Market to market

DATELINE: Thursday, Oct.12. Vaison to Nyons and back

Nyons is less than 20 kilometers northeast of Vaison. Like Vaison, it stretches alongside a river that can switch from dribble to torrent in a blink. Unlike Vaison, Nyons stretches up into hills on just one side of the river. It's not divided into flat town on one side, hill town on the other.

The town is famous for its black olives, and they're always featured in the largest square of its weekly market. Our problem today was: we couldn't find that great big square.

I had wanted to come because I'm looking for a zip front sweater to wear on the cold mornings and evenings Vaison has this time of year. Didn't find what I wanted at Tuesday's market in Vaison, so I was trying the next big market in the area, at Nyons.

Short summary: no luck on the sweater or the really good olives. Suddenly, it was past noon and the Nyons market was closing. We had to find the restaurant where Roz had booked lunch for 12:30.

Few signs, absent street names, steep terrain (slow walking for aging legs) lead to near panic. GPS was little help when surrounding stone buildings blocked the satellite signal. But eventually, we blundered into the correct side street and there was Le Resto des Arts.

We just made it in time for our reservation, and settled in for a very good lunch. (See Roz's pictures, Day 9). Needing a walk after that, we headed (slowly) uphill trying to reach the distinctive tower that peaks the town's skyline.

The pointy, gothic-looking top of the tower, called Tour Randonne, was actually built in 1862, atop a tiny chapel that had been converted in 1280 from a defensive tower of the local baron's castle.

Made it all the way up there, got some photos, then started even more slowly back down the hill. Across the river bridge to find our car alone in an otherwise empty lot. All the other market visitors were gone. 

Home by way of one more supermarket, and then we relaxed as much as worries about Napa Valley's wild fires would allow.