mention that? On a big scale……

One may come across one or more rather incongrous straight, wide roads, perfectly surfaced and yet seemingly going nowhere. The explanation for them is sobering: they were built wide enough to deliver intercontinental ballistic missiles to deep underground silos constructed here during the height of the cold war… they've all gone now of course, the missiles and the silos (or have they?) but there is a lingering military presence, strange closed off and blank areas on the maps, and occasional inquisitive patrols by low flying military helicopters. But as far as y'visitor is concerned its nothing to see here if you don't mind, not on that score at any rate. 

Anyway this is the best way to get there that we have discovered to date. It's a peach… so beautiful in good weather, it makes me quite well up…

And then we sort of meandered down to St Trinit, a village that celebrates mushrooms and the like, which grow in abundance hereabouts we assume, and where we have tried to lunch a couple of times before, as it is closed out of season mostly. But today, not so, it's third time lucky and for quite a few others who turned up after I took this view, it filled up nicely, inside too. 

I think that is quite enough about this lovely area, you can bet it is cold in winter! Oh yes, and there are ancient limestone borries here and there, deep thick forest patches, deer, butterflies and all that sort of stuff. And rocket silos I believe. 

I confine myself here to pictures taken this spring (2022) – a rather limited palette I will admit, but other family members will confirm that coming up here to St Trinit is a peculiar treat, for us at any rate. I have a small, earlier archive to remind me why we rate this locale…

We will return, in summer maybe, when the lavender is in flower, and suck up the colour and scents accordingly. 

My public (might) have asked for earlier snaps! These were taken some years back: