Day 29: Tuesday, 7 June 1983

Start: Campground, Sainte Maxime, France

End: Campground, Aix-en-Provence, France

After a peaceful night I'm riding fairly early, fueled by croissants, the breakfast of champions.

Weather turning hot, but I have a tailwind as I turn inland and climb a 400-meter ridge, down the other side with hills and pines and vineyards and wineries. All up and down, but nothing difficult. Pizza and wine for lunch. All the way into Aix with a tailwind. Lots of pastry and orange juice.

I'm looking for a youth hostel, but immediately come across a nice campground with a swimming pool, so I grab a site there and go for what turns out to be an icy dip.

My plan here is to find out about a train up the valley of the Rhone to roughly Lyon, then ride east to Switzerland.

The ticket master patiently explains to me that it's not possible to catch a train northward from Aix with a bike. I'll need to go to Avignon in order to catch that train. Other than that, he can't seem to help me.

So I spend the evening reading, eat at the campground, and retire to my tent.

Conditions 

Distance: 106 km 

Weather: Hot, but with a tailwind 

Road: Good 

Traffic: Moderate 

Terrain: Hilly 

Mechanical: All is well 

Physical: Feeling good, ankle healing, sunburn peeling