To Orgon

September 30, 2024

We’re back on very familiar territory today, biking the EV8 from Saint-Rémy to Apt as we did two springs ago. Its a very easy, smooth ride - flat, on paved, separated bike path most of the way. It’s scenic too, if not the most dramatic ride in France. Were doing it again so soon largely because it looked like a good place to rehab, but were more than happy to be here again in one of our favorite areas of one of our favorite countries in the world. Really, we’d be pretty happy to just come here every spring or fall like we do with Tucson in the winter. So much nicer than the cold, windy, wet, unpredictable north.

One difference from two years ago though: then, we biked from Saint-Rémy to Apt in one day. This time we’re doing it in three. Definitely slow travel, but it seemed like the wise plan two weeks ago when we made these bookings while we were both sick. Now that we’re here and are recovering well we might have done it in two instead, but we don’t mind. Were starting to get an affection for short, easy travel days, a leisurely lunch, and maybe a short outing of some sort after lunch.

That’s today’s plan anyway. This ride is really short, and after a lazy ten miles on the bike path we come to the outskirts of Orgon, where we’ve booked ourselves for lunch. We arrive right at noon and take our time over our meal because as far as we know we can’t check in until four at our hotel just a mile away so we’ve got some time to kill.

The view south to Les Alpilles. It’s overcast this morning, but calm and warm.

Looking ahead, we see the near edge of the Luberons rising just beyond the Durance.

For Graham. I could have included food photos but thought he’d appreciate this more.

I’m not sure, but I don’t think I even knew Orgon was a place until we started looking for lodging to break up the ride to Apt. Cavaillon just across the Durance is the obvious spot, but from our previous experience when we stopped there for lunch it’s not really a place I’d want to stay; so we found a rural hotel on this side of the river about a mile south of Orgon.

With plenty of time on our hands we stop in at Orgon itself for a look around and are pleasantly surprised at how attractive it is. It’s a small cliffside village, hemmed in on the east by the Durance River and on the west by the eastern edge of the Alpilles. a few hundred feet above are the ruins of a medieval castle and the tower of an intriguing church - one intriguing enough to pique our interest but without tempting us to bike (or most likely push the bikes) up there for a better view.

At about three we decide to proceed to the hotel. It’s getting quite warm so we’re hopeful we can check in early; but if not, we’ll find somewhere there in the shade to wait until the place opens up. The mile south is spectacular with a wall of cliffs rising straight up from the right and the ruined castle visible above; but it’s all in the shadows now and not worth stopping for. We should get a better look when we bike out of here in the morning.

Our hotel, Auberge du Parc, is a bit of a splurge but well worth it for its spectacular location at the base of the cliffs - it’s the reason we’ve chosen to stay here. And we’re in luck and can check in as soon as we arrive.

Auberge du Parc sits in a spectacular location directly beneath sheer cliffs of the Alpilles.

As soon as we’re settled into our room we start studying the map for a hiking route for Rachael and settle on the obvious one: up to that cliff-top church we saw from the village. It’s only about a mile with most of it paved, so I decide I’ll go as well - it looks worth going for the sake of seeing the church, but mainly because the views from the top should be enormous. There’s a short but steep unpaved stretch in the middle so I decide to take the bike partway at least and deal with this stretch when I come to it. If it’s too rough I can always stash the bike somewhere and walk the rest of the way.

I leave first, and after a half mile I come to the end of the pavement. It’s immediately obvious that the bike needs to stay here because in addition to being steep it’s very rough and rocky. I don’t have to walk far before I realize I’m risking bashing the derailleur so I hide it in the bushes and start climbing. The first couple of hundred yards are rough enough that I wonder how the knees and I will do on the way down, but after that the gradient eases and soon it’s pavement the rest of the way.

And I’m really glad I’ve stuck with the plan because the walk itself is striking and the views get better with every step.

Doesn’t meet my definition of a bikeable surface.

Once I hit the pavement again, which is the road coming in from the village, it’s an easy ascent the rest of the way.

The cliffs rise straight up from the road. I wonder if I should have kept my helmet on.

Rachael catches up with me about the time I reach the top, as I expected she would. We pause to look out across the Durance taking in the enormous views, and then explore the church and other viewpoints above and behind it. The church, Notre-Dame-de-Beauregard, makes a nice focal point for photography; but the views are the thing. They really are outstanding in all directions.

Toward the top I look back and see Rachael catching up with me, as I knew she would.

The cliffs across the river. I think this is the same formation we had a view of back at the beginning of the post.

Here we’re looking into the gap through the Luberons, and the route we’ll take to Apt. look at the village at the far right, just above the ridge in the foreground.

It’s Gordes, the famously scenic perched village in the heart of the Luberons.

Looking south along the Durance, we get a distant view of Mallemort backed by the southern ridge of the Luberons.

Eventually we’ve had our fill of the views and feel the need to get back down that trail before we lose our light and have to scramble down in the dark. Rachael precedes me, but stays in contact by tracking me on the Garmin to make sure I make it down safely. At one junction I take a wrong turn onto a side trail but catch my error within about twenty yards. I’ve already turned back when I get a call from Rocky wanting to know where the hell I’m going. I convince her that I’m fine and finally she goes on ahead, putting in some extra distance by walking around the small lake at the base of the cliffs.

The rough patch is a challenge when I come to it - it really would be better to be here with a hiking pole - but I take it slowly and carefully and get through fine. No ankle gets twisted, no knee gets wrenched, no skin gets left behind; and when I get back to the bike I enjoy free-wheeling the half mile back to the hotel and to the well deserved prize that’s waiting there for me at the finish line.

Image not found :( — A well deserved reward, as if one were needed after such a spectacular afternoon.

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Keith ClassenLooks like a great spot for some R and R. I had that planned on a loop ride from St Remy but felt we didn’t have enough time for our meetup I shortened it up . Well at least I know what we missed.
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2 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Keith ClassenI’m really impressed with what a good base St Remy makes. In other circumstances we’d have been fine staying a few more days. I really think that’s the model we’re slowly working our way toward: find bases like this and stay for four or five days before moving on.
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2 months ago

Keith ClassenYes St Remy would make a good base. I like your model rather than blasting through an area. We feel pressed to move on to see as much as we can in a limited time. You of course have the benefit of seeing so many places so why not slow down and enjoy. I think we beat you to Toulouse though!
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2 months ago

Today's ride: 17 miles (27 km)
Total: 3,890 miles (6,260 km)

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Bill ShaneyfeltI can't help thinking Orgon is missing an e... every time I see it!
:-)
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2 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Bill ShaneyfeltThat’s so funny. That didn’t occur to me at all, but now I won’t be able to stop seeing it either.
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2 months ago

Rich FrasierGood to see Team Anderson reverting to their normal form. Walks, rides, exploration. So nice to read about! All that sitting around in hotel rooms had me worried about your health.

Scott, relative to Bill's note. One of your captions got auto-corrected from Orgon to Oregon. Unless there are ruined castles somewhere out west that I'm not familiar with.
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2 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierGood catch. And that’s correct - unless I’ve missed something, there are no ruined castles in Oregon.
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2 months ago

Jon AylingOn the Orgon trail!
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2 months ago

Kathleen ClassenHow did we miss Orgon when planning a day ride?? It looks terrific.
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2 months ago