Ventoux Cycle Day 4: 113 Kms Hilltop Villages and back to Avignon

2 AUGUST 2013

After a nice breakfast on Hélène's patio, shaded by grape vines, I left for a morning ride, planning to return to Robion to collect my bag, and then set off back to Avignon. So I started off eastwards along the Luberon bike route, which goes as far as Apt, signposted all the way along quiet lanes, but with a few steep hills thrown in. From Robion, the route passes all the pretty hilltop villages - Maubec, Opéde-le-Vieux, Ménerbes, Lacoste and on to Bonnieux. I stopped in Bonnieux to sit on a Café terrace looking out over the Luberon, with of course Mt Ventoux still visible in the distance. At Bonnieux, as if I hadn't had enough climbing, I noticed on the map a forest path up to the top of the Luberon mountain above Bonnieux. So I set off and reached the top but only after a climb of 400 vertical metres to a height of 700m. I then came back down to Bonnieux, and retraced my steps exactly all the way back to Robion, a round trip of 67Kms. I made straight for the Café de la Poste for a lovely lunch on the terrace and then Hélène arrived with my bag. As I sat, I watched the local men gathering at the Café, greeting each other with three kisses on the cheeks, and rattling their balls noisily. Once they had all gathered for a drink or two, they set off across the square for an afternoon game of 'boules', the famous french game using small steel balls. I eventually dragged myself away from the comfort of the Café to cycle back to Avignon, another 45 Kms, not especially memorable as the roads were quite busy, but I had my bag to carry, so I chose to take the shortest rather than the most picturesque route. I managed to find the real suburbs of Avignon which was heavy going, and I wasn't back at my hotel by the TGV station until 7pm.