Mistral Air
Updated: 2 days ago
Day 28 – Avignon to Aix-En-Provence , France — 54 miles
We had an awesome day off in Avignon, waiting out the high winds. We spent the morning walking around town, trying to find a bike shop that sold sealant. Unfortunately, it turned into a wild-goose chase: Avignon had plenty of bike-rental places, but no proper bike shops. I had a little sealant left, so I used it all and am hoping it holds until I can get to a shop. I’m also thinking all our tires may be running low, since we’ve ridden more than 1,000 miles since the start of the trip.
After dealing with the bike, we spent the afternoon sightseeing. Rather than walk around on our tired legs, we indulged ourselves with a train tour of the old town.
Today was a perfect day for riding: sunny and warm, with a still-pretty-fierce southerly Mistral wind that propelled us to Aix-en-Provence. After the last few days on the secluded ViaRhôna bikeway, this morning’s ride started out pretty uneventfully. There were some decent bike paths, some fun riding through neighborhoods, and then a stretch on a major road with heavy traffic. It was the most traffic we’ve seen since we started the trip, and, admittedly, it was a bit unsettling after so many days with hardly any road traffic. Fortunately, the mistral winds let us reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour with ease, adding a bit of joy to an otherwise unremarkable ride.
Then the route took us off the main road and onto a 20-mile stretch of mostly car-free riding. It was an incredibly beautiful section, with vineyards all around—just like a picture postcard of the southern French wine country. The road led us straight into Aix-en-Provence, another great French foodie town, brimming with fresh food and produce. Fortunately, it also has a bike shop where we can top up our tires with fresh sealant.
Tomorrow is a big day for us: we’re just one day away from reaching the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a pretty cool feeling to know that we started on the shores of the Irish Sea in Dublin and will be on the northern shores of the Mediterranean in southern France tomorrow.
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