3/7/19
Start of the No Lycra cycle tour.
The first day was an easy 25 miles. Not pleasant getting out of Lyon but nowhere near as bad as the guide book suggested - they recommended getting the train out to Vienne, our first stop-over.
Only got lost twice on the first day and then not by far.
On that first day we stopped for a "traditional" cycling lunch of beer and chips, it was not a good idea.
Nice hotel right in centre of lovely old typical French town of Vienne. We landed right in middle of 15 day Jazz festival. Beautiful settings and some good bluesy jazz.
Each night we stopped somewhere completely different, sometimes Chambre D'Hotes, sometimes an AirBnB, occasionally an expensive hotel, but we preferred the more kooky places to be honest.
We seemed to be averaging about 10/12mph on good tarmac, but we slowed a lot on the gravel and rougher sections. The little wheels make the bikes a lot slower than the ones we have at home and you feel every bump. That said they did great - you can't do the same miles each day but you can go touring and thoroughly enjoy it. We packed what we thought was the minimum possible but in reality we could have carried a bit less, we'd get into the shower in our cycling gear and wash them, then ourselves, each evening - the heat ensured everything dried by morning, so we then put the same cycling gear back on and off we went.
We did some long days of over 50 miles but the heat really took its toll. It was well over 40C in the afternoons. Even by 8pm when we were sat in bar enjoying a cold beer, the thermometers would be showing 38 - 40C. We ended up cycling earlier and finishing or at least getting close to our destination by 2pm. Sometimes we'd stop and have a lazy Menu de Jour before completing the final short sections. Most of the hotels we stopped at would only allow check in after 3pm.
We cycled through loads of pretty riverside villages
At Beaucaire my back tyre gave up - seems like one of the reinforcing wires in the side wall had been going for a while and despite some reseating of the tyre it decided to try and climb off the rim.
A very gingerly ride to a bike shop in Tarsacon the following day confirmed the need for a new tyre but none were to be had in the small provincial town; so we folded the bikes up, jumped on a commuter train and ended up in Montpellier where the Brompton dealer fettled the bike and we were off again the next day.
We followed the route up a hill to this vineyard, just to be able to go down the other side when there was a perfectly good route around the base of the hill - we weren't impressed in the heat!
After we got to Sete on the Med coast we had to start looking how to get back to Alicante. We'd pre booked a train from Barcelona back to Alicante on 14th. After a fair bit of internetting we booked a train from Narbonne back to Barcelona to transfer on to the one we'd already booked. This meant that we could have two very leisurely days cycling along the coast sampling oysters and wine before we headed inland for another leisurely day to Narbonne - except that it was a little bit hilly!
After Sete came Cap D'Adge, a huge manufactured marina complex, complete with ferris wheel and bizarre plastic duck shops....
Two days later we were in Narbonne to catch the train the following day - what a lovely place, fantastic cathedral and town hall, great restaurants and a canal running through the middle - what's not to like.
One last fish market to sample the seafood.
The next day we caught the train to Barcelona. The train times meant we had 4-5 hours in Barcelona, which gave us the perfect opportunity to watch the Men's 2019 Wimbledon Final - Federer v Djokovic - in an electric storm! - the tarmac was steaming in the heat.
We arrived back in Alicante very late on 14th July leaving us two days to tidy up the boat and the bikes and put them to bed for the summer before flying home on the 17th.
What a trip, though the best quote came from Carole - "I really enjoyed that, lets do it again - Can't wait to get back home to my electric bike!"
Start of the No Lycra cycle tour.
The first day was an easy 25 miles. Not pleasant getting out of Lyon but nowhere near as bad as the guide book suggested - they recommended getting the train out to Vienne, our first stop-over.
Finally got back to the Rhone after leaving Lyon
On that first day we stopped for a "traditional" cycling lunch of beer and chips, it was not a good idea.
Nice hotel right in centre of lovely old typical French town of Vienne. We landed right in middle of 15 day Jazz festival. Beautiful settings and some good bluesy jazz.
Great stage location amid some roman ruins.
Bikes folded and safe in our bedroom
Each night we stopped somewhere completely different, sometimes Chambre D'Hotes, sometimes an AirBnB, occasionally an expensive hotel, but we preferred the more kooky places to be honest.
The garden of one AirBnB
Great AirBnB complete with a two person shower.
We had the whole house to ourselves.
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| Cycled through lots of fruit orchards - apples, peaches, apricots, kiwis etc |
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| How long? Note the car for scale |
Crossing over one of the Rhone locks on a canalised section we remembered just how big these river ships are - they seemed even bigger when we shared a lock with them on our 36ft boat coming down from the Netherlands.
One of many hydro-electric schemes on the Rhone
We cycled through loads of pretty riverside villages
We arranged to meet one of our boat friends, Graham, in Pont D'Esprit; we'd originally met on the canals in France 3 years ago. Graham has now bought a Gite complex near Birjac and lives 1/2 time in France. Good to meet up again. Just after we left him the heavens opened and we had a very wet ride for a couple more hours to St Etienne des Sorts when the sun came out once more.
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| Lovely to see Graham again |
Waterproof cover on Carole's front pannier.
Just before we got soaked!
Beaucaire - amazing 18th century town, now suffering a little from economic hardships.
In Tarsacon waiting for the bike shop.
A very gingerly ride to a bike shop in Tarsacon the following day confirmed the need for a new tyre but none were to be had in the small provincial town; so we folded the bikes up, jumped on a commuter train and ended up in Montpellier where the Brompton dealer fettled the bike and we were off again the next day.
Montpellier Cathedral
In Montpellier we found a Virtual Realty Store - totally weird and amazing experienced - Carole here is walking along a plank 100ft up in the air - and it really does feel that high.
Fabulous suspension bridge across the Rhone, recently rebuilt into some 19th century remains.
We only ever stopped in the shady bits!
Great scenery along the lower part of the Rhone
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| We cycled through lovely fields of sunflowers and lavender |
You can tell we're getting south.
Cycling through fields of sunflower and lavender.
We passed lots of amazing wine regions along the Rhone, Hermitage and Chateauneuf du Pap, just two of many.
On the way up to Chateauneuf du Pap - boy was it hot!
The limestones warm up through the day and keep the vines cozy at night - as told in the great film "A Good Year".
We followed the route up a hill to this vineyard, just to be able to go down the other side when there was a perfectly good route around the base of the hill - we weren't impressed in the heat!
l'Hermitage vineyards.
At Avignon the town was in chaos due to a fringe theatre festival, posters and travelling artisites everywhere, we only stopped for lunch. We did do a quick stop at Decathlon sports to buy some gel pads for the saddles - the old rear ends were starting to suffer!
These posters covered many walls in the city - the cleanup operation must be huge.
Quick pit stop at Decathlon in Avignon for chain oil and, more importantly, gel pads for the saddles to ease the hardest working parts of our bodies.
Looking out towards the famous Avignon ruined bridge. Carole sang the song Sur le Pont D'Avignon last time we were here - she declined this time!
It was still ridiculously hot! Using an old wash house to cool down.
First view of the Med as we headed down towards Sete.
Oysters - only cheap food in France - the only excuse we needed.
After oysters - what else?
Yet more oysters and decent wine served in plastic cups from this stall in Sete.
In Sete they have a strange sport of jousting on boats - the people on the end of the raised parts have a lance and a shield and try to knock their opponent off boat.
After Sete came Cap D'Adge, a huge manufactured marina complex, complete with ferris wheel and bizarre plastic duck shops....
Never been good at selfies - this is possibly the best we've ever managed.
What a view from the top of the ferris wheel
Great structure.
It was a long way up!
We hired an electric boat to have a look around the harbour of Cap D'Agde - slowest thing in the world!!!
Weird shop that only sold plastic ducks, and expensive ones at that.
Last vineyard with Narbonne in the distance.
Two days later we were in Narbonne to catch the train the following day - what a lovely place, fantastic cathedral and town hall, great restaurants and a canal running through the middle - what's not to like.
Part of the Canal du Midi passes through Narbonne, and goes under the buildings in the distance.
Narbonne Town Hall
Some of the old streets in Narbonne.
Great gargoyles
The next day we caught the train to Barcelona. The train times meant we had 4-5 hours in Barcelona, which gave us the perfect opportunity to watch the Men's 2019 Wimbledon Final - Federer v Djokovic - in an electric storm! - the tarmac was steaming in the heat.
We arrived back in Alicante very late on 14th July leaving us two days to tidy up the boat and the bikes and put them to bed for the summer before flying home on the 17th.
Boy, was it still hot though!
And this temperature wasn't in full sunshine!
What a trip, though the best quote came from Carole - "I really enjoyed that, lets do it again - Can't wait to get back home to my electric bike!"
