Day 7 - St. Remy de Provence, France to Avignon, France

Only 19 Kms separate St. Remy de Provence from Avignon but it took us a full day as we zig-zagged across Provence, trying cheeses and foie-gras. Saw a number of interesting towns: Baux de Provence, Roussillon, Gordes, Arles, Niems as well as start town St Remy de Provence and end town Avignon.

We woke up to another beautiful day. So far we have been able to miss the rain for most of the trip.

Our breakfast today was very special and so was the room where we had it. Typical Provence breakfast and the look and feel was just perfect. As a picture is worth a thousand words here are some pics to explain it better.

Our first stop today would be Baux-de-Provence which is one of the most visited towns in France and rightly so. It has a spectacular position in the Alpilles mountains, set atop a rocky outcrop crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south. It has a population of 22 ! To get there from St. Remy we have to drive up a mountain which is gorgeous and so is the approach to this town which is built right up and with no access to motorized vehicles.

As we wanted to walk the city, I asked the parking attendant if I could leave the bike close enough to him so he could keep an eye on it as we would need to leave jackets, helmets and of course the whole luggage. He agreed so Paula and I set up on foot to see the old town.

Before we left Baux, we chose a nice spot with a great view and had a glasson (ice creams) which are very popular and very tasty.

When we arrived by the bike there were a number of Italians admiring the bike (everywhere we go it seems to attract a lot of attention and opportunities for conversation). They were from Torino and highly recommended us to go past and see the city centre on the way. We do not know yet if we will make it but most probably not as we prefer to stay as close to the coast as possible before going up to Milan on Sunday, September 9.

Next stop would be Roussillon, France. Rossillon lies within the borders of the Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon. It is noted for its large ochre deposits found in the clay surrounding the village. Ochres are pigments ranging from yellow and orange to red. The village stands on an ochre ridge, situated in a broad valley with the 'Monts du Vaucluse' to the north and the 'Petit' Luberon to the south. To get there we would need to ride past the Lavender Route. There was no lavender on the fields but it was very beautiful to ride in this area.

We were able to park the bike (in general motorbike parking in France is well catered for and free) and chose a restaurant that we could have a good view of the surrounding fields as well as of the motorbike. We had foie-gras which was very good. It is true that you can eat very well in France.

 

Next stop was Gordes, France. This village (like Beaux and Roussillon) can boast about being amongst one of the most beautiful villages in France. It has narrow cobbled streets which thread their way through tall houses; built against the rock, clinging onto its flanks and whispering the tales of a thousand legends.

Gordes is also proud of its castle firmly planted in its very core and which reminds the passer-by of a past rich with conquests but also marked with the sufferings of its inhabitants. Today, the castle acts as both a Town Hall and a Museum sheltering the works of art of the painter Pol Mara.

We were starting to warm up to Provence. It is a beautiful area in general but Vaucluse department is the one that we felt was closest to our imagination. If you are ever in France and are able to visit the Provence area then make sure you visit the Vaucluse area and drive around in the Parc Naturel Regional du Luberon.

Next stop was Nimes, France. Reading in Fodor's Provence and & The French Riviera they mentioned Nimes as the Rome of France. As we did not have much time we stopped and had a crepe at the Jardin de La Fonteine and also visited the Temple de Diana.

It was getting dark and we still had some way to go to Avignon, France where we would be spending the night and then walk the old city in the morning and see the Palais des Papes, so we got on the bike and made our way to Avignon.

We still tried to see the Port de Guard but when we arrived it was already too late so we gave it a miss. Later on when we asked about it we found out we could not get there by bike and would have to walk.

We did still have some time and light to see the river Gardon.

We arrived in Avignon in full darkness and approach into the city was tricky as there was a lot of construction and signaling was not the best.

By the time we got to the hotel the room service had closed. We have found that the French are very particular at what time they have lunch and dinner and if you arrive outside these times it is not easy to eat where you want to. That evening our dinner was bars and tap water ...

Click HERE for all the pictures of Day 7

 

 

Posted by Armando