Les Carmes to Gordes: a short ride to a rock-bound village

November 8, 2009

Weather: sunny, strong wind later in the day

We could smell buttery baking on our way downstairs to breakfast in the dining room of Les Carmes and could see the plump freshly-made croissants through the window in the kitchen door. They were very good, as was the chocolatine. After breakfast Al cleaned up the bikes and Eva took photos of the old convent outside in the clear sunshine. Les Carmes would be a lovely place to stay for a few days in a warmer season with its pool and outside seating.

The courtyard at Les Carmes. The bikes spent the night in the shelter to the right, and we spent it in the room on the top floor with the three tall windows.

We took off for Gordes at about 10:00 and stopped at the famous Sunday antique (and food) market at L'Isle-sur-la Sorgue, just a few kilometres from Les Carmes and jampacked with people. We walked our bikes through the crowds and decided to skip the antique mirrors and statues. Instead we picked up some sandwiches and pear tart slices at a couple of food stalls. We continued on through olive groves—Al saw a couple of guys digging up big olive trees—apparently they are sold to gardeners in England and elsewhere for thousands of dollars.

The rain was gone, but left a dusting of snow on Mont Ventoux that we could see on our way to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

The road climbed slowly but steadily, and we decided to stop for lunch partway up the 300 metre hill leading to Gordes—about 8 km from the town. The restaurant that we chose was closed during the week and only open for Sunday lunch all winter long—3 courses for 18 euros. The food was fine, but not great and partway through our meal, a bus stopped outside and about 30 Asian tourists filed in for lunch.

After lunch we started uphill again and soon reached a spectacular viewpoint of the village of Gordes in the sunshine. It really looks quite amazing built into the steep rock slope. We rode on the short distance to our hotel, Mas des Romarins, just across from the village, and checked in with Dominique, the friendly receptionist. She had spent a year in Canada and spoke good English. Our room was tiny, but the bathroom was fine with a bathtub. We couldn't help laughing at the contrast between our baronial chamber at Les Carmes the night before, and this cell, with its pushed-together twin beds, each in its wooden frame. We had a fridge and a small terrasse, where we parked the bikes. Right after we got there, the wind started to blow like crazy—the Mistral we were told. We walked the short distance into the town of Gordes in the howling wind, and found not a whole lot there except more cold wind. Since it was Sunday and low season, most of the shops were closed, and once you're in the town, you can't see it anymore. We hightailed it back to the hotel, and sat for awhile in the pleasant lobby/dining room overlooking Gordes, where we could get good internet access. Our cell was behind thick stone walls, and wifi reception there was intermittent.

The bikes resting on the climb up into Gordes. The valley of the Luberon, our route for the next day, extends in the distance.

The view across at the centre of Gordes from the hotel terasse.

Attempting to access the internet in our tiny stone-walled room, to no avail.

We had planned to find a restaurant in the town for dinner, but as evening approached, we really didn't feel like going out into the wind again, and we had our sandwiches and pear tarts. So we picnicked in the room, and Eva took a warm bath afterwards—the hot water having disappeared.

Today's ride: 24 km (15 miles)
Total: 682 km (424 miles)

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