May 8, 2023
To Vaison-la-Romaine
This past week cycling in the Luberon and Vaucluse has been some of the best touring I’ve experienced – delightful small roads, iconic towns and small villages, French landscapes awash in poppies and physical challenges, and all enhanced by sharing it with Suzanne and Janos. But now it was time to say au revoir, a French farewell that is much more than a simple good-bye for it holds a hope or promise to meet again. Indeed, we have already discussed plans for a get-together in Germany sometime next year.
My destination today was Vaison-la-Romaine, a town in the Vaucluse known for its “rich Roman ruins and mediaeval town.” I followed a nice bike path for the first few miles out of Carpentras, then smaller roads through the towns of Aubignan and Beaumes-de-Venise before reaching the highlight of the day – the Dentelles de Montmirail, a limestone massif that marks the western end of the Monts de Vaucluse. The climb through the Dentelles began gradually from Beaumes-de-Venise and I was continually astonished as the high peaks and needles Dentelles slowly revealed themselves. The vistas across the verdant fields and vineyards were supercharged with an explosion of yellow genêt broom – it was brilliant.
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I reached a modest col in the small village of Suzette and my first look at the back side of Mont Ventoux. A short downhill and a mile-long climb rewarded me with an expansive views of Suzette and the Dentelles in west and Mont Ventoux in the east. I swept down into the village of Malaucène, where a found a nice café to eat my sandwich and indulge in ice cream for dessert. Malaucène is also a launching point for a Ventoux ascent, and the streets and cafés were filled with cyclists. I had now passed through each of the three villages with routes to Mont Ventoux: Sauilt, Bédoin, and Malaucène. A palpable energy and enthusiasm for cycling were present in each village, though I found Sault to be a bit less lively than either Bédoin or Malaucène.
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The remaining miles to Vaison-la-Romaine passed quickly and I made my way up through the narrow cobbled streets of the medieval city to my hotel – only it wasn’t my hotel, just the ending way point on route. Oops. It took a few minutes to retrieve the name and location of my hotel, which was located a short ways outside of town, in the direction from whence I’d come. The place seemed a bit like a retreat, with several buildings named for composers. I’d been hoping for an earlier check-in than the posted time of 5 pm, but everything was shut tight and I settled in for the 45 minute wait.
The hotel restaurant was closed, so I made the half-mile walk into town for dinner – not to the medieval village on the hill but to the newer town just across the Ouvèze River. I found a somewhat lively café on the square for fish and chips and then enjoyed a leisurely walk back to hotel as the in the warm light of the setting sun cast a glow on Mont Ventoux.
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11 months ago
Today's ride: 27 miles (43 km)
Total: 1,030 miles (1,658 km)
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11 months ago
11 months ago