Day 1: Lost in Apt

The nice thing about roundabouts is that they are perfect for U-turns. And this far out into the countryside, most roundabouts are single lane so you don’t need to compete with three lanes of traffic for priority.

While the N100 led us right to Apt and even to the square that our apartment was located near, there were a few snags. First, in Apt not all streets are clearly marked. Sometimes the sign is on the opposite end of the street you’re on and you just need to make an educated guess. Second, even if there are street signs, you probably can’t see them from your car. I have come to believe over the years in my trips to France that street signs are for pedestrians, not drivers.

So, we parked in the Place du Faubourg in Apt and quietly considered our options. It was a lovely place to sit with a plane tree overhead and two benches in the center. We looked down the streets to the west of the square and were chagrined as we searched for 66 Faubourg du Ballet. We knew that the GPS had us in the right spot but not quite as exact as we needed. After 15 minutes in the late Sunday afternoon we decided to head into the town center and see what we could get for directions.

(And, of course, Jacob’s blackberry would choose this particular moment to not have any reception, so we could not just call the owners of the apartment directly!)

Finally, we found a very kind police officer who pulled out the map in his office and gave us the logic of the street name that made perfect sense. Faubourg du Ballet = Rue du Ballet off of Place du Faubourg.

All along we were just a few hundred feet from our apartment!

Related Posts:

• Day 2: Alpine Driving
• In Apt, Safe and Sound
• Day 1: Dulles to Avignon
• In Apt: The Apartment
• Day 3: Foret de Venasque/Vaucluse Plateau