July 23: After 5 weeks, and roughly 5,300 km, I’ve arrived at my little cottage in Sablet. This is a milestone that a small yet persistent voice said I would never reach – that some disaster would befall me, and the reservation would all be for naught. And early on there was a series of disappointing problems that were easily overcome as part of the adventure of travelling. So it was with a small amount of celebratory expectation that I unpacked last night.
The house is literally at the gate to the medieval quarter. The owners, a couple from England, live upstairs. Although I’ve spent little time with them, they seem friendly an generous, and they both ride motorcycles, so we have some interests in common.
After settling in for a bit, I headed down the street for dinner. Along the way I made a couple of new friends who greeted me this morning as well. They too seem friendly and generous, although there is language barrier that I fear is unsurmountable. Dinner was good – a huge salad and some rose – but if there is a drawback that is becoming evident, it is that this is such a small town that there are only 2 restaurants, 1 grocery store, and 1 butcher. Choice is scarce and I don’t really want to be going from town to town on the bike. Of course, on the positive side, there are about 10 wineries right in town…..
After dinner I came home for a glass of rose. I drank that on the doorstep, since there is really no outdoor space with the unit. Being a hill town, Sablet has the advantage of looking down on its’ surroundings and out across the vineyards, and I spent more than an hour watching a thunderstorm roll across the Rhone valley. It was fascinating watching the lightning shooting between the clouds and occasionally striking the ground from a perspective I seldom have.
And later, a phalanx of little brown bats came out for their evening meal. They seemed to be particularly attracted to the arch outside the doorstep, so I suspect this may be a nightly performance. Such a memorable and enchanting way to start my visit here and perhaps to build a reserve of positivity against problems yet to come..
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