Postcards from Provence and beyond

Well that was hot.

There’s not a lot else we can say, other than today was like cycling in an oven, and we found ourselves cycling from shady spot to shady spot, drinking our body-weight in water and orangina. It was only 80km, but by the time we arrived at the campsite, this evening, having pedalled through the heat with an additional 13kg each in our panniers, it felt more like we had cycled 800!

It was though an incredibly beautiful area to pedal through, and we were captivated by the roads, the views and the exquisite villages that we cycled through.

You can Watch a little video from today’s ride, here

The day started in Clermont Ferrand, and we spent an hour ambling around the city streets, watching the city come to life, before we left. Normally, we would leave early to avoid the heat, but we knew that we would only have one opportunity to buy food for tonight, at a small village near the site we had found to stay at. We really didn’t fancy carrying food all day.

So we enjoyed the walk, and the sights of Clermont. The dark volcanic stone buildings were so different to the light colours of the buildings in Provence, and the Cathedral was magnificent.

The street art was also eye-catching, from rather superb Trompe L’Oeil

To cute 8-bit images, including the iconic Michelin Man, a nod to the city’s strong connection with the company.

And a wonderful bit of stonemason’s humour on a fountain too. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for the conversation where they discussed this design!

And the most delightful shop front too

We couldn’t stay all day though, and by 10am, were on the road heading out of the city. Now I’m not a lover of cycling in cities, although I am getting more confident, so was a little nervous as we set off.

I needn’t have worried, as the cycling infrastructure in the city is incredible. What would have been wide roads filled with cars, are now separated into 2-way protected bus and cycle lanes, with one-way for cars. It was safe, quick and an amazing way to get out of the city.

Within about 30 minutes, we were on a little backroad, running alongside the motorway, with cars to one side and a golden field of wheat and poppies, on the other.

Withe every turn we made, we left more and more traffic behind, and before long, we were pedalling along quiet backroads, and pottering between villages.

The cycling was really rather wonderful, with bowling-green surfaces, and glorious views in every direction, especially back across Clermont to the Puy de Dome and the volcanic landscape beyond.

It was a superb day. We stopped for coffee in a sleepy little village, happy that we had brough the Jet-Boil again, as we really didnt find anywhere else to stop.

The villages that we passed through were incredibly pretty, many having a stunning Chateau, or pretty Church at its centre.

The roads we cycled along, passed through golden wheat fields, and we were stopped in our tracks by the sight of a vibrat field of lavender, a glorious swathe of purple at the side of the road. It was exceptionally pretty and a lovely reminder of home.

Shortly after this, the roads started to climb, and after finding a little epicerie, where we bought basic provisions for lunch, we continued up. It was tough going in the heat of the day, but the views were spectacular, and we sat in the shade of a tree, enjoying the sight and cooling down a little, at the same time.

That became the story of the ride from there on.

We would cycle for a while, then stop in the shade to cool and have a drink, before going on again. The roads were mainly through open countryside, and as the day went on, the heat reflected from the surface increased, so whenever we found spots of shade, we stopped for a little break.

The villages were a real delight, and we stopped in Charroux, one of the ‘Plus Beaux Villages de France’, which was incredibly beautiful and delightfully quiet too.

We bought ice-creams, and wandered the streets, enjoying this exquisitely pretty place.

We dragged ourselves away and headed on again, with the ‘Petit Casino’ supermarket in our sights. It was due to open at 3, so we had timed our arrival perfectly. Our stomachs were growling, and I had already got a shopping list in my head of what we would get for supper tonight.

Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found that the Petit Casino was in the process of being converted into a Vival and was closed. Aaagh – the boulangerie we had passed was closed too, so it looked as if we would be eating protein bars and Turkish Delight for supper.

Then, we spotted another boulangerie would be open again at 4, so we would wait for that and see what we could get. When 4 arrived, we found ourselves at the back of a queue of school children, who had all come for their post-school ‘gouter’, but we waited our turn, hoping they wouldn’t clear the shop of all its goodies.

Eventually, we got inside, and plumped for a slice of meat in pastry and another of potatoes in pastry, with a slice of ‘flan for pudding. It may not have been what we had been thinking about, but it was going to be better than a sticky protein bar. They also sold beer, so we stocked up, loaded everything into the panniers and set off on the last 10km to the site.

Any idea I had of a gentle ride went out of the window, as the road started to climb again, and with no shade at all, it was the hardest section of the day’s ride.

By the time we arrived at the site, we were exhausted, and crusty with sweat, but we found a place under the trees, parked the bikes and set up the tent.

Within 30 mins, the tent was up, and we had both had cold showers (by choice) to wash away the grime of the day and cool down a little more.

So now we’re sitting under the trees, by the tent, enjoying the sound of the breeze, and the song of a blackbird perched  in the branches above us.

The meat and potatoes in pastry tasted like the food of the Gods, and the beer has slipped down rather nicely too.

Another long ride tomorrow, but we don’t have to worry about the food options and timing our ride around them. So we’ll sleep the sleep of exhausted cyclists tonight, and head on early tomorrow, trying to get a couple of hours done, before the temperatures really start to climb.

We can’t win. Last year, we were watching heavy storms , this year, it’s a heatwave. But the cycling is utterly wonderful, and we will just look forward to where tomorrow takes us.