We hadn’t been looking forward to cycling through the busy industrial town of Apt and were delighted to find that the European Cavaillon Veloroute went right through it following the route of the old railway line. It is newly paved and very flat and we made excellent time to the old bridge, Pont Julien. Then we tackled the long hill to Lacoste. It had been a long, hot ride and we were pleased to find a bar with a terrace and a magnificent view. Two beers restored our energy and spirits for the remaining climb past the ruins of the Marquis De Sade castle, it was difficult to believe that such horrors had happened in such a delightful setting.

We stayed at the La Magnanerie bed and breakfast (Maison d'Hotes de Charme). We can highly recommend it, the facilities were excellent and the owners hospitable and thoughtful. We had packed some leftover ham, cheese and fruit from Forcalquier and bought some bread and wine along the way. We ate on the terrace just at sunset.

We cycled the remaining 20 or so kilometers along the bicycle route to Cavaillon. Somewhere along the way our cycling computers clicked over 1000 kilometers total distance for the holiday.

The train to Miramas was the modern type where we could wheel our bikes in without removing the panniers. We assumed that the train from Miramas to Marseille would be the same but were shocked to find it was the was the old fashioned style with the high step and no provision for bicycles. For once there was nobody around to help and the train only stopped for two minutes so we plucked the panniers from the racks and threw everything in as best we could.