cycling in the Alpilles

 Getting paid to cycle all day in the Provençal countryside isn't a bad deal really, and a welcome change from all the time I've been spending in the office lately.

Yesterday's reconnaissance took me some 80km through a countryside of olive groves windswept fields, while a moderate Mistral wind -- about 30km/h or so -- which was helpful at the start, but had me cycling directly into a headwind for the last two hours or so.

Below is the Oustau de Baumanière 5* hotel, nestled under the village of Les Baux de Provence. I was here to put together a new cycling itinerary staying in luxury accommodation:   Cycling in Luxury 

Below Les Baux to the south I cycled along tracks and back roads under a beautiful winter sky, in close to 15°C weather.

Someone should inform the Spanish broom that it isn't quite yet springtime:

But the mimosa is right on time:

At the end of my ride, climbing atop the pass and above the village of Les Baux de Provence, with the setting sun highlighting the 1000 year-old medieval buildings.

Vines in the winter

Vines hidden in the countryside in between Gigondas and Sablet. I was here yesterday, rewriting a paragraph of the Roadbook of Walk Inn's holiday: Under the Silhouette of Mont Ventoux. You'll see in the photograph that the vines have been recently pruned, a very important step in the winter to limit the yield for the following September  

We have had more than stellar reviews of our Roadbook for this particular holiday but needed to tweak one small section, where some of our guests became confused in orienteering. We take every tweak seriously, and  for me it's a wonderful excuse to get out of my winter-hibernation-phase-in-the-office and get out on the trails.    

David and Wendy's trip in the Alpilles Mountains

The following are pictures taken by David and Wendy during their Alpilles trip with us in 2011, and were kind enough to share them with us. For more information about the trip, click on the link below:  

A Walk Through Van Gogh's Provence

Walk through Van Gogh’s Provence

David & Wendy, Tasmania

May 2011

Our second trip with Walkinn.  The accommodation, breakfasts and dinners were as expected.  The hotel at Les Baux, Le Mas d'Aigret, was quite special.  Our room had french doors onto a terrace where we could relax under an olive tree, and the restaurant served exquisite food.  The walk itself was not as varied as our Luberon walk last year.  The highlight was the first day up on the ridge line (do the extension walk – it is tough in places but well worth it).  St Remy is a beautiful town and we were fortunate to be there on market day.  Les Antiques and Glanum just outside the town were a delightful discovery and along with St Paul de Mausole deserve a separate visit on your first afternoon rather than just a quick look passing next day on the walk.  Les Baux is a bit touristy but interesting none the less.  No packed lunches this time which we preferred – all the bakeries will make up (wonderful) sandwiches for you.  There was a mistake in the road book coming into Les Baux but that has now been fixed.  Great weather as you would expect at this time of the year.  We would again unhesitatingly recommend Walkinn.

Les Baux, seen from the walking trail: 

Le Mas d'Aigret in Les Baux:

"Le rocher des des trous" (the rock of two holes), on the first walk from St. Rémy.

Forestry track leading up to the ridge of the Alpilles mountains:

Roman ruins in St. Rémy:

January in the Luberon

Yesterday I went into the Luberon mountains to scout a new hike between the villages of Bonnieux and Lourmarin, and this for a luxury walking tour that Walk Inn now proposes: Luberon in Luxury.
But first was a visit of Lourmarin, and the B&B we'll be using there: Côté Lourmarin.

The 18th century building in Lourmarin was entirely restored last year by Christine Delatour, and converted into into a more-than-charming-actually-downright-sumptuous B&B. There are only two room in this guest house, set above the cobbled streets of the centre of the tiny village, and overlooking the cafés.
Below is the "lavande" room. As a male who has no sense of style or detail, I made sure to take as may photos as possible to remember...  

The bathroom, with a marble sink.

The bathroom of the suite, with a luxury bathtub set in the centre and a huge walk-in shower, with possibly the  largest shower head I've ever seen...

These "linear" walks, from A to B, require yours truly to use a bicycle at either the beginning or at the end of the walk. It was at the beginning this time, after leaving the car in Lourmarin (end of walk) and cycling up the road to Bonnieux (beginning of the walk). That doesn't make sense, does it? In any case this was one of those unfortunate times where the beginning of the walk just happened to be 250m higher in altitude than the end, which makes for an easy walk, but a sweaty bike ride.
 

The walk starts from Bonnieux and quickly reaches the crest of the mountain, from where -- at least yesterday -- the snow-capped chain of the Alps was clearly visible. It reminds me just how close everything is in France. From Sea to Alps just a short drive away...

It was a beautifully sunny winter's walk, about 15°C, and even up on the crest I was in a T-shirt, overlooking the gentle forested slopes of the Luberon:

Mont Ventoux looking back towards the north:

Rosemary in bloom on the sun-parched hills:

From the crest now looking towards the south:

On the path above the southern slope, getting ready for my descent towards Lourmarin. It was a beautiful walk, nice paths, and I'm more than convinced that Walk Inn's guests will enjoy it as much as I did.

It's days like these when I'm reminded why I moved here to Provence, surrounded by magical countryside, caressed by the warm sun and by the concentrated scent of thyme and pine needles.

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Photo of the day: Kevin sent in a picture of the famed Fontaine de Vaucluse spring, taken in early November on our  Colours and Scents of the Luberon   holiday. After heavy rains this fall the level of the spring was quite high here, as it collects water from the intricate system of underground rivers and lakes...

The spring is at least 300m deep but no one or machine has ever made it to the very bottom...

John and Marcia's "Walk Inn" Provence...

I'm really excited about posting the following blog entry: I didn't write it, not did I take the pictures. The following is an excerpt of John's photos and captions, taken from his Picassa albums. He and Marcia embarked on our full-week Luberon holiday in April 2011, and they were very generous in sharing their photos with us:
 Luberon: Medieval villages and Hidden Trails
At the bottom of the blog entry I've included links to the full Picassa albums, which are very enjoyable...  

The next day we taxi to the nearby village of Fontaine de Vaucluse to begin our walk. At about noon we start on our walk. We're headed to the "perched village" of Gordes, about 4.5 hours away.

We climb and climb, but seem to get nowhere. Despite perfectly clear instructions, I have stupidly led us up the wrong trail! (nice trail, though).

 ... straight to our B and B, just beyond town!

But the next morning is lovely and we happily hit the trail! Our goal is the ancient Abbey of Senanque, hidden somewhere in this dry, stony landscape. After several hours of pleasant walking we reach the abbey, famously set in fields of lavender (not yet in bloom). Founded in 1148, it still houses a community of Cistercian monks.

 We loop back to Gordes via a more dramatic route ...

We explore medieval Gordes ..

Today we walk from Gordes to Goult ...

...mostly along quiet lanes bordered by stone walls and bories, olive groves, and the odd cliff dwelling. It's an easy 4-hour walk, and we meet almost no one ...

Soon we enter the charming village of Goult. 

We also get good views of Mt. Ventoux, the highest mountain in Provence.

At lunchtime we reach the village of Lacoste, dominated by the Marquis de Sade's ruined castle. After lunch at the Cafe Sade, we climb to the castle. This deserted stone village is perhaps slightly sinister? Or is it just my imagination? At the castle, the door is shut (fine with me). Let's move on.

Leaving Lacoste, we head for Bonnieux. 

Looking north, Mt Ventoux  ...

After the long relaxing lunch we saunter on ... reaching, quite unexpectedly ...

... an astonishing precipice! Our inn lies below. A rocky descent into the Aiguebrun Gorge brings us to L'Auberge des Seguins, our refuge for the night.

We start our last day walking in the gorge by the Aiguebrun River. The trail is completely ours, as usual.

.. and enter Sivergues, a hamlet far off the beaten track.

... all the way to Saignon, our final destination. We find La Pyramide, our delightful B & B.

... We climb to the top for a fine view of Saignon. Goodbye, France. Tomorrow we go to Spain.
(the end)

John's Albums: 

View Album

View Album

View Album

View Album

Hi Stuart,

We had a wonderful time on your "Medieval Villages and Hidden Trails" walk last spring and I'm now really itching to do the new one from the Alps to the Sea. Unfortunately, we live far far away, so it will be some time before we are in France again. Meanwhile, I'm sending you separately my four detailed photo albums of the Luberon walk. Feel free to post the links or use any or all of the material.

Thanks so much for the wonderful service you provide. 

John, Hawaii