To Sault

May 4, 2023

This morning I woke to a clear blue sky decorated with a double-helix, the genetic blueprint of life. And life continues to be so good to me – a morning full of poppies, an afternoon of sweat and accomplishment, and a CycleBlaze meet-up at dinner.

We enjoyed a full breakfast spread at La Maison des Ocres, a very nice hotel that, I learned, will be hosting Rick Steves in a couple of weeks. We loaded up the bikes and headed off in slightly different directions – Suzanne and I continued on the route while Janos wanted to explore a bit of the town before catching up with us a little later. That left Suzanne and I to linger at the poppy and canola fields we’d passed yesterday on the way into Roussillon. And linger we did, at those fields and at another down the road, where Janos found us almost knee deep in a sea of red.

The DNA cloud - you can even see the ladder that connects the two helices

And one more look at the spring colors of the Luberon

Suzanne and Janos reluctantly drag themselves away from the poppy field and get back on the track

Heading for the distant hills - Les Monts de Vaucluse

We soon left the lovely Luberon plateau and turned north on our climb over Les Monts de Vaucluse to Sault, our destination for today. I paused to catch my breath after steep ascent into Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, then we continued on the six mile climb to Col de la Liguière, which was featured in the 2021 Tour de France. The climb was a bit tough for me – low energy combined with a lack of mental preparation necessitated frequent but brief rest stops on the way to the top. The climb flattened a bit near the top, and open fields appeared in the pine woodlands. Soon I crossed the last of the painted encouragements from the TdF and spotted a drone flying above – Janos was filming my final ascent to the col! After lots of cheer and the requisite photos, we thoroughly enjoyed a well-earned and glorious seven mile descent into the Vaucluse, with spectacular views of Mont Ventoux watching over us. At the bottom, we enjoyed a nice roadside picnic lunch before making the final climb into Sault.

Beginning the ascent to Col de la Liguière

The open fields and big sky near the top of the climb

We arrived in Sault with about forty minutes until check-in at Hotel d’Albion. Suzanne and I walked into town for something cold to drink while Janos found a shady spot to sit a spell. The day ended with my online French class and another CycleBlaze meet-up. Lyle and Kirsten had rearranged their schedule to meet us in Sault for dinner – it was their first-time meeting Suzanne and Janos and an wonderful reunion for me. We had a grand time sharing stories and laughing at our foibles as itinerants in foreign lands. Each of us feels an immense gratitude to Jeff and all members of the CycleBlaze community – a community that brings us closer together on line and, on occasion, in real life. Thank you all.

Sharing the good life with fellow CycleBlazers

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Today's ride: 22 miles (35 km)
Total: 911 miles (1,466 km)

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