May 2017 – Our Travel Blogs

31/05/201710/07/2017

Vallabregues to Arles

This entry is part 28 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Today was the longest day of the trip (56km) with a 4 km climb included. We left the barge just after 9 and had our first stop for pictures and water at the castle of Tarascon.

Morning tea was at the town of St Remy, famous as the birthplace of Nostradamus. After tea at a cafe, we wandered through the streets and markets eventually finding Nostradamus’ house.

Next was the climb of the day – 4 km in light rain which helped to cool us all down. We were offered a trip up the hill in the company van which 4 people in our group accepted. It wasn’t too bad although the low gear in this bike is not as low as mine at home.

Sag wagon for those not wanting to do the 4km climb

From here it was only a kilometre to Les Baux des Provence. Bauxite was first discovered in this area and the name comes from the town. There was also limestone mined in the area and some creative people decided to turn the the old mine into the venue for a multimedia show.

It featured 2000 images based on works by Bosch, Bruegel and Arcimboldo and classical and modern music including Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. It was amazing!

The good part of a 4 km climb is usually it is followed by a 4 km descent.

We enjoyed ours and the trip to Arles included a stop to view the remains of another Roman aqueduct, this one taking water to Arles.

Not as much left as at Pont du Gard but still interesting. Just another 10km from here to Arles, where we saw the sad remains of the Soleo.

Route of ride from Vallebregues to Arles – 56km

30/05/201710/07/2017

Aramon to Vallabregues

This entry is part 27 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We started the day with another breakfast cruise, this time to Vallabrègues, a pretty Provençal village on the banks of the Rhône.

Marco found a nice closed road for a few kms

Then off on the bikes again along country roads to Barbentane situated at the confluence of the Rhone and Durance rivers. This is a lovely old village has the remains of a castle, a watchtower, narrow streets, ramparts and gates.

Tower Angelica in Barbentane and remains of the castle

Our lunch stop was at the magnificent Abbey of Saint Michel de Frigulet.

Everything closed at lunchtime but a shady spot

Final stop was the medieval village of Boulbon where we stopped for a cold drink after another hot day.

Route of our ride – Vallabregues loop – 40km

29/05/201710/07/2017

Avignon to Aramon

This entry is part 26 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Our day started with a breakfast cruise to Aramon, only 15 km away.

We moored at a nice new pontoon but the town itself was a short distance away. By 0930 we were on the bikes and heading along quiet country roads through small villages towards one of the most well known sights of Provence – Pont du Gard.

This impressive Roman aqueduct is the highest (at nearly 50m) and one of the best preserved and was part of the 50km long Nimes aqueduct.

We had several hours to wander the site, watch the movie of it’s construction and visit the excellent museum.

Recreation of the tools used to build the bridge

From here we rode along more quiet roads before we reached the winery Cave des Vignerons in the village of Montfrin. We were surprised to find the skeleton of a Siberian mammoth here. The connection to wine production was unclear, however it does make a good logo for the company.

From here it was a short distance back to our barge for a hot shower and dinner. After dinner we went for a walk into Aramon with Marco. We saw another bull ring, but there were no bars or cafes open and the streets were deserted. When we got back to the barge we found some fisherman with a large catfish they had caught. We took some photos, they took some, then some more, and more until we were worried the poor fish wouldn’t survive when they released it back into the river. Eventually it swam slowly off and we headed off to bed.

Route of today’s ride – Aramon loop – 43km

28/05/201710/07/2017

Bike and Barge – Le Caprice

This entry is part 25 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We boarded our home for the next week at 6pm Saturday and were surprised to see Marco, our guide from 2 years ago in Italy helping people come on board.

After being shown our room, bigger than our one on Zwaantje thankfully, we went on deck for the introductory briefing. We met Skipper Peter and his wife Sheena (chef) and Dita (kitchen and serving). They had been aboard the Soleo when she hit the unmarked submerged object and sunk 3 weeks previously. In that time Girolibero had bought a new barge in Burgundy, cleaned it up, prepared it for us and got it here in 3 days. There are a few teething issues but so far nothing too serious so the company has done a good not disappointing clients looking forward to their holiday. Marco then told us a bit about the bikes which were only 4 weeks old and had an internal hub with variable gearing. For my non biking friends this makes them easy to use and no crashing of gears as you go uphill. Our group is made up of 4 other Aussies, 4 Americans, 1 Brit and 11 French speaking Belgians. As Marco does not speak French fluently it is lucky that the Belgians include a professional interpreter.

On Sunday we headed off for a 47 km loop around Avignon. Our first stop was Sorgues where there was a market. From here we rode through quiet country roads through the many vineyards. Next was Chateauneuf de Pape where we had a talk and taste of the wines from this region.

The French carefully protect their wines through the AOC (Appellation d’origine Controlle) system that stipulates what grapes can be grown and how wines are made. This region for example does not produce Rose. Lunch was at Roquemarue (where the AOC originated) and the day finished recrossing the Rhone and returning to Le Caprice.

Route of today’s ride – Avignon Loop – 48km

25/05/201710/07/2017

Avignon

This entry is part 24 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We left Paris on Thursday on the fast train to Lyon where we changed trains for Avignon.

It was a great trip but as we sped past fields with tracks beside them I contemplated how different it was to our days on the bike. We had to get a local train to Avignon Centre to our hotel and we ended up in the same car as 4 Aussies also doing our bike barge trip. Imagine our surprise when they told us our barge “Soleo” had sunk earlier this month! They had heard the news from their tour agent while we had heard nothing from Girolibero, who own and run the barge. A few quick emails confirmed the story and assured us that the replacement barge “Le Caprice” would be as good.

We had 2 days in Avignon to see the sights before boarding “Le Caprice”. Avignon is a walled medieval town which was the home of 7 popes and 2 antipopes during the 14th century. They built the Palais de Papes which towers above the city.

Queen Joan who sold Avignon to Pope Clement VI

African modern art statues in the Popes Palace

Also on the tourist trail is the 12th century Pont Saint Benezet. Legend has it the Benezet, a shepherd, had a vision from God and was instructed to build a bridge at Avignon. The locals laughed until he lifted a giant stone and cast it into the Rhone to start the bridge. The bridge had 22 spans of which only 4 survive. Flooding of the strong flowing Rhone kept destroying the bridge until in the mid 18th century, the bridge was abandoned.

23/05/201710/07/2017

Paris – City of Lights

This entry is part 23 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We didn’t actually get to see much of the lights of Paris as it gets dark about 10pm here. But we have seen a lot of the rest of Paris. We had bought a 4 day Paris Pass before we left home and packed a lot into our 5 days here. We had booked an apartment in the Latin Quarter opposite the Sorbonne University through AirBnB. It was great and would recommend it to anyone coming here.

We were close to the Metro but could also walk to the town centre in about 10 minutes. On Saturday, we walked to our apartment on Rue Jussieu from the barge, being diverted by the filming of the new Tom Cruise movie, through the Jardin des Plantes and met our host Corine.

We caught the Metro across town to pick up our Paris Pass and then walked slowly home.

The rest of our afternoon was spent washing, buying some food after a walk around the neighbourhood and planning our next few days.

Sunday we planned to visit the Maritime museum but discovered it was closed for renovation so opted to climb the Arc de Triomphe and then walk down the Champs Élysées to visit the Hotel des Invalides which is now the Museum of the Army.

The magnificent chapel built by Napolean III houses the tomb of Napolean.

You could spend all day at this museum but we concentrated on the exhibits covering the Second World War. The story of the resistance fighters and the free French army were well done. Photos of the 1038 recipients of the Order of Liberation, created by Charles de Gaulle to honour these brave men and women, put faces to the bravery described.

Some of the recipients of the Order of Liberation

Monday was the day to ride the Big Bus and see the sights. We did the classic route and then the route up to Sacre Coeur for lunch and a look at the artistic region of Montmartre.

From here we went to The Louvre, using the Rick Steve’s audio guide to see some of the key paintings and sculptures. This was in only 1 of the 3 wings of the museum.

Tuesday we walked to the nearby Pantheon, which was built by Louis XV to glorify St Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris.

It is now the final resting place of France’s most illustrious figures including Jean Moulin, leader of the Resistance that we heard about on Sunday and Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

We then crossed to Ile de la Cite to visit the Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame. The pictures tell the story of these 2 beautiful churches.

It was then on to the Museum of Arts and Crafts which is actually a museum dedicated to inventions and scientific discovery.

This is partly housed in an old church which made for a spectacular backdrop to their Transport section. The audio guide helped us understand the exhibits.

Glad I didn’t have to ride one of these to Paris

None as old as Prof Skerman’s Anton van Leeuwenhoek microscope

Wednesday was our last full day in Paris and we started with a guided tour of Opera Garnier.

They were working in the stage and auditorium area so the lights were off and we couldn’t see much, however the grandeur of this place is in the foyer and reception halls where Parisians went to see and be seen.

Designer Charles Garnier delivered an amazing building so it was surprising to hear that he wasn’t invited to the opening and had to buy tickets in the back! This is where the phantom of the opera lives and there is indeed water under the building that can be used to fight fires if required.

After lunch in the Tulleries gardens it was off to visit the Musee d’Orsay, home of the impressionists.

This museum is housed in the old Orsay railway station. We sought out Van Gogh’s painting of the church at Auvers sur Oise that we had seen a few days ago.

The day finished with a guided wine tasting in underground rooms and a river cruise on the Seine. We finished the day like a true Parisian, heading out to dinner at 9.30 at a local restaurant.

19/05/201721/09/2017

Bougival to Paris

This entry is part 22 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

After a day off, I was keen to do the final leg to Paris to end our 2 week adventure. The weather was cool and dry, perfect for cycling. Fred led us along a bike path along the Seine for the first 10 km before we turned SE and headed towards La Defense.

This is a major business district west of Paris, noted for its spectacular modern architecture. We had coffee before riding around the plaza admiring the buildings.

We then cycled down toward the avenue leading towards the Arc de Triomphe for some more photos.

Fred then lead us through some back streets and bike paths to the park that is home to the Louis Vuitton Foundation.

After the quiet of the park it was on to the busiest street of the day, Avenue Victor Hugo which led us to our lunch spot for the day, the Arc de Triomphe.

After admiring the skill or craziness of the cars and bikes negotiating the Place de l’Etoile, we headed down Avenue Kleber to Trocadero and our first sight of the Eiffel Tower.

After joining the throngs for our pictures and dodging the people selling selfie sticks and Eiffel Tower replicas, we cycled across the Seine and along the bike path that runs beside the river. We were excited when we caught up with Zwaantje and waved and took photos of each other at Pont Alexander III.

We stopped for a beer to celebrate our arrival in Paris, then cycled past The Louvre, Orsay Museum and Notre Dame before finding Zwaantje moored at Quai Bercy, where the film crew for Tom Cruise’s latest Mission Impossible film were based. Sitting on the deck after dinner with our new friends as the sun set over Paris was a perfect end to the day.

Route of today’s ride Bougival to Paris – 35 kms

Total kilometers Bruges to Paris – 532 kms

18/05/201721/09/2017

Auvers sur Oise to Bougival

This entry is part 21 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Warren and I separated today – he rode the route and I stayed on the barge for a rest day. We both enjoyed our choice and the weather was better than predicted with mild temperatures and virtually no rain.

We both started the day with a trip up the hill at Auvers sur Oise to visit the grave of Vincent van Gogh and his brother, Theodore.

On the way we passed the Church that was the subject of a famous painting (L’Eglise d’Auvers) by van Gogh that is now in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

The ride was easier than the previous 2 days with only 1 hill at the start and rain briefly at the start and end of the ride.

45 km in total through some muddy tracks after the overnight rain.

The barge travel was very relaxing and we saw an impressive War Memorial and bridge.

Fred timed the ride perfectly so that our riders arrived at the junction of the Oise and Seine rivers just as we sailed past.

Rubbish traps keep the Seine River clean

We negotiated 2 locks and tied up at Bougival at about 3.30. Several of us headed into town to look around and then find a wine bar with wifi (pronounced wiffy in French).

Route of today’s ride – Auvers sur Oise to Bougival – 45 kms

17/05/201721/09/2017

Creil to Auvers sur Oise

This entry is part 20 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

It was another hot day today but thankfully shortened by Fred and Martijn to 45 kms.

Our guide Fred – “Listen carefully, I’m only going to say this once”

We cycled from Creil to l’Isle Adam and then cruised for an hour or so to Auvers sur Oise. Highlight of the day was the Domaine De Chantilly.

This impressive estate was created by Henri of Orleans, Duke of Aumale and son of King Louis-Phillippe and includes the chateau, extensive gardens and impressive stables.

Although we had a 2 hour stop here we didn’t get to the stables but enjoyed the audio guide through the chateau. Henri was the greatest collector of his time and amassed 60000 books and manuscripts and an impressive art collection that includes several paintings by Raphael and other Italian, Belgian, Dutch and French masters.

The riding after lunch was partly through cool bicycle tracks through the forest and partly on busy, hot roads.

Sharing the track with a miniature horse

You can guess which was the most popular. The last 20km of our day was on the London to Paris bicycle route. The final kilometres along the river Oise were very pretty and we were glad as always to find the Zwaantje.

Route of today’s ride – Creil to Isle Adam – 44 kms

16/05/201721/09/2017

Compiegne to Creil

This entry is part 19 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

Today our group was smaller than usual because it was going to be a long day so 6 stayed on board. We also split with 3 people taking a shorter route to St Jean aux Bois while the rest of us did an extra 10 kms to see the Chateau de Pierrefonds.

It was beautiful riding through the forest south of Compiegne on paved bike tracks. With a top temperature of 27 degrees predicted, we also appreciated the coolness. The Chateau was impressive – Walt Disney but real was Fred’s comment and he was right.

We didn’t have time to explore inside but it was certainly worth the extra 10 kms. After we joined up with the other group we had our first real hill of the day – a long, steady winding climb that we thought would never end. By now the temperature was into the high 20s and we were feeling it after 9 days of cycling. The good thing about climbs like this is the anticipated descent, and it was great. Unfortunately we took the wrong road for the Roman ruins which meant either missing them or climbing back up the hill. Needless to say we pressed on. Lunch was in a park as none of these villages had bars or cafes.

By now it was HOT and the search for a bar was on, success eventually in the village of Verberie. We purchased more water and Fred told us it was 10-15 kms to the barge.

We were stopping every 5kms in the heat and it seemed to always be 10-15 kms! We eventually arrived back at the boat at 4.30 after 68kms. A shower never felt so good.

Route of today’s ride – Compiegne to Creil – 68 kms