Up early for the cool of the morning. Gentle riding through countryside (similar to the Mangles road near Murchison), the solid ‘moderate’ climbing to Col de Perjuret (1031m), then through forest to sleepy Cabrillac, and continue climbing to the summit of Mont Aigoual (1567m). We soak in the views and peruse the meteo (weather) exposition. […]
Mis-set alarm so a bit slow to get away. A steady climb through forest from 1069m to 1541m (Col de Finiels). Around the Mont Lozère ski resort we enter rolling alpine fields sprinkled with stone bridges and wild flowers. The wind is cold, so we don jackets for a fun descent on a narrow, winding […]
Up early again, and straight into a steady, gentle climb through pleasant forest to Col du Mas de l’Air (846m), then a smooth, fast descent into Villefort. Do groceries and chill out with a coffee as a thunderstorm threatens but doesn’t follow through. Ride past a lake (the Barrage de Villefort) unaware of the old […]
Up at 5:30am to try and beat the heat. Climb into the dramatic Gorge de l’Ardeche. Hot and sweating by 7:30am. Lots of up and down along 33km of gorge, which takes us four hours, including regular stops at lookout points. There are simply huge numbers of colourful kayaks down in the gorge (mellow paddling, […]
Away at 7:20am on Lonely Planet’s recommended ride to the ‘Remote Cevennes.’ Slow and steady out of Avignon, through Tavel (though too early to sample France’s premier rosé wine), Lirac, St-Laurent des Arbes (where the local wine co-op is open, so we do a degustation for morning tea!), accidentally bypass Laudun, linger over coffee in […]
We decided to chill out for an extra day in Avignon, and for relaxation(!) we rose early and blasted out beside the Rhône without gear. We were flying compared to touring mode. We visited the Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct that brought water to Nîmes, built in 38-52AD. We rode up to Castillon-du-Gard, […]
We’ve struggled to find affordable access to the internet (often 5€/hr or more - that’s $10 NZD), so today in Avignon we’ve done some washing and sat on the net for a few hours. Our likely plan is to head west into the Cevennes for a week, emerging at Nîmes…
Cruise into Châteauxneuf-de-Pape and stop at the Museé des Vin at Caves Brotte for a free browse of French wine-making history and techniques and a tasting of several Brotte wines. We secure our bikes at the information centre in the town square and walk up the hill to see the ruins of the original chateaux. […]
A relaxed start so we can enjoy the renowned market in Vaison-la-Romaine. While Jonathan did the café and newspaper thing and kept an eye on the cycles, Lisa was delighted to be able to wander around with the locals and tourists tasting and buying Provençal goodies for our picnic lunches. Cherries, melons, apricots, cheese, […]
Day 35. Up at 5:55am, and away by 7:10 while most of the camp is still asleep. The mountain is clear, so we descend to Sault then begin climbing through forest on a gentle gradient. For the first couple of hours we are the only people on the road. We reach Chalet Reynard and the […]
Away at 8:30am and unexpectedly find boulangerie and grocery stores open on a Sunday so stock-up. Climb easily out of town through bushclad hills and into the impressive Gorges de la Nesque. The road proves to have a gentle gradient, and we enjoy the increasingly dramatic views of limestone crags and overhanging cliffs. There is […]
Decide to break the LP’s recommended day in two to leave us fresher for Mt Ventoux (a great decision as it turns out). Through fields to Joucas, then climb to Murs. A mild additional climb brings us to the Col de Murs (627m) with many additional cyclists doing Saturday rides. A blast downhill to outrun […]