Postcards from Provence and beyond

We give up….  Not only are the weather forecasting apps wrong, but it is starting to feel as if they are actively trolling us. After a seriously soggy day in Cognac, yesterday, we looked to see what would be happening today.

Both Apps reassured us that there would be no rain, so we started to dream of a nice day, pedalling south, through the sunlit vineyards below Cognac. Surely, they couldn’t both be wrong?

At 5am, when we were woken by torrential rain battering against the skylight, we felt that gnawing seed of doubt, that perhaps we might get wet, after all.

By 7.30, we’d showered, packed and tidied the rental house, and by 8, we were twiddling our thumbs, so decided to set off and start the long ride south.

The plan was to pedal to the small town of La Roche Chalais, about 78km, stay on a quiet campsite there, and then head on again tomorrow, making our way to Toulouse, in time for the rugby on Thursday.

We always knew that we would have some long rides this week, mostly around 100km, but today was going to be slightly shorter, just to ease us back into riding, after the day off.

We pushed our bikes through the empty streets of Cognac Town Centre, before heading out, through rush-hour traffic. We had forgotten that we always try to leave towns, after the rush-hour is over, as we really don’t enjoy cycling through traffic, but we did it and within 20 minutes, we were out of the town, turning off the main road.

From that simple right turn, we left the traffic behind, and found ourselves on wonderfully peaceful, perfectly tarmaced roads, pottering through the Cognac vineyards.

Our breathing settled and we just enjoyed turning the pedals, absorbed by the soft colours of the morning..

And the sight of the vines stretching across the rolling hills, all around us.

It was the most beautiful way to start the day.

We pottered through small villages, where the gates to huge farms were thrown open, the tractors coming and going with the grapes from the harvest, which has just started..

The grapes are hanging in heavy, beautifully-formed bunches, below the leaves; a soft creamy-green colour here, which must be perfect for the Cognac production..

I chased a tractor, and lost, which I’ll put down to all the weight I’m carrying on the bike.

Every road we took put a smile on our faces.

The views across the vines were stunning, and somehow they made the area seem ‘cosier’ than others we’ve pedalled through, where the fields are filled with crops.

The kilometres whispered past easily, below the tyres, and soon we spotted the dramatic roofline of Barbezieux Chateau, on the horizon, so stopped there for coffee.

We had already pedalled nearly 40km, and it was only 1015am. At this rate, we would be in La Roche Chalais by lunchtime, and then we would really be twiddling our thumbs.

We parked the bikes and walked up the steps to see the view from the tower, which looks across the open countryside, back towards Cognac. It made it very easy to understand why the Chateau had been built here, in a key location, on the old Post Road from Paris to Bordeaux.

Over coffee (and a beignet), we decided that rather than stop where we’d planned today, we would continue on, and perhaps do another 20km, which would reduce the distances we will have to do over the next 3 days.

It was a great plan. The sun was shining, we were on our way South, and the Weather Apps had said there would be no rain.

That was when the clouds rolled in, and within a short time the first drops were starting to fall. It was only going to be a shower, we wouldn’t need our coats.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth. The heavens then opened again, leaving us scrambling for our coats, and seeking some shelter.

What can we do, but laugh. It’s been the story of this trip. So we pedalled on, through torrential rain, eventually finding an old barn that had been converted into an external Salle des Fetes, where we tucked ourselves away, and had an early lunch.

Eventually, the sky started to lighten, and we pedalled on again, stopping to chat with some very lovely donkeys…

Realising that we were seeing more deer than cars (these 2 shooting off across the field, disturbed by the squeal of our wet brakes, as we stopped)

The landscape had changed too. The expansive vineyards had gone, and we were pedalling along rolling roads through pine and oak woodland.

The small fields of vines had changed too – the grapes no longer pale, but a rich dark red – a sign that we had pedalled into the Bordeaux vineyards. we had passed through the ‘grape divide’

The clouds started to clear, and the sun brightened the colours of the bracken and trees, as we pedalled along. It was utterly beautiful.

Eventually, after just over 100km, we arrived in the town, where we had found a campsite for the night, and also where there was a little Carrefour Express and a Boulangerie that would be open, for us to buy supper.

But no. As has happened too often on this trip, despite being shown as open, both were closed, so we had no option but to cycle another 10km round trip to the next town, which seemed to have a wider choice. Not exactly what we would have wanted to do, at the end of a long ride. So eventually our planned 78km turned into 115km.

Hoping for a peaceful site tonight, we have found ourselves on one with a large dog kennel behind, so have the sound of howling and barking from there, and are surrounded by people arguing, shouting and playing music.

Not the peaceful end to the day that we had hoped for, but after cycling that far, hopefully, we’ll put our earplugs in and sleep well.

I have a feeling we’ll be leaving early tomorrow, so we may make more ground towards Toulouse than we had originally thought. We’ll certainly be on the Canal, by the end of tomorrow, which will be lovely.

Now dare I even look at what the weather apps say?