Vaucluse Dreamer

I Mentioned in yesterday’s post about the story of using 2CVs to set the categorisation of climbs in The Tour De France. It made us realise the final climb back to the house can only be done in 1st gear, so is a Category 1 climb, and to be honest pretty tough at the end of a ride when it’s well over 30 degrees.

Today we had a superb ride, cycling out past Caseneuve and up to Simiane-La-Rotonde for breakfast, bumping into friends en route and spending a nice break just chatting and catching up over coffee.

Then we pottered across to the gardens of Valsaintes Abbey, where we sat in the shade of ‘La Causerie’ Just talking through the next stage of the renovation works on the house, which we’ll start at the end of the summer.

From here it was a wonderful downhill ride alongside the Canyon D’Oppedette and back through the magnificent sunflower fields below the pretty village of Saint Martin De Castillon, before heading home.

Then the hill, but today I didn’t have to ride it as Andy (bless his cotton socks) offered to cycle back and bring Fifi down to pick me up. I know I can ride up, but not actually having to is a real pleasure, so I happily waited in the shade whilst he brought Fifi down.

The good news is that my bike slid happily into the boot, and with considerable less fuss (and a lot less sweat) than I make, Fifi pottered back up the hill to the house. Who would have thought that a 2CV would prove to be so useful as well as being pretty, she certainly puts our small family hatchback to shame.

I hate to say it but this could become a regular occurrence