Provence - Three jaunts - Tourenfahrer magazine - November 2023 - Théâtre du Midi

[Wapping]

The latest edition of the magazine has three pretty nice jaunts in Provence.

Yes, they miss Mont Ventoux but it would be easy to add it in. I have been to all of the towns and villages shown in the suggestions and can confirm that none of them are somewhere to avoid.

Best time to go, mate? The spring * and early summer are good, as is early autumn, once the big thunderstorms that often come at the very end of August are gone. Right up until the end of October, when the light starts to go. Winter can be very cold, with quite often snow in the region in January and February.




Download the routes for a couple of quid, here:

Tour-Datenbank

www.tourenfahrer.de

*If you are very unlucky, you’ll coincide with the Mistral wind. If you do, take extra warm clothes but you’ll be treated to bright blue skies.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Excellent, TY.

 

[EVskij]

Was at the top of Mont Ventoux and stayed in Sault in May of 2017. Very nice indeed.



Haven’t done the routes to the east of these locations though.

 

[Wapping]

One of the suggested jaunts, takes you past the unadopted no-through-road to the right, which led eventually up the quite sizeable hill to my parent’s house:



It is perhaps hard to imagine that 20 years earlier, when my parents bought the house, a forest fire swept across it and much of what you see in the second and third picture.

The large outcrop of rock that you can see in the far background of the third picture is the Luberon, which gives this area of Provence its name. The reddish deposit on the rock in the bottom right of the third picture is ochre, mined from Roman times. The unadopted road itself is the old Roman road itself. The outline of cart tracks are still visible, near enough where I stood to take the picture.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Mont Ventoux is on my 'Cycle to the top of' list.

 

[EVskij]

Mont Ventoux is on my 'Cycle to the top of' list.

When we were coming back down from it towards Sault. Some unfortunate peddling soul had spilled himself all over the road, and down the embankment into the forest bellow. Road got blocked up with people stopping in their cars trying to help the fellow. I don’t think he was to good, as there was a paramedic car coming up the hill, followed by an ambulance, by the time we cleared the road blockage.
They (cyclists) do zip along there at some serious speeds whilst wearing not much more than a thin jersey, shorts and shoes, made from coke bottles, so it isn’t surprising at all.

 

[Wapping]

Mont Ventoux is on my 'Cycle to the top of' list.

It would be on my, cycle from the top of list.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

When we were coming back down from it towards Sault. Some unfortunate peddling soul had spilled himself all over the road, and down the embankment into the forest bellow. Road got blocked up with people stopping in their cars trying to help the fellow. I don’t think he was to good, as there was a paramedic car coming up the hill, followed by an ambulance, by the time we cleared the road blockage.
They (cyclists) do zip along there at some serious speeds whilst wearing not much more than a thin jersey, shorts and shoes, made from coke bottles, so it isn’t surprising at all.

Yes, I am very much an ATGATT person on the motorbike regardless of the weather or how short the ride. On a pushbike, however, I'm quite happy to clatter downhill at up to 50 m.p.h. in just a lycra top and shorts and ankle socks and cycling shoes and I only wear a bicycle crash helmet if I'm on an organised ride where the rules state I must.
Ridiculous isn't it?

 

[wessie]

Nice area. I stayed a few days in Avignon at Easter. Was quite warm in the day but got very windy due to Le Mistral as the temperature started to drop. North side of Mt Ventoux was still iced up as well in April. Rode up & down the south side.

 

[DevonAl]

Got back last week from a campervan trip to that area, we went via the Route Napoleon, Verdon Gorge and travelled some of the above route during the 3 days we spent in the Luberon, great scenery etc and roads were generally pretty good and it was around 27-28c, but this time of year may not be the best time to visit as many of the Hotels and campsites near the pretty towns/villages were closed or closing this week and not many bars/restaurants were open in the evenings, seemed more open at lunch time for day visitors.
We also went the extra 80miles down to Pt Grimaud/St Tropez for a bit of beach time🏖

Al.

 

[EVskij]

We also went the extra 80miles down to Pt Grimaud/St Tropez for a bit of beach time🏖

Wife and I were in Juan Le Pins/Antibes area last week too. Great 24-26 degrees during the day weather for mid October, toped out at 28 degrees on Saturday. We have spent three solid days on the beach, rest of the time taking walking day trips to Nice, Cannes etc. Looking at the weather this week, it is a complete opposite now.

I couldn't believe how many Russians there are in Cannes, Antibes, Nice etc. Couldn't be bothered with Monaco, but I bet it would have been heaving with young, trout pouted Russian blood, looking for a sugar daddy.

 

[DevonAl]

Noticed a few in St Tropez, was pretty busy as we caught the last two days of Regatta week. we had great weather for the whole 12 days we were away, been up to Oban this week to help a friend service his Yacht and put it to bed for the winter, was a bit different!!

 

[wessie]

Wife and I were in Juan Le Pins/Antibes area last week too. Great 24-26 degrees during the day weather for mid October, toped out at 28 degrees on Saturday. We have spent three solid days on the beach, rest of the time taking walking day trips to Nice, Cannes etc. Looking at the weather this week, it is a complete opposite now.

I couldn't believe how many Russians there are in Cannes, Antibes, Nice etc. Couldn't be bothered with Monaco, but I bet it would have been heaving with young, trout pouted Russian blood, looking for a sugar daddy.

seems the Russians have been buying passports from various countries in the Caribbean

EU raises security concerns as it reveals five Caribbean states have sold 88,000 ‘golden passports’

European Commission says it will revise rules on visa-free travel after scale of trade in citizenship exposed

www.theguardian.com

 

[EVskij]

seems the Russians have been buying passports from various countries in the Caribbean

EU raises security concerns as it reveals five Caribbean states have sold 88,000 ‘golden passports’

European Commission says it will revise rules on visa-free travel after scale of trade in citizenship exposed

www.theguardian.com

Wouldn’t surprise me at all.

 

[DevonAl]

Its not just in Europe, they have their own airport in the south of Sri Lanka, big groups in most of the popular areas, quite surprised how many we saw when we were wobbling round on the Enfield in March.

Al.

 

[dicktheleg]

Stayed near Cotignac in September, absolutely fantastic area.