Tuesday was our one and only transfer day from Dordogne to Provence. It was a six hour drive which started out in rainy conditions south to Toulouse and part way east. The speed limit on the expressways is reduced from 130 KM per hour to 110 (~70 MPH) due to the weather conditions.
After a coffee stop and lunch break at the fabulous rest stops we exited the highway near Orange for the last 20+ KM to the house. It took a few minutes to locate the place but the owner was able to track us down and lead the way. After such a grueling day we decided to forgo a big shop and went to the local market boulangerie and rely on the left over food we brought with us.
Transfer days are tough. After removing the wheels and loading the bikes into the car, along with all the stuff we brought and acquired since arrival we were good to go. We do the opposite on the other end after a tiring drive. Hopefully this will be the last time we transfer locations on our France biking adventures. Next year we are limited to four weeks away so planting ourselves in Castelnaud will be our preferred choice.
Instead of foregoing our Wednesday ride for a trip to the mega market we set out on an ambitious route both in distance and climbing. With the wheels on and tires pumped -we were ready to go.
We are based in this premier wine region of Cote du Rhone nestled between the Rhone river and edge of the alps like Mount Ventoux. We came for the biking but most tourists are here for this less famous wine region (Burgundy and Bordeaux are better known).with vineyards stretching in every direction.
Like many of the locations we visited this one belongs to the exclusive club of "Beaux Villages" - the most beautiful villages of France.
Decorating roundabouts with elaborate sculptures and colorful flowers is a source of local pride. As Eagle County adds more to our local roadways hopefully this custom will be adopted as well. Actually there are some already.
Now that we have left the hilltop town of Sablet we circled around some vineyards before heading up the steepest grades we will encounter - topping out at almost 12%.
Unlike the remnants dating back to the 12th century in the Dordogne this area boasts the presence of the earlier inhabitants from Rome.
We were not sure where we were on our route so we parked ourselves on this pedestrian mall outside of this gem of a find...
The outside looking in appeared to be a great find...
But the inside was pure nirvana....
From every direction.
Too early in the ride for coffee and pastry so just a bite or two of bread for refueling.
You have to admit that the Romans left behind some extraordinary artifacts.
You can not stop wondering how all this got built with nothing but manual labor, but slave labor uses the power of numbers.
The locals have added modern conveyances to what their ancient Romans left behind.
Which got us on our way to the town of Malaucene at the base of Mount Ventoux.
This town is the start of one of the three ascents up Mount Ventoux, and Mecca for cyclists from everywhere preparing for their climb to the top. On our previous visit we started our ride up from Sault. The third basecamp is the town of Bedoin which will come later in our stay.
It was market day so a stroll through town was in order and late enough to consider the obligatory coffee stop.
On the way out of town and down the hill we stopped for a selfie at the rock sign where we took a similar photo back in 2016.
It was fun to revisit this spot and reminisce about the great time we had back then.
As it was getting late we relaxed along the final legs of our route back in the low lands meandering through small towns and more vineyards than we could count.
A symbolic sculpture depicting two hands harvesting grapes in the roundabout along the D7 back home.
One of the many towns boasting the many wineries that make this area a preferred wine region.
Here is the list of wineries that call this town home.
Finally a sign confirming the short distance (6 KM) we have yet to go on this long and challenging ride.
And a sign on the hillside proclaiming this town's pride in all its wines.
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