Lyle and Kirsten joined us for a typical French breakfast (lots of carbs, light on protein) at Hotel d’Albion. They got a big CB send-off as they continued to gorge their way though France. The weather was ideal – sunny and low winds, a perfect day for Les Gorges de la Nesque. Or maybe to tackle the beast, you might ask? Nope - we opted instead for an easy day of rest and a little recreation. Suzanne and I plotted a loop ride through Revest-du-Bon while Janos chose to take a full day off the bikes and “get organized.”
We rode north from Sault on a fairly quiet road that took us past rows of lavender on our way to Aurel. We puttered briefly in Aurel, then mistakenly turned up a steep road that ended in a small field. There was a hint of a double-track and we could see the correct road just up ahead, so we paused to consider our options. Suzanne was game to go forward, so I led the way while she employed her “walk assist” – not me, but a feature of the eBike. Success! We were soon cycling through open fields on our way to Ferrassières.
It'd been another great CB reunion with Lyle and Kirsten
Our route today touched on three French departments in two regions. About half-way to Ferrassières, we left Provence and the Vaucluse for a brief pass through the Drome department, which is located in the Auvergne Rhone-Alpes region. We were deep in lavender country and spoke of one day returning in late June or July, a time when fields are typically in full bloom. In my nascent days of cycle touring, my sister and I did a self-guided tour on the Plateau de Valensole during the first week of July, 2012. The experience of walking through fields in near full bloom was a bit surreal, and one I’d be happy to repeat.
A short ride into the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department took us to the small village of Revest-du-Bon where we had a leisurely lunch at a small café. We took a more direct route back to Sault, one with less interesting scenery and fewer stops. Janos was there to greet us on arrival, having tracked Suzanne’s progress on her way into town. What had started that morning as a low-energy ride had left us feeling strong and invigorated – sometimes just getting on your bike is enough to turn your whole day around.
