The temperatures continue to rise, as Olivier and Guy warned us when checking out of the hotel. In fact, they gave us each a bottle of cold water and wished us a good ride. We headed southeast out of Orange and picked up Via Rhôna (Eurovelo 17) at Caderousse. Despite the heat, it was a wonderful ride, switching between a dedicated cycle path and small roads - through fields of sunflowers and, occasionally, lavender. The route took us up the east side of the Rhone before crossing the Donzère-Mondragon canal just north of Mondragon. We stopped in Lapalud for coffee and found a little epicerie where we bought lunch provisions from a very sweet woman. We crossed the Rhone at Bourg-Saint-Andéol and enjoyed our provisions sitting on a bench overlooking the Rhone.
Carolyn thanking Olivier and Guy for a wonderful stay, and cold water on a hot day
The route north of Bourg-Saint-Andéol followed closely along the left bank of the river, often providing welcome shade. Just past the north end of the Donzère-Mondragon canal, the river widened and the bluffs along the river came into view. There was a wonderful suspension bridge across the river and, just upstream, a little beach area. Into the water we went - not a full dip, but enough to cool ourselves and wet the cooling towels. Refreshed, we finished the last stretch to Viviers.
Route through the trees provided welcome shade on the Via Rhôna
We arrived in Viviers too early to check into the B&B, so we headed up to the old city to visit the Viviers cathedral, Cathedral of Saint-Vincent. The interior of the cathedral is quite impressive, with a vaulted ceiling and several large tapestries. There was a large open area surrounding the cathedral that provided expansive views of the town and surrounding countryside. We stopped at a bar/restaurant for ice cream and watched the first half of the France-Argentina World Cup match: the score was tied at half-time, with France winning 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. Our B&B had a swimming pool, so I went for a dip before dinner - a final refreshment on this hot summer day.
