Cabrieres to Gordes to Roussillon

June 3, 2023

Local loop

Today’s plan is for a local loop first to Gordes and then on to Roussillon. Route 33 starts right outside the property, and so we follow it for a few kilometres while the massive hulk of the Luberon grows on our right.

The signposting, even for local rides, is excellent.

It’s a fairly quiet ride until the final climb up to Gordes, which is now busy with tourists. We join them on a bend before the town and gasp at the views. There’s the town itself, hanging on to its position on top of the promontory.

Once in the town we take a short break among the multinational groups of tourists, and then head down the hill to Roussillon.

Reaching Roussillon is easy, since it’s signposted clearly for cyclists . The final uphill climb is a bit of a stretch, but soon we’re in ochre town. We know this because at the entry to Roussillon are cliff faces of a distinctive red/orange hue. Although only a little mining of ochre is now done locally, mining in the past has had a clear effect on the local environment in terms of degradation of trees and eroded hillsides. Growth is returning and there’s clearly been some greening of the area.

We find a shady spot in the centre for lunch and watch the world go by. Included in this are a line of 2CVs puttering their way through the narrow main street and a mob of motorcyclists roaring exuberantly uphill. There’s also a wedding on up the hill and some of the older guests are struggling to climb up to the church in the heat.

Then it’s time to descend and we pick up a route that takes us down to a more easterly part of the same cycleway we came on yesterday. This time we’re taking it back to Costelet where we buy brake pads for my bike and food from Super U.

Back at Cabriēres we enjoy a wonderful dinner and sample a local Luberon white wine that is a soft on the palate and has a hint of Chardonnay. It’s been a day with demands for bursts of energy but also some long straights through picturesque country; we sleep well.

Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 1,563 km (971 miles)

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