I don't usually inspect each day's planned ride on Komoot but as today is 80 km there was some sense in a sneak preview. The morning starts with a climb and Komoot tells me it has a 10-15% gradient and over 1,000m ascent over the day. A quick check in the book reveals something less arduous, 600m over the day and in a more friendly manner. I will be following the Ardèche Gorge to the Rhône and by mid afternoon will reach the Rhône. I realise later that the key word here was gorge.
My early start is rewarded with a calm view of the Ardèche at one of its calm spots near my pitch.
The main climb happens early on and in truth I was a tin of sweetcorn short of jumping off the bike. The book had advised stopping for some photos after the first tunnel so who was I to disagree. There are raptors wheeling high above the gorge.
The Col provides a viewing platform.
And as I proceed there are more viewpoints though maintaining any sense of direction as both road and river twist and turn is impossible.
I only managed a coffee and croissant breakfast so after 18 km of cycling (much of it uphill) I stop for a couscous brunch adding some leftover pistou soup powder and locally foraged thyme for a flavour and texture boost. Yes, thyme grows like a weed here in the warmth of the south. The 'recipe' works well and I add it to my repertoire. The road makes for good cycling and with plenty of rises and falls it provides lots of gear change practice and constant views of the Ardèche Gorge.
There is a Caterham car event and 8 cars pass me then park up. When I catch up I see they are all in fancy dress such as the Super Mario brothers. They receive lots of attention and they love it.
There is also a classic car event happening as it is the weekend and they pass going in the opposite direction in one's and twos. The Caterham's, classic cars, motorbikes, camper vans and day cyclists all point to this being a classic route and I understand why.
As its a long day I stop off at Aiguèze one of France's designated most beautiful villages for a rest. It is a tourist attraction in its own right has good out-of-village parking and is all pedestrianised in the tourist season. There are restaurants and boutique shops serving the passing tourists. It is beautiful and has a lovely feel with a maze of narrow streets and alleys.
The second half of the day is mostly flat and at Pont-Saint-Esprit the Ardèche combines with the Rhône and takes the Rhône's name. Rivers create outstanding landscapes so it is smart of the route planners to make the most of the Loire, Lot, Ardèche and Rhône Rivers.
A wrong turning in Pont-Saint-Esprit let's me see the Rhône and later after the waters of the Ardèche have merged with it I see it again in all its broad majesty complete with navigation markers for water traffic.
The wrong turning makes me realise the level of concentration required each day to organise the day, navigate and importantly keep safe on the road. A point emphasised 10 km later as I drift into the soft and level verge and later on when I realise a car is heading towards me while overtaking three cars.
This sign gives me pause for thought as tomorrow I arrive in Sault which is in the Vaucluse department along with Ventoux the shadow of which might come into view soon.
As a check on my position I am just north of Avignon; though given I thought Avignon was much further east I hope your geography is better than mine. Though the campsite is good but there are misquotes and by the time the tent is up my legs are bitten. To avoid further misquote attention I visit nearby Chateauneuf-du-Pape which I had by-passed on the way to the campsite. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is every bit the hub of a wine producing region and has plenty of smart restaurants and caves to sample the wine. It is also a beautiful village in its own right. On this Saturday night in May it is surprisingly quiet though many villages are busier during the day. I sit by the fountain reading up on stages to come and eating snacks.
In the UK we have some protections but seem to allow our produce to either wither on the vine such as traditional kipper production, promote confusion on pronunciation (scone anyone), or hide produce in its place of origin; Greggs the bakers do Stotties but only in the North East and no one to my knowledge is holding the traditional recipe and craft of the Stottie. End of sermon and a conclusion to week three of the tour.
But back in Chateauneuf-du-Pape land, the wine not the village, they use stones in the vinyards to help keep moisture in and to radiate stored heat at night. I suspect this is simply a convenient benefit of the stony soil.
