Part II - Pedaling in Provence

 Part II - Pedaling in Provence

Our Provence bicycle loop started in Aix-en-Provence where we stayed at the Hotel Le Concorde.  The hotel had a parking garage and we received permission and paid to leave the car there.  Aix is a historic town dating back to the Roman times and their occupation over the Gauls.  There are still Roman arches, viaducts and historic structures around the area. 

 

From Aix we headed northwest towards Salon-de-Provence, a 35 km and 160 m EG ride.  Our hotel in Salon was Inter-Hotel d'Angleterre.  We spent the afternoon walking around and visiting the sights. 

The next day we headed northwest again to Saint Remy-de-Provence.   The ride was a gentle uphill climb with views of the Massif des Alpilles.  It was a nice sunny day with very few cars on the D roads we were traveling on.  We stayed at the Auberge de la Reine Jeanne.  It was a 35 km ride with EG of 210 m. 

 

Our next stop was City of Arles.  We headed southwest from Remy and just outside of town stopped at the Roman ruins to take a look.  Later we crossed an ancient Roman viaduct and an old Abby and the Cloisters of the monks who had lived there.  Before we entered the Abby, we stopped at a small restaurant across the street and had one of the best meals of the trip.  Our hotel in Arles was the Logis De La Muette.  Arles situated on the Rhone River, has a well-preserved collection of the Roman antiquities.  The mostly flat ride was 28 km and EG 40 m. 

 

The ride south of Arles followed the trail through the Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue, following the Canal de Navigation d’Arles a Bouc.  This was a flat, hot 50 km ride with views of the Rhone River Delta and at times we rode by the white Camargue horses grazing in the fields.  We finally arrived at Hôtel Ariane in Istres. 

The next day we rode southeast to Hotel Eden in Martigues.  This was a 20 Km ride with EG of 100 m.  Martigues turned to be a very picturesque port city.  The ride was very pleasant up and down a few hills and passing a couple of lakes through a pine forest.  We stayed in Martigues for two nights and walked around the town.  On the second day we went on the beach outside of town. 

Our last day’s ride took us back to Aix-en-Provence and Hotel Le Concorde, where we had left our car.  This was a 50 Km ride and a long hill climb with EG of 360 m.  A few kilometers after leaving Martigues and rounding the Etage de Berre Bay, the road became very busy and a thoroughfare with lots of trucks.  We noticed a sandbar that split the Etage de Berre Bay.  Following route the Jai, the road that led to the sandbar, we followed the dirt trail on the sandbar across the bay and avoided the traffic and the trucks.