Maybe it’s the water glistening in the sun or the beautiful clear banks to dangle your toes in, or possibly the ability to avoid leg busting hills on flat river roads (probably the latter), but we heart rivers. And we’ve seen a lot of them this week.
We started on the Meuse through the beautiful (quiche) Lorraine Natural Park, then onto the Soâne through the Beaujolais region and picking up the Rhône from Lyon down to just east of Avignon.
The rivers have allowed us to sail through 800km of France in a week without breaking too much of a sweat.
As for accommodation, most campsites we’ve arrived at have been closed, so we’ve been sweet-talking the owners into letting us pitch a tent for free (usually successfully).
Our rest day is in the beautiful town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, east of Avignon. Remarkably it is twinned with Penicuik in Scotland, which is remarkable if you’ve ever been to Penicuik.
Next week we have a gruelling trek over the Alps are avoiding the Alps, opting for the scenic Côte d’Azur and onto the Italian Riveria.
This week’s highlights
Sun-drenched village squares in the south of France
Being asked if we’re Dutch, three times!
As Tour de France fans, seeing Mount Ventoux appear on the horizon (while merrily cycling past it with no intention of getting any closer)
This week’s lowlights
Hearing the ominous and too-close-for-comfort snorts of a wild boar in the woods at night
On the rare occasions that we go out for lunch or dinner, the portions barely touching the sides of our insatiable cycling stomachs
The next towns on the itinerary are Nice, Genoa and Piacenza so let us know if you have any tips.
Anyway, we’re off to find some rest-day Provence rosé. See you next week!
Can't believe how far you guys have got!
It would be a strange Dutch couple who were flying the Saltire on both bikes!
Can't believe you didn't give Ventoux a crack.