Cycling with the Romans in Provence
France, May 2009
The word "Provence" refers to several regions that stretch from the Rhone Valley to the Alps and this part of Southern France was the first Roman provence outside of Italy which is how it got its name. It is therefore not surprising that the towns and countryside are sprinkled with Roman ruins and what better way to see them than from your own two wheeled carriage.
at the top of a steep road of vibrantly painted houses is the Terra Viva gallery
Prior to visiting Provence the only image I had in my head were the fields of lavender seen on postcards but what really enticed me was its reputation of being an idyllic place to live. However, there was much more to Provence than I had realised such as historical towns boasting grand amphitheatres to a countryside that varied dramatically from “Tour de France” mountains to flat rice fields. You therefore can’t just go to one part and say you’ve been and deciding how to fit everything into a week isn’t easy but a biking holiday turned out to be the perfect solution.
Bikes and France go together like cheese and wine and, particularly in this part of France, drivers are exceptionally bike-friendly. It is however possible to cycle for hours without seeing a car as there are so many small roads and country lanes that will take you through vineyards and cherry orchards or up into medieval villages whose narrow cobbled streets just weren’t designed for four wheels.
The Roman Heritage Tour, run by French Cycling Holidays (www.frenchcyclingholidays.com), combines cycling in the region’s best scenery and staying overnight in the most Roman of towns. Every day your luggage magically vanishes inside their white minibus and reappears in your next bedroom and you have the choice to either follow the detailed maps and directions or take the stress free option and just follow your guide.
The tour conveniently starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday making it possible to include a short stay in Avignon and Nîmes at the beginning and end of your week’s cycle. Neither city is included in the tour but both are well worth visiting and as Avignon is the main pick-up point it’s the perfect place to start your holiday.
The walled city is situated on the left bank of the River Rhône and is famous for the gothic Palais des Papes (or Palace of the Popes). In the early 14th century Avignon was chosen as the Pope’s residence and seven Popes resided here before the Papacy was returned to Rome. The city also has a famous bridge – thanks to the children’s song "Sur le pont d’Avignon" – which despite now not reaching the other side is worth walking along for the view back to the cathedral adorned with its golden statue of the Virgin.
The Place de l’Horlage is the town’s main centre and a row of restaurants, whose tables and chairs spill out onto the square, are lined up waiting for you. Here you can watch the world go by and witness weddings on the steps of the Hôtel de Ville or wave to children riding the carousel and after lunch there are many cobbled streets to explore.
Avignon is a perfect weekend destination but our main holiday started when Dave picked us up from our hotel and we proceeded to collect our fellow cyclists – Ruth, Leanne and Gerald – three lovely Aussies. Arriving at our first hotel, a beautiful farmhouse or Mas to use the correct French word, we were introduced to our bikes and to Mike our other guide, who also happened to be the company’s owner. Although the gorgeous pool was extremely tempting the suggestion of a quick ride to the nearby town of Isle sur-la-Sorgue and ease ourselves into the week’s cycle seemed the more sensible option.
As its name suggests the town is located on an island in the middle of the fast flowing River Sorge and has a fabulous Sunday market boasting antiques and bric-a-brac that will make you wish you had your own Mas to furnish. There is also a farmer’s market with stalls selling everything from freshly picked cherries and asparagus to colourful handmade sundresses and wicker baskets.
After a quick lunch we took a short ride to see the Fontaine de Vaucluse, the biggest natural spring in France. We left our bikes in the village and followed the crowds heading up the side of the emerald green river into the mountains. This is a popular Sunday outing for locals and visitors alike and the scenic trail passes by an old paper mill and waterwheel as well as a ruined castle before ending at a pool at the bottom of a 230 metre cliff.
The depth of the spring depends on what time of year you make the hike and although in the summer months it is a bit of a disappointment the cold water is perfect for a paddle and to throw a couple of pebbles. Once back in the village we filled up our water bottles from a drinking tap, with water straight from the river, and headed back to the hotel for a refreshing swim and delicious al fresco dinner.
The highlight of our first full day in the saddle was cycling through the famous wine region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The name literally translates to “new castle of the Popes” and it seems ironic that we have Popes to thank for this wonderful wine. The historic heart of the region is the castle which sits on the top of a steep hill overlooking its town and vineyards.
The town's picturesque streets are filled with shops and cellars selling nothing but local wine and they eventually got so steep that we had to abandon our bikes and walk the last section. On reaching the top the castle was a bit of an anticlimax as it only had two external walls and therefore resembled a film prop. However, the stunning views across the valley to Mont Ventoux more than compensated and, even in summer, the mountain appeared to be snow capped but it’s actually a layer of white limestone that creates this optical illusion.
After visiting the town it only seemed appropriate that we should sample its wares so we cycled a short distance through the rolling vineyards to Château Mont-Redon. Surprisingly the ground surrounding all the vines is covered with smooth round pebbles, which is what makes this region’s terroir totally unique.
As we arrived at the winery we were delighted to see Mike setting out an amazing picnic and it didn’t take us long to realise there was going to be a competition as to who could produce the best feast although we weren’t quite sure how Dave could do any better. Once we couldn’t eat any more we headed inside for our wine tasting where we discovered that the region makes a very good white Châteauneuf-du-Pape as well as its more famous red.
What is even more amazing is that it was constructed without the use of mortar.
Our first example of Roman architecture was when we arrived in Orange with its stunning theatre and triumphal arch. The theatre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981 and is the best preserved in Europe. What makes it so impressive is the enormous stage wall that’s 36 metres tall and 103 metres long and in the middle, in an arched alcove, stands Emperor Augustus although the statue was cleverly designed so that only the head had to be changed when a new ruler came to power. As you follow the instructions of the superb audio tour, sitting in different spots on the tiered stone steps, it’s easy to imagine being one of the 10,000 spectators watching a performance on the wide stage.
The next day, en route to the town of Uzès, we stopped at St Quentin-la-Poterie, famous for being the birthplace of the inventor of concrete and where pottery has been made since the 12th century. The village is home to several artists’ studios and at the top of a steep road of vibrantly painted houses, is the Terra Viva gallery which displays an eclectic selection of pottery and beautiful handmade jewellery.
Nothing can prepare you for the elegant beauty of Uzès as you enter the town along a wide boulevard lined with gigantic Plane trees that follow the original city walls. Diving into the heart of the old town you arrive in the main square - La Place aux Herbes - where they hold a weekly farmer's market selling wonderful fresh produce, lavender scents, olive oil and unusual preserves such as Orange, Figs and Pinenuts. Another delicacy which we couldn’t resist was a creamy goat’s cheese topped with shallots, garlic and herbs.
Thankfully we were staying in our beautiful hotel, whose terrace restaurant and bijoux pool overlooked the town’s unique 11th century Tour Fenestrelle (window tower), for two nights which meant there was plenty of time to explore the cobbled streets filled with cafes and boutiques as well as to daydream in front of the Estate Agents’ windows.
Close to Uzès sits the Pont du Gard, and the best way to see it is by kayaking down the river and underneath the bridge itself. As our itinerary aptly described Day 4 was about “swapping pedals for paddles” although after the 6km trip our hands were glad to get back to gripping handlebars.
There are many places along the river where you can stop and drag your kayak up onto a stoney beach or island and have a picnic but Mike and Dave found us the perfect spot. As they set out our lunch, using an upside down kayak as a table, we walked over the bridge to take some photos. Standing in the shallow water looking up at the three layers of arches, it’s hard to believe it was built around 19 BC and was responsible for bringing 5 million gallons of water a day into the city of Nîmes. What is even more amazing is that it was constructed without the use of mortar.
The next day after cycling over the Pont du Gard we noticed that the scenery was changing once again as we approached the last vineyards in the region. At the Mourgues du Gres winery we met the lovely co-owner Madame Collard who gave us a tour and we jumped at the chance to taste their delicious wines. After another incredible picnic, accompanied by a bottle of the winery’s Les Galets Rosé, we headed off through the cherry orchards and entered the start of the Camargue rice fields. Having had a large lunch, including chocolate birthday cake, it was good to be cycling on the flat next to the irrigation canals although hopefully the strong head wind burnt off a few calories.
After being out in the countryside all day it was a bit of a shock when we came to our first traffic lights on the outskirts of Arles and were relieved to swap the busy traffic for the peace and quiet of our hotel which overlooked the Roman amphitheatre and was only a few minutes walk from the well restored arena. As well as its Roman heritage the town is also famous for one of its residents, Vincent Van Gogh and after dinner you can have a nightcap in the very café he painted in the Place du Forum.
From Arles you can see the Alpilles mountain range in the distance which was where we were heading the next day although we didn’t quite believe Mike when he said we would be cycling to the very top. Thankfully the views from the picturesque town of Baux de Provence were well worth some huffing and puffing and we could happily have spent a whole day here. It has been voted one of the most picturesque towns in France and its narrow streets take you on a maze-like journey to the centre where you will find its medieval castle but unfortunately by the time we reached it, having been side-tracked by the wonderful shops, we didn’t have time to go inside.
Surprisingly our next stop was just down the hill and round a couple of bends. The Cathédrale d’Images is a disused limestone quarry that has been exhibiting art since 1975 and this year Picasso’s work is featured. Inside the tunnels enormous projections of his famous paintings light up the flat walls, floor and ceilings before merging and fading into the next colourful image. It was like being inside a gigantic kaleidoscope and the accompanying music made the experience even more dramatic. The incredible show lasts 30 minutes and is on a loop so it’s worth taking something warm to wear as it can get quite cool.
From the quarry we had an exhilarating downhill decent into Saint Rémy-de-Provence, the birthplace of Nostradamus. After a delicious lunch, where we were entertained by a Labrador who jumped into the fountain next to our table to cool down, we cycled to the sanatorium where Van Gogh committed himself shortly after cutting off his ear lobe. The building was originally a monastery and it’s easy to see why Van Gogh produced so many paintings despite only being here a year. In particular the view from his bedroom overlooking a walled garden filled with poppies was breathtaking and even today the surroundings inspire the sanatorium’s residents and you can purchase their paintings in the gift shop.
Our final hotel was on the outskirts of Tarascon where we dismounted our trusted chariots for the last time before heading to the pool to enjoy the late afternoon sun before dinner. We were so lucky to have shared our trip with such great people and there wasn’t a night that we weren’t doubled over with laughter. However, all good things have to come to an end and after saying au revoir to our new friends, we climbed into the mini-bus and headed to Nîmes for the final stage of our holiday.
overlooking a walled garden filled with poppies was breathtaking
Located on a Roman road, built between Italy and Spain, Nîmes had been a Roman colony since before 28 BC. The ancient part of the city is surrounded by three broad boulevards that follow the original city walls and it’s easy to get lost wandering around the narrow streets although it gave us a good excuse to sit in one of the bustling cafes and study the map.
The city has an unusual emblem – a crocodile chained to a palm tree – as well as the best preserved Roman arena in France and even today it’s a popular venue for concerts, bull fights and festivals as we were soon to discover. The Pentacost Féria started in 1959 and has become world famous lasting five days which explained why we couldn’t get a hotel room in town.
The Féria’s main events take place in the Roman arena so it was impossible to go inside although from the outside it looked magnificent. It was however great to see the city in full festival mode with everyone wearing red handkerchiefs round their necks, straw hats and t-shirts with pictures of bulls or matadors. Every street and square was filled with stalls cooking paella in enormous skillets and musicians and bands entertained the crowds in front of the Maison Carrée Temple.
Thanks to a great holiday I now understand why Provence is such a magical place and why so many people dream about living here. I also know that despite going at the wrong time of year to see any lavender fields – best time to go is July – that whenever I now hear the word “Provence” so many memories and images will jump into my head that I won’t know which to choose from.