October 6, 2015
To Frejus: We have reached the coast on which is probably our hardest day of cycling
Well I said yesterday was one of the best days we have had cycling, I think today was one of the hardest. It wasn't that far, only 69km, but everything else about it made up for that. We set out in high spirits feeling that once again Karen had given us an Interesting route. It was great to Lorgues some pretty stiff climbing but there was little traffic. There was a market in full swing so we renewed our lunch supplies and were off. Lorgues is a moderately sized town with a lot of traffic all seeming to be going in the same direction as us. But never mind before long Karen put us off to the side on a small road, we were delighted. Before long the paving finished, never mind we can ride gravel roads, on and on we went and things deteriorated and the gravel became rocks we couldn't ride on and between them was sticky mud. Well this mightn't go on for too long but then we came to a hill, still of rocks and we would have had to get both of us on the bike to push it up. It had beaten us so we turned around and back to the busy road. There was no route anywhere near direct in the direction we were going and the map just showed roads with nasty arrows. There was nothing to do but to get into our lowest gears and grind on.
We came to a jail and there there was a road going in approximately the correct direction and what is more it was downhill! About half way down Karen piped up again and directed us to a very dodgy looking road but we weren't going to be taken in a second time and ignored her. It was great to reach les Arcs and have a coffee. Back on the bikes the GPS that we were now using put us off to the side but the road was quiet and eventually we were taken to Le Motte and our lunch stop. After that it was serious climbing through what I think must be a National Park. We were surprised to see Cork Oaks, we had only seen them previously in Portugal and many of them had been recently harvested.
A turn off suggested that it would be all downhill until the coast but it was not to be we would have a fast down hill and then would be taken back to the same height to start it all again.
The worst came however about 7km out of Frejus when we were put on a red road and there was no alternative. It got busier and busier and seemed like a motorway, we sure didn't enjoy it especially when it threw in a few hills, at the slower speed you feel more vulnerable. But we are here in our hotel in the centre of town. There are only really 2 more days of riding so we will spend an extra night here
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Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 3,294 km (2,046 miles)
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