Since deciding to accept that we will just ride from Duras to Bordeaux and avoid the storms that had been predicted, we’ve just relaxed into enjoying our time here.
Today, we decided that as we cycled in from the north, pedalled the roads to the east yesterday, and will be riding out west to Bordeaux tomorrow, we would head south and find a quiet route through to Marmande for a second breakfast.
Marmande had been on our origial route and is only 30km from Duras, so we felt it would be a perfect way to spend our last day here, before the final ride in the west of France tomorrow.
After some overnight rain (but nowhere as much as they had predicted), we woke to beautiful blue skies and the type of morning that we’d hoped to have every day.
I plotted a route that would take us across country, through villages to the town and then back a slightly different route, all along quiet backroads and lanes, just crossing the network of busier roads that criss-cross the area.
We pedalled out into a stiff wind, but it was so much warmer than the last few days and it felt lovely to be riding without having to think about wearing a jacket.
We swept down the bends below the chateau, and were soon turning off the main road, onto the lanes that we like to ride. Immediately, the noise of the road disappeared and we found ourselves riding past plum orchards that form part of the ‘Pruneaux d’Agen’ production here.
If I have one complaint about Duras, it’s that I havent found a shop selling any of the local mi-cuite prunes, which I can eat like sweets. I absolutely adore them and so far, haven’t even managed to find one to nibble.
The plum trees then gave way to huge hazlenut groves, which was something that we hadn’t really expected. We did wonder if they may be destined for that favourite chocolate & nut spread ‘Nutella’. But, from reading a little this evening, it appears that this is a big area for hazlenuts in France, with most destined for the table, but also for cooking too.
I knew about the walnuts, but had no idea that hazlenuts were such a big local crop.
We cycled through a beautiful landscape, pottering from one little bastide village to another. Each one at the top of a hill, with tall church spires, which almost appeared very English in style.
The roads were quiet, beautifully smooth and took us over rolling countryside, which was just a joy to pedal through. From time to time, we found ourselves at points, where the fields opened up and we were stopped in our tracks by the views. It is a truly beautiful area to explore in this way.
The closer we got to Marmande, the more vineyards we started to see. The vines were heavy with grapes and we commented that it wouldn’t be long before the harvest really started, only to turn the corner to find a tractor and grape-picking machine hard at work, doing just that.
The next couple of weeks will be a very busy time here.
Then, we dropped into the Garonne valley, and cycled into the centre of Marmande,
stopping for the second breakfast that we had promised ourselves, over our first breakfast of the day..
Then we went on again, pedalling out of the town and back into the hills. But it was as if we were cycling through a different area all together. The vineyards had given way to fields of sunflowers that had recently gone over, and there wasn’t a plum or hazlenut tree in sight.
There weren’t the bastide villages either, and even the churches had changed in style too. We were probably only 4-5km away from the road we had pedalled down, but could have been in a different area all together.
We passed through a rural landscape with scattered houses and occasional hamlets, and the churches were much smaller with just simple stone arches on their roofs, in which hung 3 bells. It seemed really odd. But this has been the joy of travelling by bike, just noticing these little differences as we have pottered along, which we probably would have missed if we’d been in a car.
Once again though, the views were stunning and after stopping to munch on a sandwich, we had to stop and admire the huge sky that just seemed unending, as we stood looking at Duras on a hilltop in the distance.
You can Watch a video of today’s ride here
It may have not been what we planned to do, but we have discovered that this is a wonderful cycling area, and are already chatting about future trips, where we stay for a few days in a place, cycle and walk the area, and then pedal on to our next stop.
It’s also felt as if our ride is over, but it really isn’t. We have already pedalled over 1000km, on this wonderful ride down the west of France, and tomorrow, will pedal on again to Bordeaux for a final night here.
We will make our way across country from Duras to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne and then take the Roger Lapebie cycle trail into the centre of the city. We’ll stay for the night, setting all our alarms to make sure that we are on the very early (6.10 am) train to Aix on Friday, so we are there for the first home match of Provence Rugby.
Then there is just the final ride home on Saturday, over the Luberon.
So still quite a lot more kilometres to be pedalled, until we’re there, but the end is definitely in sight now. Although we’ve both said, we could just keep cycling and enjoying the rides around France.
It really is the most wonderful country to explore on 2 wheels.
Vaucluse Dreamer 