travel

A Week in Provence

Moustiers Sainte-Marie, Provence, France
Monday, July 2, 2012

The sun was shining - just as Mike said it would.

I packed up my still slightly damp bags and hit the road. I immediately took a wrong turn and ended up doing 15kms on the motorway before escaping once again to the wonderful minor roads.

It was a pretty straightforward ride as I just needed to clock up some miles and get to Provence. I'm now following John Hermann's Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps and Beyond which has very good descriptions of the mountain passes. Most of them are loops so I shall attempt to base myself somewhere and ride a day in the twisties without bags.

The first place I chose was Moustiers Sainte-Marie and I was surprised to find that it was another  "disneyland" town with a nice cascade and a chapel up the mountain and a million gawking tourists buying silly trinkets that they could get at home for half the price.

I took some photos and then escaped as soon as I could. I went on a few kilometres more and found a nice camping ground beside a lake.

I set up the tent in rock-hard ground, bending several tentpegs in the process. I eventually got it up and didn't bother with the guy ropes. I took care of domestics; washing, cooking, cleaning... well okay - I put a load of washing in a machine and had a crepe from the van.

I then set out for a walk down to the lake but as I was not taking enough notice, I set off on the wrong path into the forest. A kilometre later and I still couldn't see any sign of a lake so I returned to the campsite (being chased by mozzies the whole way) and then saw the sign pointing to the right path. Lake 300m!!

I've plotted my route for tomorrow and as it's going to be a big day, I shall attempt to get to sleep early.

View from my window
View from my window
From here
From here
Heading there
Heading there
Next
Next
Allains
Allains
Allains
Allains
Lunch stop
Lunch stop
Fountain
Fountain
Prudence
Prudence
Blue sky
Blue sky
Black sky
Black sky
Moustiers Sainte Marie
Moustiers Sainte Marie
Moustiers Sainte Marie
Moustiers Sainte Marie
Moustiers Sainte Marie
Moustiers Sainte Marie
My patch
My patch
Dinner van
Dinner van
Dinner crepe
Dinner crepe
Wish I had seen this earlier
Wish I had seen this earlier
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