← PreviousFrom Marseille to Lyon, or how to make every possible beginner's mistakeEaster weekend is a long one in France. While some prefer hunting for eggs with the family, for us the call of adventure is too strong. Since we now live in Avignon, why not set out to conquer Provence? Here's the little story of a sunny family weekend.
Saturday 8 April 2023: from Avignon to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Avignon is a good base for discovering the region. Its train lines let you branch out in every direction, and its long-distance greenways offer safe ways out of the city. This Saturday morning we set off at 10 heading south. We ride along the tram tracks and then a bus lane to get out of Avignon. We reach the Rognonas bridge, which we cross on the pavement to be safe. In this little village we join a brand-new greenway laid on an old railway line.
For train lovers like us, it's always heartbreaking to see lines torn up. But we reason that it's better for them to find a second life. It's sunny and mild, the ideal temperature for pedalling. Clémence plays in the trailer while we enjoy the countryside. Our pedals take us from Rognonas to Châteaurenard and then Noves. We then go through Cabannes and Saint-Andiol before stopping in Mollégès.
Today's stage is 40 kilometres and we've already done more than 30. It's a chance to lounge on the grass and play hide-and-seek with the baby. We arrive in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence fairly early, around 4 pm. That leaves us time to settle into the evening's Airbnb and head back out to wander the lanes of the old town.
Sunday 9 April 2023: from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to the Pont du Gard
After a hearty breakfast picked up at the local bakery, we leave this typical little Provençal village. It won't leave us a lasting memory, because apart from a few pedestrian streets it's overrun with cars. Once again, we have nothing against cars, but they often take up too much space and leave none for pedestrians and cyclists. Here, town planning has put traffic and parking ahead of residents' wellbeing.
No matter, because a few pedal strokes later we're back on EuroVelo 8 and its path separated from traffic. Across the fields we pass horses and bulls, one of the privileges of the region. Wildlife is everywhere, and we hear birdsong on this quiet morning.
In Beaucaire, EuroVelo 8 crosses the ViaRhôna, which we'd ridden two years earlier. It's always strange to pass through places again, and we look for what's the same and what's changed. Parking our bikes, we remember we'd eaten in an excellent little restaurant called L'Épicerie. Luckily it's still open and there's room! We don't need asking twice to tuck in.
We use Clémence's nap to polish off the last 20 kilometres on the V60 towards our hotel for the day: La Combe Joseph. Less than 2 kilometres from the majestic Pont du Gard, it lets us drop our bags and reach the monument quickly. As is often the case in France, even though it draws thousands of visitors a year, the site isn't really set up for arriving by bike. It's a pity, because the arrival is impressive. You come in from below, climb a little bank and there it is! The two-thousand-year-old bridge reveals itself before your eyes.
It's very busy; you can tell it's a long weekend. On the bridge there's even a brass band playing very catchy music. We park our bikes and go to join it with the baby in our arms. Clémence loves music and has a whale of a time. It's very hot, though, and mindful of her health we go back to hide in the shade of a terrace. After some cold drinks, we return to the hotel, where we spend a good part of the evening chatting with a retired Swiss couple. That's also the magic of bike touring: it sparks conversations wherever we go.
Monday 10 April 2023: from the Pont du Gard to Avignon
Waking up this morning and eating breakfast, we think it would be a shame not to make the most of being so close to such an incredible monument, so we go back. Unlike the day before, the place is completely deserted and we can wander about as if we owned it. So we start today's stage in the middle of the Pont du Gard, heading for Avignon. We follow the V60 to Montfrin and then turn onto the ViaRhôna. We stop in Aramon, where we eat on a terrace on a lovely little square.
But the second part of the ride is much less fun, even though we knew that before starting. From Aramon to the edge of Avignon, the cycle route uses a sandy track beside a 90 km/h road. That makes progress hard and unpleasant. We see the end of it when we pass under the huge pillars of the high-speed line and then cross the Daladier bridge, which marks the entrance to Avignon.
Conclusion
As we show here, bike touring doesn't have to be hard or long. With stages of about forty kilometres, we pedal two to three hours a day. That leaves plenty of time to visit villages and deal with the unexpected, but above all to fully enjoy our time as a threesome. Isn't that what matters most?