To Vassieux en Vercors France

Day 58/France 43

Travelled: 149km of amazing scenery via gorges, valleys and cols to Vassieux en Vercors (2014)  Resistance Museum (€4.50pp). Free aire 44.8975, 5.3697.

We don’t know of any other country that has the garbo come around at 4am. We thought we would be safe in this little village, but no luck.. anyway we managed to doz until around 6. Coffee, breakfast and we hit the road turning off to travel along the small gorge of Toulourenc. 

We were greeted by more colourful lavender fields in the next valley. 

Then another gorge. 

A castle.

 We spotted a hilltop town.

Another gorge drive..

 Olive tree fields and apricots.

Our last view of Ventoux.

More picturesque vineyards and  lavender fields.

Then another gorge.

The next valley also had sunflowers. 

We presume truffles are growing under the chestnut trees.

We stopped to have a look at the millions of year old rocks.

We then followed the Drôme River to Die (2014) where we stopped at the supermarket and filled up on food and fuel (€2.03pl). 

From here it was up to the Col de Rousset offering magnificent views, albeit in windy conditions.

 Just on the otherside we followed the road to Vassieux en Vercors. As we approached the aire (motorhome dedicated parking area) we remembered that we had stayed here in 2014. Our map had indicated otherwise but that’s ok as we recollected that it was an interesting area.

We walked through the village and up to the Resistance Museum (didn’t visit in 2014) paid €4 entrance/€1 audio guide.

We were told the story of the French Resistance and the maquis that trained and set up camps in the Vercors area during WWII. Unfortunately during July 1944 the Germans retaliated by bombing the village and then came and killed 187 maquis fighters and civilians (men, women, children… no one was spared). It’s a sad reminder of war and the atrocities humans are capable of. This was not the only village that suffered.. over 870 were murdered in the area until they were liberated.