Itinerary:
Day 1 - Saturday - Arrive in
Avignon - transfer to
the hotel in Villeneuve Les Avignon. Most people arrive in Avignon
by TGV from Paris. Our first night is spent at the Residence les
Cedres.
Day 2 - Sunday- Cycling Through Chateauneuf du Pape - This
is a fairly easy day - nice and flat as far as Chateauneuf du Pape
where we'll taste the renowned wines at Domaine de la Solitude.
This afternoon we pass over the hill where the best vines are
grown and follow quiet roads into Orange. This
was originally a retirement town for retired Roman soldiers, and
today boasts a truly spectacular Roman Theatre - we'll visit
before dinner. We'll also have a look at the huge triumphal arch
that dates back to the reign of Augustus. The Theatre and the Arch
together are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
27
miles / 44 Km
Day 3 - Monday - Uzes -
Today we cross the mighty Rhone. We're on our way to the beautiful
medieval town of Uzes, following tiny back roads that take us past
Tavel, home of the best rose wines in France. Tonight we stay at
the Hotel St Genies just outside Uzes. Tonight we eat
gourmet-style at the Taverne in Uzes' 'Old Town' 31
miles / 50 Km
Day 4 - Tuesday - The Pont du
Gard. We see the spectacular Pont du Gard, an ancient
Roman aqueduct and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge
was built by the Romans to carry water across the River Gardon to
carry water to Nîmes. Next to
the aqueduct is a rather lovely gift, a stand of three olive
trees, each more than 1,000 years old, donated by the Spanish
government.
This afternoon we arrive in
Beaucaire on the banks of the river Rhone. Beaucaire
is a port, facing Tarascon on the opposite bank. Tonight we're at
the Hotel Les Doctrinaires. We ate beautifully last night -
tonight is better. 33
miles / 53 Km
Day 5 - Wednesday - Les Baux de
Provence, St Remy en Provence and the Alpilles. Over the Rhone
this morning, and back into Provence. After a coffee stop in
Fontvielle, we're off into the hills! A
longish climb into the Alpilles beings us to Les Baux de Provence,
a fascinating, ruined fortress. Ruled over for centuries by
(alleged) descendants of Balthazar, one of the biblical 3 Kings ,
this fortress was able to wreak havoc throughout Provence and as
far afield as Toulouse. Eventually it became part of France, but
following a rebellion was destroyed by none other than Cardinal
Richelieu of Three Musketeers fame.
Ten years later it was given to
Monaco (the current Marquise of Les Baux is Princess Caroline of
Monaco) and in the 19th century was the site for the discovery of
aluminium ore, hence 'bauxite'.
Astonishingly, Les Baux became such
a backwater that it effectively disappeared. Rediscovered after
World War II, it's been excavated and restored to what we see
today. Les Baux is fascinating and has some of the best views you
could possibly imagine.
Les Baux de Provence is also one of
the most recent wine regions to be awarded 'Appelation d'Origine
Controllee' status, so we'll stop at Domaine Mas de la Dame for a
tasting before tackling our final hill of the day which takes us
over the top of the Alpilles and down into St Remy.
On the way, we pass Glanum, a
ruined Roman town that was inundated by scree falling from the
Alpilles over many centuries. It has a huge triumphal arch and
mausoleum at one end of the town, and these have always been
visible. But not until 1921 did anyone realise that a whole town
was buried just yards away.
Right next door to Glanum is the
Saint-Paul-de-Mausole Asylum where Van Gogh did much of his
painting. Now, there are information points showing where he
painted many of his most famous works.
Finally, the downhill run into St
Remy and the Hotel Castelet des Alpilles. Although today is just
over 40 Km, it's a long and wonderful day. We'll have earned our
dinner tonight at Le Jardin de Frédéric. 27
miles / 44 Km
Day 6 - Thursday -
The Lubéron! Today
we leave St Rémy, following the spectacular silhouette of the
Alpilles as far as Eygalieres, then through Cavaillon to the Lubéron
Hills. This was the region where Peter Mayle set his book "Year
in Provence", and although it's a bit hilly, we'll cycle
through the classic Provencale villages of Robion, Maubec and Ménérbes.
The highlight is the tiny village of Oppede le Vieux. The
Lubéron are the reason many people visit Provence. This afternoon
is hilly as we cycle through forests and sleepy villages to
Rousillon where we spend tonight. Rousillon
is famous for its ochre cliffs and also for its amazing panoramic
views. It's a long climb into Rousillon, so that cold beer gazing
is very well-earned. 39
miles / 63 Km
Day 7 - Friday - Return to
Avignon. We start with a fantastic downhill but then
there is another climb into Gordes. Worth it though, a very pretty
village with spectacular views before we head off on back roads to
the Fontaine de Vaucluse. This
extraordinary resurgent spring, is the source of the River Sorgue,
and we follow the Sorgue valley through to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
This sleepy town, built around the many channels carved out by the
Sorgue, has become famous as France's leading antiques market.
It's a beautiful town, and we have lunch here.
After lunch we do our best to follow quiet roads into Avignon,
where we can enjoy a cold drink gazing across the square at the
enormous Palais des Papes. In
the 14th Century, fleeing chaotic violence in Rome, Pope Clement V
moved to Avignon, which became the base for a total of 7 popes.
One of these, Benedict XII, supervised the completion of the
largest gothic building in France, the vast, fortified Papal
palace. If we get into Avignon in good time we can have a look
round, but in fact the most spectacular aspect of the palace is to
view it from the outside and marvel at the sheer size of the
thing.
After we leave Avignon, we cross
the Rhone for the last time and climb the short hill back to
Villeneuve les Avignon and the Residence les Cedres..
40
miles / 65 Km |
