Ah-vig-non

We're back after a few days hiatus due to an incompatible adapter and the resulting dead laptop battery. Our trip from Espana to France included some great scenery, Julie almost getting us arrested for taking photos of the border crossing, and us consuming some local eats while driving (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3). We spent our rain soaked days in and around Avignon searching for castles, driving up Mont Ventoux of the Tour de France fame, checking out the Papal Palace from the 14th century and generally just getting lost in vineyards of the Chateauneuf du Pape region. Spotting a few castles from the road we would take detours and generally find a few walls left of an abandoned castle or a church that looked like a castle from the highway. We eventually did find Barroux castle and were able to tour the inside. Note to self; we need a castle. This morning we toured the Papal Palace, where for a century Christendom called home. Apparently Rome wasn't too happy during this period with the Pope's decision to move. Mont Ventoux, which due to its intense winds claims to normally have unobstructed views was clouded many times over and raining on and off, depending on our elevation. Regardless, there was throngs of dedicated cyclists venturing up the mountain to the 1910m summit. I believe the actual route is approximately 30km and takes 5 hours+ to climb. We even met a group from Michigan who had just reached the summit. The wind is very intense at the top. We posted a brief video.