Tour de France, Le Sud

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Every year, thousands of cyclists descend upon France. Some come on ultra-light carbon machines, others on steel-framed workhorses. Some come clad in sponsored spandex and are pampered in luxury buses, while others wear worn out clothing and settle for tents. But everyone comes for the beautiful country roads, scenic villages, fine food and wine, and fresh morning pastries. From the Côte d'Azur and Provence, to the Dordogne and Bordeaux regions, the south of France was a fine introduction to our very own Tour de France. The medieval hilltop villages and lavender fields of the southeast were a delight, while the castle-clad villages, river valleys, and vineyards of the southwest were an unexpected highlight. Everywhere, we were treated to great camping, exceptional food and fantastic hospitality. And let's not forget, fresh morning croissants to kick start the day.

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Photos

The Sweet Life
The many facets of Monaco wealth.

Getting refreshed
One of the many luxuries of Monaco dock life.

Cozy Confines
We were offered this cavernous room in the basement of a centuries old tavern in Ampus. The owners insisted that we stay there when they heard about the oncoming storms. The stormy weather came the next night though.

Our friendly inn
The focal point of Ampus' social scene.

Dry Skies
The morning after the 'alerte orange'. We were bombarded by 12 hours of torrential rain in our trusty tent and had to be moved into the trailer by the manager of the campground. Unfortunately the storm caused a lot of damage in the area and resulted in dozens of casualties in a flash flood in the neighbouring town.

Sylvie et Philippe
We met Philippe while bunkered down in the trailer. We rode with him for a few days, but never got the hang of his recumbent.

Menu du Jour
Translation: Headless Birds...Yikes! "Alouette, j'ai perdu ma tête....!"

Salade du Jour
The foie gras always hit the spot.