August 29, 2019
Avignon
The end of our Provence adventure
Having done the first part yesterday made the exit from Arles easy. There was good signage taking us over the old suspension bridge over the Petit Rhone From there along an old street that took us onto the D15 all the way to Tarascon. The road was quite busy but had a good shoulder and took us past an amazingly productive landscape. There were vineyards,apples,peaches,nectarines,plums,apricots, olives, tomatoes and artichokes. All I think irrigated to some extent. We stopped here and then for Ken to take photos including a truck and trailer with a massive load of tomatoes.
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Somehow we seemed to miss Beaucaire and the small bridge we were meant to cross the Rhone on. Instead we found ourselves on the massive main bridge with all the traffic including lots of trucks, we were unsure if we should actually have been allowed on it but once committed it was just heads down and go as fast as possible. From there we got into the lovely old centre of Tarascon and had a coffee to calm our nerves. In the first century a mythical monster was said to live here but was tamed by St Martha but is still remembered by this beautiful little town with its cobbled streets and it’s arcades
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1 year ago
From here it was onto the D35 and through more orchards but now we were riding beside cliffs which to my eyes made it look more attractive. I even saw a Unicorn but the poor thing wasn’t free it was confined to a paddock. We then recrossed the Rhône and were soon onto a dedicated unsealed cycle track. We have seen so few touring cyclists, in fact apart from the group we saw going into Arles none since Venice and that was a long time ago. But now we began to see them a pair from Belgium and another from Finland - it was great to stop and share stories. As we approached Avignon we were put onto a very small, very bumpy, very old road and then we came to it. Ken was in seventh heaven, it looked like a junk yard to me. This farmer clearly had a weakness for old tractors. There were about 20-30 all unrestored. Some in good order, some not. Most commonly they were Renaults but there were others some of which Ken was unable to identify. There was also a Berliet truck and several old Renault trucks. Ken’s new best friend lead him round and they photographed several. He then wanted to take him somewhere else to see more but Ken declined and we were on our way.
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On we went and then onto the bridge with that truely awe inspiring sight of Avignon’s spires, the river and the Pont d’Avignon going half way over it. According to the counter 399 cyclists have crossed the bridge today. We followed the 14th century city walls until it took us to our hotel which is in a peculiar way built over the station. There was a bit of a challenge getting in. The bikes had to be brought up in a small lift. To do this they had to be completely unloaded and taken up one by one standing on their rear wheels. By the time everything was up Ken was bleeding from his leg and elbow
Now for what happens next. Decisions, decisions. Our intention had been to make our way to the Canal de Midi and ride it to Toulouse. I have been reading lots of blogs of people doing it and it seems no one has enjoyed this as the path is so broken up that on a loaded touring bike or in fact on anything but a mountain bike it is next to impossible. As Steve Miller said to me “Why ride a third rate trail when heaven is close by”. So this is why we came to Avignon. Tomorrow we will take the train to Toulouse, stay overnight and then start ‘the heaven’ of riding beside the Gironde to Bordeaux. By tiny steps Paris is getting closer .
Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles)
Total: 1,603 km (995 miles)
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5 years ago