Uzes to Pont du Gard and back: no weight on the bikes

November 2, 2011

WEATHER: cloudy but no rain

Back in 2009 we cycled to Pont du Gard on a day trip from Tarascon and were so impressed by the colossal structure that we wanted to return this year to see it again and to visit the museum, which we had missed last time. This year we would approach the Pont from Uzès, only 18 km away in the opposite direction from Tarascon. In order to increase our chances of good weather, we had planned two full days in Uzès and we would ride there on the day with the best conditions. Unfortunately heavy rain was predicted for both days, but after pouring all night, the rain slacked off by morning and we decided to go for it even though the heavy clouds still looked threatening.

We rode uphill through town and then turned onto a tiny road near the 11th century Tour Fenestrelle, which we thought was the right way down into the valley of the L'Eure. When the roughly paved road degenerated into a muddy footpath (with a sign indicating the hikers' way to the Pont du Gard), we realized we were on the wrong route and retraced our steps. After consulting the map we found yet another road going steeply downhill into the valley. After a few kilometres on a main thoroughfare, we turned off and followed a very quiet rural route through fields and woodlands.

We first started down this lane that soon became a walking track.

We reached the vast parking lots on the northwest approach to the Pont du Gard, and were surprised at how very empty they were--no buses at all and hardly any cars. We were quite looking forward to this return visit and anticipated seeing the aqueduct from another perspective. Two years ago we were here on November 1, All Saints Day, and we attributed the lack of crowds to the fact that it was a holiday, and people were otherwise occupied. That day had been warm and sunny, we wore shorts and ate lunch on the terrasse of one of the restaurants looking straight at the Pont. This year, one day later on November 2, we realized that it had actually been busy on that holiday, because this time there was almost nobody around, and the restaurants were all closed. The only food available was in a snack bar attached to the museum office, where we had savoury crepes served on paper plates with plastic cutlery (first time in France!).

This year we saw Pont du Gard on a heavily overcast day.

We rode back and forth across the aqueduct bridge several times just enjoying the quiet sense of history looming above us, before heading to the museum, which luckily was open. This turned out to be well worth our time, and answered many of our questions about the construction and significance of the entire 55 kilometre long aqueduct which transported water from a source in the valley of the L'Eure all the way to the city of Nîmes. We learned that for most of the way the aqueduct was dug into the ground and covered over with flat stones. The museum was well laid out and the displays were very informative. After a couple of hours there, we once again cycled back and forth across the bridge for a last look at this tremendous engineering tour de force.

The old, the new, and the ancient all made more apparent by the location.

The point where we stopped to view the aqueduct in 2009 in sunshine--the clouds created a completely different ambience.

November 1, 2009, two years ago almost to the day, the weather was quite different. Our 2009 journal: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/francehighlights/

The ride back retraced most of the route that we came on, and we realized after having seen the museum displays, that we were actually crossing the old aqueduct and partly following its course along that side of the valley. All that remained that was visible from the road were ridges where the earth was mounded. The clouds seemed to get darker and darker, but we managed to make it all the way back to Uzès before there was even a shower.

Since we had had very little lunch, we were pleased to find Terroir d'Uzès, a deli/cafe nestled under the arcades of the central square, where we enjoyed an early and somewhat out-of-the-ordinary dinner of assorted salads, marinated vegetables and other local delicacies.

Today's ride: 36 km (22 miles)
Total: 693 km (430 miles)

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