Bourg saint Andeol

We realised I had made a mistake in getting this hotel when we saw the toll booth next door. We couldn’t leave via the motorway and the N roads feeding onto it were non stop trucks. It was either recross the river here and go back 12 kms to pick up the veloroute , or find a way south between the N road and the A7 on back country lanes. This is where google maps ,satellite , is invaluable. We carefully drew up our own plan and hoped for the best. We were ready to go by 6am but our bikes were locked in the laundry and the staff didn’t arrive until 6.15 to let us loose

*While we wandered along between fields of sunflowers and lavender. So far so good*

Very reassuring! we kept coming across these signs and realised that the exact route we had chosen was already a local cycle route leading us to Eurovelo17

The only field that hadn’t been harvested

Now this is spooky ? Just as Christine was stealing a sprig of lavender ,the phone pinged and it was our friend Paulette from Geraldine NZ. She wondered where we were so I took this photo and sent it. She said she thought they had biked though there themselves!. I showed her my bike and bike bags and told her they were the same one I had used 20years ago when we biked to Scotland with them.

Major improvements since then though. It now boasts a sheepskin seat cover

So we’re at Ancône where we can cross the river to join up with EV17 again. There’s a VERY strong northerly wind blowing which we are super pleased about ( tail wind ) but the scariest part was crossing the bridge. No cycle lane and morning workers not interested in bikes in their way. Christine got off and walked as the wind was blowing us into the traffic. When we got to the other side though, we were greeted by the sight of Rochemaure and it’s beautiful bridge

Built in the 1800s, destroyed in WW2, rebuilt again, closed again in the 1960s, then in the 1990s made into a suspension bridge for cyclists on the EV17

Rochemaure. Note the church on the rock. As if life wasn’t hard enough for the peasants they made them lug rocks up THERE

The Hydro dam and lock at Châteauneuf-du-Rhône. I had to wait and see it in action. The ships ( and tiny yachts Graeme ) are lifted 20 metres in this lock. I’m told by my yachting friend who’s been up them in a 28ft yacht that the highest is a whopping 26metres

How’s this for an Ebike. That’s a solar charger. He went past us uphill without even pedalling he’s got so much power ! B(“,/~%# D

The tail wind has been amazing and while we were beside the river kept us cool but it’s midday now and we’re stopping in the shed more often so I booked a place in the next town

Great choice. Right in the town square of this lovely old town ,and so we did our usual routine… shower, wash clothes, lay back and watch the Tour de France . We tried going for a walk about 5.30 but it was close to 40 degrees by then so we soon headed back to our hotel and the blessed air conditioning

Share this:

Published by Wallis Don