Ride Director: Marnie Easly
Ride Co-Director: Woody Sherwood
Report by: Deborah Chamitoff
The Central Massif is a large upland area located in the middle of Southern France. It is highlighted by its rugged peaks, plateaus, forested valleys and dramatic gorges and very quiet roads. This tour offered a wide variety of experiences both on and off the bike and we “tasted” it all!
Most of us experienced a Central Massif “traffic jam” (some kind of livestock crossing the road right in front of us). The “Tour Paint” of a 2017 Tour de France Category 1 we climbed was “repainted” by something more “organic”! Each day was an adventure!
Another highlight of this tour was the food and wine we got to taste! Oohh La La ! It was magnifique! Our days were filled with sights of the sources of our fresh meals whether on the hoof, the wing or the beautifully manicured gardens and fields of herbs and wildflowers. Our evenings were filled with the sheer enjoyment of this absolutely deliciously fresh bounty.
The tour progressed “from cattle to castles”. Marnie designed routes that allowed time to stop, and visit the “storybook villages” and to “lunch with the locals”….. A two hour, 6 course lunch! Others rode more miles…usually climbs that were rewarded with jaw dropping panoramic vistas and the beginning of some spectacular fall color. Our days were free to do as we wish as long as we made it to happy hour! The weather was variable as most mountain weather is. Luckily most of the rain came on “optional” riding days.
It wasn’t all about the riding. We visited Laguiole to see how the world famous Forge de Laguiole knives are made. There were opportunities to hike and swim. And some of us took to the Gorge du Tarn in either a kayak or canoe. We had the entire river to ourselves that day. All we could hear were the fish jumping, the hawks screeching and all of us laughing hysterically!
We sampled all kinds of accommodations that were handpicked by the tour leaders. We stayed in a renovated 17th century convent, a 15th century Chateau where everything was original except the linens, a modern golf and spa resort, a lovely mountain auberge and some basic hotels because they were conveniently located on the route! We were treated like royalty at all of them.
This was a first class tour which included a One Star Michelin dinner! A once in a lifetime experience! Who knew that dessert can have its own 3 courses with three different items on each course? Does this mean we had 9 desserts after the French cheese course? I am sure I spent more time on the dining room chair than on the bicycle saddle that day. (And some other days as well).
I must mention the stellar job that Marnie and Woody did of putting together this remarkable tour. They did a fantastic job scouting the route (more than once), creating impeccable cue sheets, and vetting/ negotiating with the hotels and restaurants to make this tour such great value for this world class experience!
I would also be remiss in not mentioning that one of the participant’s suitcases was lost by the airline and we all donated our extra clothing and supplies to her. This is one of the great reasons to travel with BAC. We all take care of each other when we are in a strange land. By the beginning of the second week, she didn’t even want her suitcase!
The two week tour was just a “taste” of this amazing area and I know I will go back! The desire to return is always a good indicator of a successful tour.
My bet is that many BAC members have been to France….Provence and the Pyrenees etc. But the Central Massif is unique. Vivre la Difference!
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org