To Orange, a UNESCO heritage site ... and it is so hot

May 19, 2018

Let me say briefly why we love Municipal campgrounds. Campgrounds like this one have a simple mission to provide camping within a town and offer amenities for a reasonable price. We don’t understand the ones we have seen that are 3 stars with a bar and no commitment to maintaining a good camping experience. We will avoid these in future.

Paula and Stefan travel frequently in southern France (on their way to Paula’s native Portugal) and they are sharing tips on some of their favourite places. This is their first time travelling exclusively by bike. We wish the, well.

Barry is doing some much needed maintenance on Seavo - oiling the chain, cleaning, etc.

We have loved staying in this Municipal Camp in Chateauneuf du Rhone. It is well maintained and there is a pride in providing a good camping experience in their village.,

We had just left the village where we camped and couldn’t resist a detour in to Viviers with its interesting buildings.

The entrance to the village was very grand down this boulevard flanked by Plane trees.

What a cute puppy with the one black eye like the RCA dog in commercials. He came in to the bakery on his leash and this was one of the few moments when he stopped. So playful and curious.

We took advantage of an amazing bakery to share some sweets and a coffee. This lemon tart was outstanding.

Another amazing village to explore. Pardon the pun, but “it never gets old”. We love it.

So pretty - it is tempting to stop, but we have a thermos full of hot water and treats in our pannier.

This amazing woman from a nearby village was a delight to talk to. She spoke French but I could understand her! Her passion for local history was infectious. Nicole was great fun.

These pigeons have seen it all. As Nicole said to me, this time of year is best as in another month, thousands of tourists will arrive.

Gotta love this animation on this sign for a speed bump.

A panorama of the glorious cliffs along the Rhone.

Love this dogs’ amazing two coloured eyes.

We see pétanque pitches in every village but we didn’t realize that there was a school for pétanque. Everyone plays and you know to look for the pitch when you hear the distinctive metallic ping as the balls are thrown.

The town hall for Bourg Saint-Andeol proudly shows its support for the Tour de France which has come through here.

The iconic images of the Tour de France jerseys are shown here: yellow for the leader, green for the best sprinter, polka dot for “king of the mountain” and white for the best young rider.

It is feeling very much like we are nearing the Mediterranean. Seavo looks at home here.

We had lunch in the park in Bourg Saint Andeol. What a pretty and cool spot on such a hot day.

We have decided to go off the route to stay in Orange. We want to see this city with its Unesco Roman sites. Today is the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Excitement is here in France as well for the event.

The Arch de Triomphe was built in the 1st century and is a Unesco site. It is quite beautiful with detailed stonework that is standing the test of time.

We could hear car horns are cheers in the distance and assumed that it was a wedding. But, no, it was the local rugby club which had just won. Such excitement.

How lucky are we -today is a special Family Day in Orange with unique games for children through the town centre

Here is a sampling of the ingenious hand built games for kids and adults to play.

We have more pictures to come of our extraordinary time in Orange. In the Roman theatre, the largest remaining in Europe was offering a free concert. We went to the concert, and as the sun set, the lighting on the ancient arena was beautiful. We are staying at a charming small family hotel just half a block away. This two star hotel is run by Oliver and Guy with charm and great hospitality. Good value in the centre of the historic village.

Today's ride: 58 km (36 miles)
Total: 1,511 km (938 miles)

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Scott AndersonA lovely journal you two have going here! I’ve got some catching up to do, but look forward to following along with you.
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