The nice and easy rider...
Giles Milton discovers the joys of cruising through Provence on an electric bicycle
IWAS cheating and everyone knew it. But it didn’t alter the fact that I felt a deep sense of satisfaction as I overtook yet another cyclist on the long route uphill. Those fellow cyclists were on ordinary bicycles. I was on an e-bike. The difference was that mine had a large electric battery on the back.
If you’re going to do a bike tour of the rolling hills of Provence, then cheating is a very good idea. An e-bike takes away all the stresses and strains and reduces exercise to the point at which it becomes a pleasure. You freewheel downhill, pedal on the flat and then switch on the motor for all the leg-aching uphill stretches.
You could, of course, visit this region by car, but to do so would be to miss much of its charm. A bike allows you to connect with the landscape. You smell the lavender and wild thyme. You hear the birds and the chirping crickets. And you burn just enough calories to justify a larger than usual lunch.
I’d come to the Luberon, an area of Provence that’s best known for its lavender, olive oil and laid-back approach to life in the sunshine. Its trademark features are mauvecoloured hills, scooped-out valleys and blanket-blue sky. Little wonder that so many artists have been attracted to this region.
First prize in this rural beauty contest goes to what’s been dubbed the ‘Golden Triangle’ – a mountainous area studded with medieval hill villages such as Bonnieux, Lacoste and Menerbes. Twenty years ago these places were heaving with British holidaymakers who flocked here in the wake of Peter Mayle’s bestseller A Year In Provence. These days there’s a somewhat quieter feel to the place, especially if you come outside the summer season. The crowds depart at the end of August and the locals reclaim their homes. When I arrived on a gilded day in September, the Golden Triangle was in full slumber.
The Sun-e-Bike rental company is based in the village of Bonnieux, a typical Luberon village that’s stacked up against a mountainous rockface. From afar it looks like a vertical triangle of stonework: church and spire at the top, a few houses below and the main part of the village clustered around the bottom of the hill.
I’d never ridden an e-bike before and wasn’t sure what to expect. ‘It’s easy,’ said the Sun-e-Bike rep. ‘Simply switch on the motor when the going gets tough.’
A quick trial on the main street in Bonnieux and then I was off, speeding towards the village of Lacoste that lay on the far side of the valley.
Lacoste is famous for its craggy hilltop castle, built more than a thousand years ago. It was once the home of the notorious Marquis de Sade, who has the dubious distinction of providing the English language with the word ‘sadism’. Inside its fortified ramparts and towers, the libidinous marquis indulged in every possible sexual perversion.
The law eventually caught up with him and he was forced to flee Lacoste. He was captured and imprisoned, but not before he had enjoyed a whole new series of sexual adventures.
In the 1990s, the marquis’s castle was acquired by fashion designer Pierre Cardin. He has turned it into a spectacular private home. Cardin also created the nearby L’Espace Cardin, transforming a local quarry into a vast theatre.
Every July, world-class operas and plays are staged here, drawing thousands of visitors to the village. But when the festival ends and the tourists leave, Lacoste rediscovers its quieter side. I had the place (almost) to myself when I visited. And although Pierre Cardin’s castle
was locked and bolted, the garden gate had been left open, allowing me a peek at the perfectly manicured garden terraces.
Second stop on my e-bike tour was the village of Menerbes, a few miles to the east. The going should have been tough, as the road wound upwards through grape-laden vineyards and shaded coppices. But the battery made it a breeze. As soon as the road swung uphill, I slammed on the motor and allowed the bike to propel me.
MENERBES is larger than its neighbouring villages and considerably more lively. Like Lacoste, it has an illustrious artistic heritage. Picasso’s lover Dora Maar lived here, as did artist Nicolas de Stael. In their wake came other artists and writers from across the world.
It’s a place to break your ride with an ice-cold beer: there are panoramic views that stretch for 50 miles or more into the heat haze.
Many of the hilltop villages in the Golden Triangle have hotels and guest houses, but I’d chosen to stay down in the valley’s vineyards. The Bastide de Marie is a converted Provencal farm with working winery attached. It’s part of a chain, but don’t let that put you off. The Maisons and Hotels Sibuet is a chain with a difference. It’s family-run and seamlessly managed, offering rustic charm, antique furniture (all suitably distressed) and solid Provencal cooking.
The evening meal began with appetisers: rich black olive tapenade, thinly sliced smoked ham, sun-dried tomatoes and a garlicanchovy dip. Then came the starter – seafood ravioli.
I was already full, but the meal had scarcely begun. ‘And here’s the main course,’ said the waitress as she lifted the lid of a heavy iron casserole. As the wine-infused steam drifted upwards, I found myself gazing on a pound of slow-braised lamb shank in a sauce flavoured with smoked bacon, garlic and shallots.
One of advantages of staying in the Bastide de Marie is that you get to drink your way through all the wines of the domain.
From the Bastide de Marie it’s just a short e-ride to one of the most stunning villages in the Golden Triangle. Oppede le Vieux is hacked into the rocky hillside, a once-fortified Luberon outpost with derelict ramparts, a half-shattered castle and a smattering of bars and brasseries. Built in the 12th Century and abandoned in the 19th, it was recolonised by artists after the war.
Like so many villages in this part of the Luberon, there are no particular sights, no must-see monuments. It’s a place to relax over a chilled glass of wine and allow the world to tick by at half speed.
From this spring, there will be a direct Eurostar service from London to nearby Avignon, with a travelling time of just six hours.
Alternatively, you could clamber on to an e-bike and prepare yourself for a very long ride. But you might want to pack a spare battery.