The first part of today's ride was as nice as anything I've done, except perhaps the Canal du Midi, because I was following a nice off-road route from Cavailon to Apt in the vale of the Luberon Mountains. I passed through some lovely Italianate hill villages such as Lacoste (home to the Chateau of the Marquis de Sade), Menerbes and Bannieux - all of which were splendid in the golden light of the early morning.
Apparently all sorts of celebs inhabit the Luberon but they were still dozing away as this smelly cyclist wobbled past their high security doors.
It turned out to be another hot day though and I was grateful for another off-road cycle track that led out of Apt. I was equally grateful to Anthony Trollope since I spent nearly the whole day immersed in the complicated world of his Barchester Chronicles which saw me up a couple of particularly grinding hills around Manosque en route to Gréoux les Bains, where I camped up for a third night in a row.
Too tired to go back into the town for a meal so downed a little bottle of something while charging the various electronic bits and pieces - a constant headache. However I seemed to have covered six folds out of ten on the way to Cipieres, which is enticingly just on the right-hand edge of the map!
Ahead lay what looked to be a hard day in terms of hills around the ominously named Canyon du Verdon, where we have 1000m or so to get up, depending on whether I take the A or the B road! Weather/knees/spirit still holding up for the moment.
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