Le Ventoux Diaries Day 3

Set off fairly early this morning after a night of little sleep due to the rain against my window! Embarrassing moment of the day happened just after I set off when I stopped at a shop to buy provisions. Somehow I skidded and started to fall off the bike, but for some reason felt it best to hop along, one foot on the ground, one foot on the pedal, that clearly wasn't going to work, so just clattered to the ground in front of 2 old mesdames, who were very concerned, one old git who laughed and 2 kids who tried not to look like they cared! Today's route was hillier, but actually I felt OK. I chose the longer option  and found it fairly steady. I think i did about 34 miles, but keep forgetting to turn on and off the super garmin toy thingy that Allister had lent me! The first proper hill they warn you of in the trip notes is described as "250m over 9 kms" that's not quite correct! I followed a river up into the mountain, and doing that always makes you think it's not a hill, it somehow always feels flatter, just as I got smug thinking this is OK, then the hill started.  Most of the climb was in the last 3 kms. But I took it slow and I didn't need to stop. Visited some really charming villages ( all at the tops of hills! ) Got lost twice, once in a fairly large town where I eventually worked out that I was going in totally the wrong direction. Stopped and asked a German couple where I was and had a very interesting conversation in which they used this sentence.....see if you can guess what they meant...answer at the end of this blog!! " you keep on this track and you will see the place where all the people of the town make their toilet and it goes away" Saw lots of other cyclists out today, all in their matching shiny team Lycra gear. With their " we don't need to be bogged down with luxuries like extra clothes, food, water, maps and such nonsense" I, after getting caught in the rain yesterday, had everything with me! Still, I waved a cheery "bonjour" as they cycled past me at high speed. I arrived at Rousillon which is a town entirely devoted to Ochre, there's a museum lots of shops and some sort of factory type thing ( I didn't actually visit it). Unfortunately no internet at the hotel or in the entire town, that's why the blog is late. I went for my usual walk to try to find a beer and there it was.....Le Mont Ventoux.....it's about more than 40kms from here and I could just see it over the other hills in the distance. The sun was shining on the summit, oh how I hope for that tomorrow!. It's really huge (a cleaned up version of the text I sent Jane) and I am really nervous.  Nothing for it but to sink a cold one on the terrace! Answer  " sewage works!"