Manosque is the gateway to the high country of Provence, a lively market town on the Durance river with old walls, two surviving medieval gates and a hilltop of tiled roofs. The writer Jean Giono was born here in 1895 and lived in the area nearly all his life, and his novels, in which hills, shepherds and wind take the leading roles, brought the landscape of Haute-Provence to a wide readership. The town is also the home of L'Occitane, the cosmetics company that grew out of a small workshop distilling lavender and rosemary in the 1970s, and you will see its fragrance in many shop windows.
The Valensole plateau, east of town, is the famous heart of lavender country. From late June to the end of July, the plateau turns violet and a smell of honey, hay and herbs carries on the wind, and the rows of lavender run in crisp lines to the horizon. Bees swarm in the flowers and roadside stalls sell honey and oils. The other bloom to look for is the sunflower, which follows in July and August. To the west, the limestone ridges of the Luberon, with their villages of golden stone, form the first great chunk of the ride.
The riding in this area is gentle and flowing, with wide, easy roads that sweep over the plateau and long views to the mountains. Surfaces are good and traffic is light, but it picks up in lavender season, when cars park along the verge and tourists wander into the road to take photographs, so watch for them. In summer the heat is intense, so start early and drink plenty of water. Wind can gust across the open plateau, particularly the mistral, which blows from the north and can be strong enough to move a bike sideways.
Manosque has over twenty-one thousand people, so fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés are easy to find, and the big market on Saturday morning is worth a look. Take a flask of coffee and a bag of the local almonds, and head out in the cool of the early morning. The light is soft and golden, and the fields are at their best.