May 13, 2023
To Sète
Today was my last day of cycling on this swing through Southern France, and likely the last before returning to the US on May 26. But before I train it back to Paris and close out this tour, I am bound for the sea to spend four days in Sète with my friend Christine. She lives in Burgundy with her husband Christian, and a few weeks ago had invited me to join her for a short spring break at her condo in Sète. I jumped at the chance and immediately set about trying to figure out train schedules to get Vivien George and I from Saint-Martin to Sète and back to Paris. The plan for today was to cycle to Orange, then take a regional train to Sète. I had to change trains in Avignon Center, but there was an ample 42 minute connection time.
The first miles retraced my previous route from a couple of days ago – on back roads to Pont-Saint-Esprit, over the Rhone and across the Canal de Donzère-Mondragon and onto the Via Rhona. Just before reaching Montdragon, I took the first exit off the roundabout and headed south towards Orange and Avignon.
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11 months ago
The riding was easy and I was making good time due to the landscape being both flat and uninteresting. I began to consider cycling all the way to Avignon, thus avoiding the a connection at Avignon. I’d explored the idea yesterday, but it appeared as if I would have to ride an additional twenty miles from Orange to the Avignon. Once I’d spotted the Via Rhona signs for Avignon, however, I realized that I could bypass Orange and go directly to Avignon, a much shorter total distance. After confirming a direct route on Google Maps, I plotted a new RWGPS route and was on my way to Avignon.
Almost immediately the new route put me on a gravel track through hayfields. I hesitated a bit but carried on and soon rejoined the Via Rhona. Gotta love those RWGPS “short cuts!” And for some reason, RWGPS kept wanting to put me on a gravel road along the river rather than the parallel paved surface of the Via Rhona. Consequently, I continued to ignore the off-track pings and the blue navigation line, relying instead on the posted signs to Avignon.
In addition to the RWGPS bings, I was getting periodic updates from SNCF, the French Rail system, notifying me that my train from Orange to Sète was delayed. An initial 5 minute delay eventually became a 45 minute delay, meaning I would have missed the train from Avignon Centre to Sète. I was feeling pretty smug when I stopped for a lunch break, thinking I had over two hours to cover the remaining twelve miles to Avignon for my 3:31 train to Sète.
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Just after breaking for lunch I came to a fork in the road that proved fateful. I continued to ignore my RWGPS route and I went left, following the signs for Sorgues and Avignon and ignoring the RWGPS recommended route to the right. I was so zoomed in on my current location that I failed to notice that the RWGPS route crossed the Rhone and went directly south along the river to Avignon. Yes, I would get to Avignon either way, but the route I’d chosen wound east through Sorgues, almost doubling the miles to Avignon. By the time I realized my error, it was too late to turn back. I still had plenty of time to cover the remaining miles, but I nonetheless kept up a strong pace for fear I might miss a signpost and/or got lost navigating through Sorgues.
In fact, the Via Rhona signs did disappear in Sorgues. I followed the small bike route indicators through the city but eventually asked Google for the best bike route to Gare Avignon Centre. I took the most direct of the two options, which put me on the busy, four-lane D907. After two highly stressful miles, I landed on a commercial artery into Avignon with a dedicated bus/bike lane. Soon, the walls of Avignon appeared, flanked by a wide promenade that seemed permissible for bikes. I was quite close to the train station and so I relaxed a bit, wavering whether to stay on the street or move to the promenade. My hesitancy resulted in a half-hearted turn up onto the promenade - my front wheel slid against the curb and we tumbled onto the pavement. Luckily I was going slowly, but I landed on the same knees as on my previous fall, and also bounced my head a bit. I was immediately surrounded by concerned passers-by who helped me up and made sure I was okay, which I was. As was Vivien George.
After all that, I arrived at Gare Avignon Centre at 2:25, with an hour to spare before my 3:31 train to Sète. I was a bit shaken about hitting my head, but was not experiencing any signs of a concussion so I found a spot by the elevator to sit and wait for the track announcement. Fortunately, the train originated in Avignon, eliminating the added stress of boarding during a 1-2 minute station stop. There were two other cyclists onboard when I entered the bike car – Florence and Isabelle. They were on their way back to Montpelier after a five-day tour of the Luberon, and we whiled away the time as cyclists typically do, with tales of bikes, gear, rides completed, and rides to dream of.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_egret
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Christine was waiting at the Sète station when I arrived and we spent a most pleasant evening catching up over charcuterie at a local craft beer pub before checking out a 3D printing demonstration at the nearby museum, part of the FAIT MACHINE exhibit of machine-generated art. It was a short museum visit, as I was tired and a bit sore after an eventful and somewhat stressful day. Lucky for me I have four days in Sète for some rest and relaxation before returning for to Paris for my final week in France.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 1,165 miles (1,875 km)
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11 months ago
And much thanks for the route advice suggestions - it was a fantastic tour through Southern France!
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