St. Rémy - Bonnieux - The Grand Tour - 2023

May 2, 2023

St. Rémy - Bonnieux

We're in for the mistral, a strong wind from the north and we are heading more or less northeast. Not an encouraging prospect for the day. But the beginning is easier than I expect. Although the wind is challenging and my shoulders are soon tired from gripping the handlebars, the road kind of zigzags and we change direction often enough to get respite from the wind. Many hedges and rows of trees also offer us protection. Susan's and my gpx routes aren't the same in all details and we lose each other for a while. Susan is in tremendous shape from her mountainous rides in Morocco and Spain. Our super strong, and heavy, e-bikes are no match. We pass her at some point where she is taking a break and don't realize it, I am so concentrated on battling the wind. She catches up with us before we cross the bridge over the Durance which the three of walk. The wind gusts on the bridge are scary although there is a separate lane for cyclists.

Looking to where we rode across yesterday

This is not the bridge over the Durance, just a picture op.

We are now in Cavaillon and it feels like time for lunch. Today we have baguettes with us, and some pastry that we picked up before we left St. Rémy. Before we get to even look for a nice spot to sit down we have a bit of a struggle figuring out the best way to navigate the round abouts and circles and intersections after crossing the bridge. The wind, the traffic, the difficulty finding the best road all led to a small casualty. Susan took a tumble and scraped her knee badly. Janos retrieved her bike from the road, I stood guard next to her until she was able to get back on her feet, shaken and sore but nothing broken and no large gashes.

We were basically exiting a large parking lot and see no pleasant picnic spots close by. But we need to rest and so we make do with the base of a street lamp as a bench, just around the corner in a shady side street.

Fortified and ready to resume our ride, Janos finds us a quiet route around the center of Cavaillon and leads us to the continuation of the bicycle route. The best part of the ride is coming up.

Beautiful villages are on our route today, all with narrow cobbled roads leading up to them - Opède-le-Vieux, Ménerbes, and the crowning finish our overnight destination of Bonnieux. We are now ahead of Susan. Our e-bikes are doing what they can do best, and that is climbing. And we have plenty of climbs, some short steep ones, some not so steep but protracted.

Our gps's aren't too accurate showing the way to the hotel. We take some steep little alleys until I have to stop to decide right or left. Once I stop, I can pedal no more. And I can't even push the last meters. Janos to the rescue. I am hoping desparately that we won't be asked to carry our bikes up some stairs when we get to the top or at the hotel. What a relief when we find the hotel César Panoramique, and panoramique it was!, and they have a garage for our bikes. At that moment it feels like that is the highlight of the day - only briefly but you get the idea. The last few meters were excruciating.

We have a room with a large balcony overlooking the valley and a view to Mont Ventoux. I am thrilled.

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Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 86 km (53 miles)

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