Day 16 Pont d'Arc to Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 50 miles

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D290 to St Martin d'Ardeche ,D141,D901,D6086 to Pont St Esprit,D138 to Caderousse,D237,D17 to Chateauneuf du Pape.

Wifi sporadic last night so unable to send yesterday's blog until today.

Today's weather fine with very little wind this morning but due to increase this afternoon to 25 mph.

Long climb up to leave the bottom of Ardeche gorge this morning approx 2 miles of walking for me ( pushing with panniers )but Bradley made it up with a few stops.

Amazing views from the top to the river below. At the viewpoint met up with Bradley again & was chatting away & wondering why he took no notice until I realised I was talking to a lookalike ( see photo) Frenchman in similar coloured clothes !

The next 22 miles was spent riding on the rim and exiting the gorge on a road that I think was designed by the guy who made the Alton Towers roller coaster,not quite so up & down but certainly not flat. We met Billy goat gruff & his family but no other animals ,quite a few other cyclists ( without panniers) & plenty of other humans as it is a popular tourist route.

Descending out the gorge we had a picturesque ride through vineyards & plantations of fruit trees with the distant outline of Mount Ventoux on our left which will be our constant companion for the next few days.

Later the full width of the Rhone came into view with a huge barge travelling down stream. We picnicked here on local cheese & our favourite Rillets of pork .We passed through a village called Caderousse where Hannibal was alleged to have crossed the Rhone with his elephants on his way to Rome in 218bc. Well I suppose they didn't have bicycles in those days !

We arrived at the Chambre d'Hote in Chateauneuf-du-Pape after a lovely days cycle.

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Comments

[Lyn & Tony]

Dizzy heights - Expensive wines!
As Al would say "This is what I call France"!! Looks fantastic but very unsettling as its starts the travel itch. Loving these blogs and just in awe how well you are both doing - would expect it from Bradley but really impressed with Bradley's mum who can cycle, take photos, write blogs and carry panniers all at the same time without falling off her bike. Mind you looks like the eyesight has gone when she's picking up an old Frenchman!!!

[Georgio]

Two Husbands
You had better go to Specsavers........ how could you miss Mark with his fancy crutch pants !! Your blog usually arrives at 7 am as I am reading the paper on line and is always an amusing start to the day. Are you going to cycle back ?

[Craig]

Cycle wear is flatering
Although not so much for mark :) The trick on a hill is to go slower to make it easier. This works until you are so slow that you simply fall off (as in: "You don't want to do it like that"!)