The Plan - The Grand Tour - 2023 - CycleBlaze

The Plan

Where, When and with Whom

 This pot has been simmering on the back burner for quite a while, since the end of last summer I think. By now the carefully chosen ingredients should have blended to make a tasty dish.  Here is what we cooked up, a six-week tour anchored around a couple of Cycleblazers meet ups. As we get older, it seems our plans get more ambitious. At least for us, six weeks on the road is ambitious.

Susan Carpenter and I wanted to tour together again some time during her three month stay in Europe. Having read the Andersons'  2022 journals on the Provence and especially the Luberon, and since Susan's headquarters will be in Paris, France made a lot of sense to me, and Janos as well. The three of us will meet in Arles and cycle together for about a week before we go our own ways.

Susan starts her three months with a tour in Morocco.
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 As long as we are in southern France, a fairly long drive from Munich, we want to make the most of our time here. For quite a while I've wanted to visit Durfort again, a village about 65 km southeast of Toulouse. This will be a sentimental journey. The little village of Durfort, for centuries a center for copper work, is where my sister Gwen fell in love with a house, then more a ruin than a house, but she had a vision. She saw the potential of the setting and the old stone walls. In front of the house a tiny stream runs down the center of the street, behind the house a larger stream rushes its way down from the mountains. In the course of several years she transformed what was a pile of stones into a charming house in beautiful surroundings. We visited her often and got to know her friends. Actually, my first long tour with Janos was from Munich to Durfort in 2006. Here is my journal

Janos and me in 2006 - Just a few more kilometers on a steep, windy road and we are at my sister's in Durfort
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Gwen died of a brain tumor seven years later. I'm so glad we have those memories from our times together at her house. It is now ten years since Gwen passed away and we haven't visited Durfort since then. Now seemed to be the right time. We'll spend a few days in Durfort renewing old acquaintances and then ride a loop from there and back to the car. 

Time to embark on the second part of our six weeks away from home, cycling in Italy. We will drive to Padua, leave the car there and slowly wend our way to Riva for the next Cycleblaze meet-up.  Rachael and Scott Anderson will be in northern Italy in June and we have managed - no, Scott has managed  - to plan an itinerary that will allow us to cycle a fantastic route together. 

Rachael and Scott to the left, with Jacquie and Al, as they embark on their three months in Italy.
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Rachel and Patrick HugensGreat that you have the cycleblaze rendezvous with the Anderson's
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11 months ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Rachel and Patrick HugensI agree!
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11 months ago

Loops, southern France, northern Italy, a couple of days here, a week or so there - that all sounds rather vague. But although not written in stone, we have concrete plans, routes, and hotel bookings for the entire trip. As usual we have only made bookings that can be cancelled without charge - which we hope won't be necessary. But we know from experience there can be unforseen events and acts beyond our control, the primary antagonists being bad weather and illness. The best laid plans etc. So, che sarà sarà.

We will meet Susan in Arles on April 30.  From there... well, we have to leave a few surprises, so I'm not outlining the complete itinerary that Susan created, but it looks like it's going to be a stunning ride, including some layover days for local cycling. After a week our ways will part. From Carpentras Susan will head for the Gorges d'Ardèche and then to Paris while we cycle back to Arles where we left the car. From there it's not a long drive to Durfort where we will spend three days before setting out on an eleven-day loop to the north and then west and back to Durfort. 

From Durfort a two-day drive will take us to Padua where we can again abandon the car, thank goodness. A leisurely nine days with plenty of time for the cities along the way and we will arrive in Riva where we are meeting Rachael and Scott on June 4. I think these will be another terrific five days before we reach Padua. Rachael and Scott will then head for Bologna and their flight home while we have a 500-km drive back to good old Gauting.

Here is a link to the "collection", as it's called in Komoot, of all our planned routes in France. At the top you'll see a picture I stole from Scott's journal and when you scroll down, you'll see the individual days as well as some possible loops or out-and-backs. These aren't necessarily the final versions of the routes, but close.

Our rides with Susan
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Our rides starting in Durfort
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I also have a collection of our rides in Italy

The big picture of our ride from Padua to Riva at the north tip of Lake Garda, and from Riva with Rachael and Scott back to Padua.
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I am not at all sure I am going to be able to post my journal while we are on the road. I love to share our adventures in real time and to get feedback while we are traveling but I know from experience that I'm tired at night and in the morning I'm eager to get going. I used to journal when underway, but things change over the years. So instead of having an unwritten journal hanging over my head, I will most likely go for the compromise of carefree evenings and having to write up our tour when we are back home. Or maybe I'll surprise you and myself and write. Whatever,  I promise to make notes every day to support my unreliable memory.

Not written in stone, but published in CyleBlaze - a first step.

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Comment on this entry Comment 16
Susan CarpenterOh, what an adventure! I’m so delighted to be a part of it. So looking forward to seeing you and Janos in Arles.
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1 year ago
Patrick O'HaraLooking forward to following along!
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1 year ago
david alstonHowever you do the journal, we are looking forward to your trip. Arles and the Luberon will certainly bring back memories. Hopefully your careful planning will bring you the luck deserve. Can't wait to follow along.

David and Maun
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Susan CarpenterCan't wait!!
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Patrick O'HaraThanks! Some will be familiar to you.
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo david alstonDavid and Maun, thanks for following! We're hoping for some good luck to help us along!
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1 year ago
Kathleen JonesI am of course quite envious but I’m also happy you are doing such a wonderful series of tours. I look forward to reading all about it.
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Kathleen JonesThanks, Kathleen!
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1 year ago
Tricia GrahamWhat a wonderful plan we so look for to following your trip. At long last I hope that we too will get back to cycle touring Fly to Budapest in early July take a river cruise to Amsterdam. From there a train to Bremen where we will buy bikes and by various means cycle to Lyon then home. Rather ambitious particularly as my walking is extremely limited and I can only walk with two sticks however biking not a problem. If things get too difficult we can always pull the pin and fly home. Am so looking forward to it
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Tricia GrahamSounds like you have a wonderful trip planned! At last more European cycling for you. You have had to wait so long!
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1 year ago
Rich FrasierI'm looking forward to following along, however you do the journal! I'm hoping for some drone videos, too. I really like those!
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonThis is so exciting, Suzanne! I’m excited for the two of you, and honored that the two of us will be a part of it. It’s going to be a fantastic spring.
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Rich FrasierThanks, Rich! Janos will be doing some drone shots for sure, and posting them in a journal of his own.
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonTo Scott AndersonThe honor is ours, seriously. We feel fortunate that we get the chance to cycle with the likes of you, Rachael and Susan.
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1 year ago
Nancy GrahamI am so thrilled that you will be doing such a beautifully planned tour. Some of it might bring back a little memory of a tour I did years ago in Provence. The only towns I can think of off the top are Arles (where we started and ended), Avignon and Les Beaux (sp?), but many beautiful towns in between.

You do your blogging anyway that works for you, and we all will be happy to read and drool over it. Thanks for taking us along.
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1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonThanks, Nancy! Arles, Avignon, Les Beaux - that must have been a great tour! Maybe you will recognize some of the places you visited.
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1 year ago