May 3, 2025 to May 10, 2025
A Week in Gordes
Bonjour after a week off from touring.
So, what did we do for a whole week off the bike in Provence?
(1) We lazed about in a beautiful villa in Provence, that's what!
The house was gorgeous, scenically clinging to the cliff. The owner is an artist so the interior design was thoughtful, unique and mostly modern with a ton of stairs. It had two indoor kitchens and an outdoor one - which made finding the coffee pot the first morning very challenging! Dave and I opted for the small bedroom with the double bed but this was more than made up for by the adjacent comfortable bathroom with modern tub. These days, we stay and sleep in so many different places that bed size is pretty insignificant! (Unlike tubs, tea kettles, pillow quantity, outlets and all the other miscellaneous things I natter about that make hotel rooms better - or worse).
It had a beautiful garden and pool. The weather was cool and windy and our time outside on the patio was therefore limited. We did have one mild morning where I spent a half hour on a yoga mat on the patio doing some much-overdue stretching and a few sit ups.
The house came with very good concierge service which was handy for a group of eight. Olivia and her cohorts made dinner reservations for us, found a private chef, ordered pizza and came over to find the lost coffee pot.
If you are ever looking for a fancy house in Gordes for a group, it’s highly recommended except for one thing: there is no parking at the house. A cobbled street and steep climb away, there is a small, tight 6 spot public lot at the end of a very narrow walled road. Driving in was mildly nerve-wracking and there was always an issue as to whether there would be a spot. I was glad we didn’t have a car, although Dave is much more relaxed at dealing with the driving/parking issues than I am. (At home we only have one vehicle and I hardly ever drive as cycling is so much easier).
(2) We did some signature excursions.
Wine Tasting:
Our most noteworthy adventure was an all-day private wine tour to Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We toured 3 different wineries in the region and had excellent lectures from our guide, Loris. We visited Chateau La Nerthe and two smaller family run places, Clos du Calvaire and Domaine Usseglio. Chateau La Nerthe, being 500 years old, had lots of history associated with it. Fun Fact: In WWII the owner secretly walled up a room in the cellar with some of his finest vintages so that they would not fall into the hands of the occupying Nazis. He died during the war and the knowledge of the secret cache was lost with his death until the 1990’s when the secret room was discovered during renovations. For other fun facts of this nature read “Wine and War” the very readable history about the story of the French wine industry during WWII.
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A lot of wine drinking was done on that day and, to be honest, on all the others too. We shipped some wine home and hope it makes it to the US. We haven’t had great luck. There is still a case of wine we ordered in Slovenia three years ago floating around the world. Some customs agent is likely enjoying some Slovenian orange wine!
At the end of the wine tasting day we stopped to see the Chateauneuf (New Palace) located outside the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. While this castle was a long history dating back to 913 it is most known for being the castle rebuilt by the pope at the beginning of the Avignon papacy in the early 1300s. It was occupied by the Nazis and used as a munitions depot and then destroyed by the Nazis as they retreated. The only tangible reminders of the castle are two walls, but you can see them from miles around.
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Our friend Jeff who is a wine aficionado wrote a very readable but more comprehensive short article on our visit; you can find it at: https://medium.com/@JeffreyMerrick/changes-in-châteauneuf-du-pape-7b7b2079575b .
Walking:
On another day we drove to Roussillon and did a short hike around Les Sentiers des Ochres , a hiking area that focuses on the redish ochre that gives this part of Provence its distinctive beauty. Rousillon was the site of many ochre pigment mines that employed many people in the region, but now its a tourist town!
Visiting Avignon:
We visited the Papal Palace in Avignon. We just happened to visit on the day that the Conclave was going on and indeed that evening Pope Leo XIV was selected. During a dispute between 1378 and 1417 (called the Great Western Schism) the Catholic Church split due to differing political allegiances between French and Roman bishops. For that period there were competing popes in Avignon and Rome. The dispute was finally resolved in 1414 with the Council of Constance whereupon the pope and his entourage moved back to Rome. (However there were long lasting consequences caused by the dispute including a perceived lack of discipline within the Church which eventually led to the Protestant Reformation). The Papal Palace in Avignon is a remnant of that dispute. As with most of the old castles in Europe it has quite a history even apart from the Papal period, and it was used s a barracks in Napoleon’s time before falling into disrepair. The city eventually took it over and began its restoration.
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I had never been to Avignon and it showed off very well. There is an excellent market, Les Halles, and a pleasant market square, where we had lunch one day. It is touristy but there are enough regular folks going about their business that it didn’t feel too overwhelming. We also walked over to the famous bridge (Sur le pont d'Avignon . . 🎶).
It was V-E day in Europe on the day we visited and we came upon the ceremonies when we arrived at the Palace.
(3) We explored Gordes.
Gordes was a fortified town from the Eleventh Century. It fell into disrepair and decline but was rediscovered by artists and the movie industry, and beginning in the 1950’s serious renovations/rebuilding began. it has a fairy tale quality about it but it is very discovered and busy with tourists.
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(4) We rode a bit.
One day the group split up and we did our own thing. Dave and I hauled our bikes out of the house and up the cobbled streets for a 26 km bike ride. We roamed to the north through some very appealing little towns (Murs, Joncause) and enjoyed stellar views of the region.
(5) We ate and drank.
The above activities were just camouflage for what we really did - which was eat and drink. On the fancier side we had three stellar dining experiences, the first at Les Mas, a country place a few km away where we enjoyed our first night’s reunion.
On the night the pope was chosen, we dined at Carcarille and Dave and I split a “little goat” entree which was memorable. We were having drinks on the restaurant terrace before dinner and the host came out to tell us that an American Pope had been chosen.
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We also arranged to have chef Julien come in and prepare a meal at the house. We selected the menu beforehand and he did the shopping and preparation. It’s about the same cost as a fancy meal out and was an excellent change of pace.
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On the remaining nights we prepared charcuterie, cheese plates and salad and dined in with lots of wine purchased in various places over the week. I say “we” did this but actually I pretty much never enter a kitchen and it was others in our group, mostly our friends Denise and Robert, who led the charge in the kitchen for our dinners at the house.
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On the last night we celebrated three April and May birthdays in the group with pizza, some excellent wine and champagne and whatever leftovers we had in the fridge plus a ridiculous dessert selection from a famous local patisserie.
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It was a signature week but after saying good bye to close friends, we are off to new adventures.
Today's ride: 27 km (17 miles)
Total: 492 km (306 miles)
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