Day Six - Friday (2)

Our last day of riding took us east towards the Alpilles
massif. Although there are no high peaks, the jagged
ridge gives the impression of being higher than it is.
Riding out of Arles along tiny back roads, where meeting
a car is an event, we tackled a short stiff climb to the
hill-top village of Les Baux.

The bottom gear effort was richly rewarded by the
sublime views and the town itself, which is dramatically
perched on a rocky outcrop.

Then it was on via a stunningly twisty descent (ok, I lie
slightly, after a 'bit more of the freaken hill') to the pretty
little town of St-Remy-de-Provence for lunch.

St Remy the birthplace of Nostradamus,  is also celebrated
as the subject for many of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings.
After lunch, we visited  the hospital of St Paul-de-
la-Mauseole, the sanitorium where Van Gogh committed himself
after his argument with his best friend Paul Gauguin.

Our final stretch of riding took us on  on flat, quiet lanes through
orchards and melon fields to cross the River Durance at
Cavaillon, and from there its a short hop back to the
Mas de Cure Bourse outside L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue for the
final night's celebration dinner. We were all very glad to make it
back to base camp after 72.97km, according the the ride notes,
today was a 65.2km ride (the gps was turned on for the walking
through the 'sanitorium', and when I had to 'play sheep dog'
and round up some strays in the group who were lagging behind,
while our ride guide fetched yet another lagger....

Its off to Paris tomorrow, but my heart's not really in it.