Wonderful time visiting our Friend Alain! Four days. Four hundred miles. One of the most beautiful motorcycle playgrounds in southern France.
We rolled out of the Lunel area on a Friday morning and pointed the bikes north through the Gard, climbing through the Drôme Provençale, pushing past 1,355 metres on mountain cols, and rolling into the Sisteron area as the sun went low over the Durance valley.
Days two and three were all about Sisteron — a town that rewards every visit. We spent two great days in the area with our good friend Alain, riding out to the Citadelle, flying the drone over the ridgelines, and exploring the medieval castle perched above the gorge. These are the rides you plan for, but the moments you can’t plan.
Day three was the big loop — south from Sisteron through Digne-les-Bains, into the switchbacks above Castellane, around the emerald rim of the Gorges du Verdon, a stop at the breathtaking Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, then along the shores of Lac de Sainte-Croix at Bauduen. Close to 225 kilometres of pure riding bliss.
The final day brought us home via the Luberon and the Alpilles, with a well-earned stop at the Café de la Fontaine, before dropping back into the flatlands and calling it a trip.
Trace: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1uGq-gbkbveaRSFwfdkefru0KNC9jOlQ&usp=sharing
📍 Key stops: Sisteron · Castellane · Gorges du Verdon · Moustiers-Sainte-Marie · Bauduen · Café de la Fontaine 🗓️ April 24–27, 2026