It's over and done with

Packed up the tent for the last time on Saturday morning and had a leisurely half hour cycle into Nice Airport, packed up the bikes and had a trouble free journey back to Glasgow via Gatwick with all of our remaining luggage, including the bikes, coming off the baggage carousel iat Glasgow in jig time.

It has been another great trip, the shorter distances certainly allowed us more time to see the sights, however many of the days were still pretty hard work due to the hills, heat and wind, our total distance for the trip was 420 miles with over 30,000 ft  of climbing.

http://www.strava.com/routes/959874

Once again we found many of the rural areas more interesting and welcoming than the major tourist attractions such as Avignon, Cannes and Monaco.  These latter places were all well worth visiting but, for us, they are not the highlights of the trip. For me the highlight was the Pont du Gard, the sheer scale and precision of the engineering and surveying required to build that aqueduct 2000 years ago is breathtaking.  For Sandra the highlight was Mont Ventoux and I have to agree that it was pretty special climbing that huge mountain with all the cycling history that surrounds it.

Our missing bags were delivered safe and  well tonight so that just leaves one remaining issue to resolve....

Where next?

Day 13 Nice to Monaco

Set off this morning with the first ten miles or so along the flat promenade through Nice along with hundreds of other cyclists, joggers, roller bladers and swimmers all out for their morning workout.

After Nice the lower coastal route to Monaco got much hillier as it wound up and down throughout the various resorts along the way.  All the way along there were villas clinging to the steep rock faces that seem to come straight up from the sea, and super yachts dotted all along the coastline.  

Monaco itself was interesting to see but but definitely not worth spending much time in (unless your accountant recommends it!).  As you'd expect there were Ferraris and Aston Martons Lined up one after the other but we would far rather have been having a quiet lunch in the shade in one of the many wee villages we passed through in the hills. Those places seemed far more real and friendly.

We decided to cheat a bit and take the train back as far as Nice, it is certainly a hell of a lot easier to take bikes on trains in France than it is in Britain,then checked out the Airport and printed our boarding passes on our way back to the campsite ready for the off tomorrow.

http://www.strava.com/routes/944079

Day 12 Cannes to Nice

Easy day today.  Started off with five miles into the old port of Cannes where we had a wander round the Cannes Boat Show. 

It was certainly worth seeing but the oppulance and number of salesmen in chinos was a bit overpowering, fortunately they had nothing in our size!

Cannes itself was heaving with thousands of day trippers off the cruise ships in the bay and it was quite a relief to jump on the bikes and head on towards nice.

The roads were fairly busy but had decent cycle lanes so we had a good run into Cannes Sur Mer on the outskirts of Nice and arrived at our campsite early in the afternoon so had a leisurely afternoon lazing about the beach

Today's route http://www.strava.com/routes/947428

Day 11 Roquebrune to Cannes

Lots of trepidation this morning wondering how we were going to cycle to Cannes.  Google maps was recommending going back onto the busy main rad we had ended up on yesterday then going away inland through the hills.  The coastal road was shown as a red main road on our map so didn't look too appealing.  We were considering taking the train, but then I found a blog suggesting that the coastal route was fine for bikes.  We asked for advice at the campsite reception, they just looked at us as if we were daft and suggested the coastal route should be OK.

So off we set, the road out of Roquebrune was good with a reasonable cycle lane, we then fought our way through busy traffic through Frejus.  However when we eventually got onto the coastal road, the Corniche d'Esteral (sounds posh eh?!) it was breathtaking scenery all the way with only moderate traffic but plenty of hills

We're now sitting just outside Cannes with millions of pounds worth of boats lying in the harbour and private jets buzzing in and out of the local aerodrome.

We cycled about 33 miles and 2500ft of climbing today http://www.strava.com/routes/928662

Day 10 Aups to Roquebrune sur Argens

Great start to the day with a six mile descent south to Salernes, then a bit of a climb before another good descent to Lorgues where there was a huge market in full swing.  This necessitated the purchase  of another pair of pantaloons ( that's troosers Douglas) for Sandra to pack into her single wardrobe, I mean pannier

Onwards through Taradeau for lunch of a huge sandwich consumed in the shade of the old village wash house.

We then did quite well following the backroads and vineyards through Les Arcs to Le Muy where we eventually, and probably inevatabely got lost and ended up n the really busy DN7 for about 5 miles. However we have ended up at a really good campsite at Roquebrune sur Argens which looks like it has a great wee restaurant overlooking the river which we will try out shortly.

It has been really hot again today, over 30 degrees, and a good bit more humid than last week.  We have done about 37 miles today and although it was predominantly downhill, we still seem to have managed 1800 ft of climbing.http://www.strava.com/routes/924723

  For the last couple of days there have been huge thunderclouds building up all around us in the afternoons with plenty of claps of thunder but so far we've avoided any rain. Let's hope that continues!

Day 9 Ginasservis to Aups

Fairly straightforward run this morning to Aups, nice back roads to La Verdiere then fairly boring roads lined by oak woods again through Montmeyon and  Regusse.  Aups is a beautiful ancient wee town and we arrived in plenty of time for a leisurely lunch before setting up camp and just chilling out for the afternoon.  http://www.strava.com/routes/919326

Day 8 Bonnieux to Ginasservis

A great start to the morning with a fairly easy climb of about a mile from Bonniex over the Luberon hills then a great descent on a twisty wee road for about six miles down to Lourmarin.

Then climbing for a bit to the village of Cucuron for a snack in the shade.

After the heat and hills of yesterday we have decided to amend our route yet again.  We had originally intended to go through the Gorge de Verdon, however that would have involved a few long days with big climbs and it is just too hot for big climbs in the afternoon.  So we have decided on a shorter route south of the gorge. We headed south east through La Tour d'Aigues and got briefly lost in Mirabeau proving that we can get lost in the smallest of villages as well as major towns.  The roads so far had been very pleasant with a couple of decent climbs, however the last 8 miles to Ginasservis were really hard going, it was pretty much uphill all the way, the temperature must have been well into the 30s and the road wound through scrub oak woods which gave no shade but also gave no views apart from brief glimpses of the nuclear power station.

We ended up cycling on for about 46 miles today, wth over 4000 ft of climbing, so  much for taking it easy! Here's our approximate route http://www.strava.com/routes/919272

Ginasservis is a bit of a one horse town, the warden at the campsite had told us there were 2  restaurants in town, one was expensive and not as good as it used to be and the other was cheaper but the food was a bit greasy, however on our way into town for dinner we stumbled across the local boules championship which had a barbecue going so we ended up with Meguez sausage sandwiches and chips washed down with Rose wine at 1euro per glass ( well plastic tumbler actually), the locals also came round regularly with free top ups of the wine. When one of the girls behind the bar heard we were Scottish she announced that her cousin lives in Kirkintilloch ( but she didn't know Manny Gorman)

The night was rounded off by a natural fireworks display as lightning flashed around inside a huge thundercloud which had formed a few miles away.

A great night out for 12 euros!

Day 7 Fontaine de Vaucluse to Bonnieux

Today started off with a pretty stiff climb out of Fontaines de Vaucluse  and that was the way the day was set to continue.  We next climbed up to Gordes which is a really picturesque hilltop town which looks as though it has been unchanged in centuries. ( check out the balconies on the building in the left foreground!)

However Gordes was apparently deserted and in ruins until around 1950 when various artists moved in and started to renovate it.

We then set off to Roussillon, another hilltop town for lunch.

By this time it was getting pretty hot so we decided to call a halt after about 25 miles at Bonnieux , yet another hilltop town! 

I'm still having problems with my phone shutting down on me so only recorded part of today's route.http://www.strava.com/activities/190598064

We've also had a message tonight from Marseille airport that our missing panniers have turned up, however the logistics of getting them them delivered to us is a lot of hassle as we are never certain wher we will end up each day so we have ( hopefully!!) arranged for them to be sent home to us.

We'll see if they ever turn up 

Here's today's full route http://www.strava.com/routes/947403

Day 6 Bedouin to Fontaines de Vaucluse

GA few spots of rain when we got up this morning, our start was delayed for quite a while as we chatted to a solo cycle tourist who seemed to have been col bagging through the alps.

We eventually set off and followed quiet back roads through the hilltop villages of Vanosque

and Le Beaucet.  

There was quite a lot of climbing this morning and the sun soon came out making it pretty hot but we eventually had a great descent to Fontaine de Vaucluse.  This is a lovely wee village where the river Sorgue suddenly erupts from nowhere out of the surrounding limestone cliffs. 

We spent a leisurely afternoon wandering around here then found a campsite a couple of kilometres away where we had a swim in the pool, a couple of jugs of wine, then cycled back into the village for dinner. Sorted!

Here's a link to today's route http://www.strava.com/activities/190136524

And hopefully I've managed to add some photos to earlier posts

Day 5 Mont Ventoux

Been there, done that, got the T shirts!

Set off this morning without panniers, tent etc to do a wee bonus loop up Mont Ventoux, about 14 miles uphill all the way 5400ft to the top. http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?qryMountainID=4

The first couple of miles were a fairly steady gradient of about 4-5% then it ramped up to about 10% relentlessly (no flat bits) for the next 7 miles until we reached chalet Reynard where we stopped for a break. It was a bit easier after that for the next 2.5 miles until the la last 1. 5 miles which got really steep and eventually got us into our lowest gear.  

The climb was tough, Sandra loved it, I'm not so sure how enjoyable the climb was but the whole experience up and down was certainly fantastic. The descent was brilliant, there are very few hairpin bends so you can easily keep up 30-40 mph without pedalling.  We had to stop off at. Chalet Reynard again to buy some cycling tops. Sandra went for the pink outfit and was almost going to buy the matching shorts, fortunately she didn't or I would have had to buy a blue chauffeur's hat and said "yes m'lady" for the rest of the trip! The only mishap on the descent was when a big bitey beastey flew down Sandra's cleavage and allegedly started stinging. I couldn't help for laughing and taking photos. (Hopefully to be posted later)

I've been having problems with my phone throughout the trip and was really dissapointed that I couldn't record today's route on Strava. But I might have fixed that tonight.  I also might be getting the hang of posting photos, I've added a couple to the first few posts and will try to add some more later.

Today's route http://www.strava.com/routes/924829

Day 4 Avignon to Bedoin

Thankfully the wind has dropped dramatically today so the going was a lot easier although hotter. We had a straightforward run out of Avignon which is pretty unusual for us leaving a big town. Stopped off for elevenses at an excellent wee bakery in Pernes les Fontaines then onwards along a network of backroads to Carpentras for lunch. 

Carpentras was a bit of a disappointment, but not as much as the bakery we went to for lunch, it must have been about the worst in France.  The Boulongiere should have been frog marched to the town square and guillotined as a disgrace to his nation!

Anyway.... We've arrived at Bedoin, at the foot of Mont Ventoux, the campsite is brilliant with a good swimming pool and fabulous restaurant.

 The village has a great atmosphere and is full of cyclists.

Mont Ventoux looks awfy big!!!

Here's a link to today's route http://www.strava.com/activities/189229812

Day 3 Remoulins to Avignon

The first few miles out of Remoulins weren't very pleasant, quite a busy main road, but the main problem was the wind.  Fortunately it was blowing from our left so it was generally trying to blow us off the road rather than into the centre of the traffic, but some of the gusts caused us to wobble severely! The other concern was whether some of the high sided lorries would blow over on top of us, it was really that windy.

However we soon got off on to some really quiet side roads through the vineyards where there was some harvesting going on using machines like combine harvesters. Only got slightly lost once when we went the wrong way up a dirt track.

Onwards to Avignon stopping off at a bike shop on the outskirts to buy some oil for our chains plus a lightweight jacket for me since these items were in the panniers which are still missing, probably never to be seen again!

Avignon is quite a spectacular town, we had a trip round the Palace des Papes but to be honest it is far more impressive from the outside than within.

Tomorrow we are planning on going to Bedoin with the intention of having a go at Mont Ventoux the following day, however with the wind as strong as it is at low levels it is hard to imagine what it must be like over 5000 ft up!!

Today's route http://www.strava.com/routes/947239

Day 2- St Remy to Pont du Gard

It was blowing a Hooley all night and if anything has picked up during the day, from the north of course which is the direction we have been travelling most of the day.

Set off fairly early and had breakfast at Maillane, then set off following the quiet back roads to the abbey de St Michel de Frigolet.  

Some of the back roads were unmarked dirt tracks and were quite difficult to find resulting in a wee bit of doubling back to find them.  The Abbey, like most abbeys was quite pretty but not much buzz about it, so we soon set off (on the wrong road) down to Brabentine then backtrack to Aramon for a bite to eat.

The wind was so strong when we were crossing the bridge over the Rhone that we had to get off the bikes and walk to save getting blown all over the road.

Then onwards to the Pont du Gard, which is an amazing Roman  aqueduct built 2000 years ago. we're having problems posting photos at the moment but we will hopefully get some on soon.

With any luck this link will show today's route

Day 1 Arles to St Remy de Provence

No sign of the bags this morning so we just packed up what we have and set off for St Remy de Provence. 
We had a short stop to sort out some local cyclist who had broken his chain then headed up over the Alpiles where we spent a couple of hours looking round the castle at Baux de Provence.

Then down the other side of the Alpiles and in to St Remy for an excellent meal at a wee restaurant called Le Forge, but not before Sandra managed to buy her third dress in 2 days!
A short day cycling today, only about 21 miles which on top of the 12 we did yesterday makes about 33 in total. 
Having missed a days biking yesterday we'll need to rejig our route for the next few days.

Today's route http://www.strava.com/routes/947204

The bikes have turned up!

Unfortunately no sign of our panniers yet.

Back into the airport this morning to find the bikes had arrived safe and well. However there is still no sign of our other panniers.  We each still have one missing.  I should be ok as long as the weather stays good as it is mainly my bad weather gear which is missing along with our stove and cooking gear ( I didn't think there was much chance of us doing much cooking anyway) Sandra on the other hand is missing a fair bit of stuff including some clothes, her biking shoes  and, apparently most important, her makeup!

Anyway, we got the train into Arles today. This had always been our plan since the roads around Marseilles airport look pretty dodgy for cycling.  There was a fantastic market in Arles when we arrived and we spent the afternoon shopping for essentials such as toiletries, puncture repair kits and dresses ( I didn't bother with a new dress for myself).  We also made a few unsuccessful calls to try to track down our bags.

This evening we went back into Arles for a wander round the old part of town and ended up in their Arena, a mini Coloseum, for a "Roman Spectaculaire" which was pretty cheesy apart from the short course chariot racing which was quite impressive.

Tomorrow we'll try to call and see if there is any info on the missing bags, but if not we'll just hit the road with what we have.