Vaucluse Dreamer

I’ve mentioned before that this is going to be a very busy autumn for us, and we hardly finished putting everything away from the cycle ride, before packing again for a trip that we’ve wanted to do, for a long time.

It may seem a bit odd to say that the cycle ride home wasn’t planned as a big adventure, as looking back on it now, we realise that it really was. It had come about, after chatting about how to get back to Provence, after our summer of events in the UK.

We didn’t want to get back too quickly, as The Luberon would still be busy with the summer visitors, yet we didn’t want to delay our return any longer than necessary, as we missed France. So we decided that we would just cycle back, visit some friends, explore some different areas on 2 wheels, and watch some rugby whilst we were doing it.

It sounded like a simple little plan, effectively just commuting home by bike after work, albeit not exactly a short hop along the road. But once again, it ended up being another cycling adventure that we loved from start to finish (even with the less than helpful weather).

We turned the pedals for a few kilometres short of 1200km, and found we loved camping, which definitely came as a bit of a surprise, as we cursed the storms that stopped us from doing it more.

There is something simply joyful about exploring France by bike, and we certainly sensed the changes as we passed from one area to another. You are so keenly aware of every little detail as you pedal, all your senses picking up the subtle shifts.

It may be the change colours on the roofs of houses, from grey to orange as you cross The Loire, the birdsong and increasing insect chatter as you pedal south, or the ever-changing scent in the air, from the earthy notes of forest floor and bracken in Brittany, to the salty tang of the Marais Breton and warm pine & herbs in Provence.

Then there are the different flavours in each region too. The salty galettes of Brittany loaded with cheese and lardons, and the piles of steaming mussels & platters of local oysters by the coast.

I’ve now finished the videos from our ride and you can see them here

Part one.. From Devon, through Brittany to The Loire

Part two ,…. The Marais Breton to Rochefort

Part three ….. Rochefort to Angoulême

Part four ….. Angoulême to Duras

Part five …..Duras back to Provence

Each part of the route was just a delight and we discovered some places that we really want to return to and explore in more depth, on bikes and by foot (of course)

This is now the third long-distance ride that we have done and we really do enjoy them & we’re not sure there is a better way for us to spend our time away from Provence.

But this week sees the start of another adventure that may turn our heads.

We are off to Japan, where we will spend 6 weeks exploring the countryside and islands in a camper van, taking the bikes and our walking shoes to get below the skin of, what is an incredibly beautiful and diverse country.

As you know from our blogs and videos, we’re not city-lovers and are at our happiest in the countryside, finding the roads less-travelled and enjoying the natural beauty of the area.

So we’ve taken the plunge and are heading off for an extended period, aiming to find the quiet spots, and experiencing Japan, beyond the cities that seem so overwhelming, although we will spend 2 nights in Tokyo at the end of our time there.

We haven’t been in a campervan for nearly 20 years, when we travelled around New Zealand with the boys, when they were very young. We loved it, so hopefully will do again.

We considered cycling and camping, or staying in Ryoken, but the weather can be very unsettled in autumn, and the mountainous regions that we want to visit would hold the storms. So we plumped for a van instead, which will allow us to potter into the countryside, as Japan seems incredibly well set-up for van-life, with lots of parking and a network of onsens for bathing.

It almost seems impossible that this time next week, we will be at the end of our first weekend there, although exactly where we’ll be, I’m not too sure. It will just be a long way from home

We have a basic idea of a general route we will be taking, through the Izu Peninsular, through Gifu and Wakayama onto Shikoku, but it’s all very flexible, so who knows where we will end up.

The bikes will hopefully add another dimension to our time there, and I’ve been scouting out possible routes (some with coffee stops), so something else to look forward to.

All I can say, is that we will be going at a slow pace, through an incredibly beautiful country, aiming to have a similar experience to the one that we have on our bike rides. We have 6 weeks and I know that it will feel much less, when we’re there.

There are things that we are nervous about, from driving out of Tokyo on the first day, to our first time in an onsen, but isn’t that what life is about? We’re retired, and aren’t ready to slow down quite yet, so feeling that nervous excitement of doing something for the first time is really nice.

It will certainly take us out of our comfort zone, but it will be an incredible experience, in every possible way and we hope that you’ll enjoy travelling alongside us again.