Postcards from Provence and beyond

It’s really strange to think that tomorrow, we’ll be pedalling along the Veloroute du Calavon, through The Luberon, arriving home after riding over 1200km, since leaving East Budleigh, just two and a half weeks ago.

Today was always going to be a strange day, as we would be riding through a place we really dislike, but would see Flamingos too, and the thought of a bit of Flamingo spotting would keep us going.

We ended up having a really gentle evening in the Fisherman’s Cabin, at Frontignan. It had no airs or graces, and we just enjoyed sitting at the front, watching the boats on the Canal, in front of us.

It was just what we needed, and spotting a flock of Flamingos flying over during our little evening walk, set the scene for today.

The ride we had planned, would take us past Frontignan Plages, to Palavas-Les-Flots and on to Aigues-Mortes, before a final ride through the Camargue to Saint Gilles, where we had booked a little apartment for the night.

We woke to an overcast sky, with a glorious sunrise and the sun’s rays lighting the clouds

We enjoyed breakfast, watching the fishermen start work, before we loaded the bikes and pedalled off.

Today, we had a guest on the ride too – a plushie little Falmingo that was given to us by our friends, in the Marais Breton. It has kept us company in the tent, but today, it was sitting proudly in the pocket of my front-carrier, so it had a chance to see its friends and family, as we pedalled along.

We left Frontignan, cycling along the well-built and equally well-used cycle paths, which whisked us out of the town, and alongside the main road, towards Frontignan-Plages.

Here, the cycle paths are part of the EuroVelo Route ‘La Mediterrannée, and are well designed, easy to ride and to follow. It also runs along the Veloroute du Calavon, which passes the bottom of the road to our house, so it felt as if we really were on the way home.

The joy of this part of today’s route is that it runs between the beaches and lagoons, and these lagoons are often busy with flamboyances of Flamingos (if there’s a better collective noun for any other bird, I’ve yet to find it!)

The thing is that I love Flamingos, they are wonderfully elegant, yet quirky, and every time I see them in the wild here, my heart gives a little leap of joy.

We didn’t see any in the early lagoons, but as we continued along the causeway, I could see birds in the water, a little futher along, which made me turn the pedals even faster.

It was a superb group of the birds, and we stopped to enjoy the sight.I have to admit to getting slightly over-excited when I see them, and today was a case in point, as you can see A little video of us finding the flamingos here

We watched them for a while, paddling their feet, with their heads in the water, feeding. It was delightful, and I could have stayed there a lot longer

We had a long day ahead though, and I felt sure we’d see more, especially on the way to Aigues-Mortes, so we dragged ourselves away, and carried on.

We crossed the Canal, where a huge barge was moored, to one side. It is incredible to think that boats this size can navigate the waterways here

Then we stopped at a little boulangerie in Vic-La-Gardiole, to buy pastries for a second breakfast, stowing them carefully in the panniers, to stop them getting squashed.

The cycle route here, takes a quiet back-road towards Palavas-Les-Flots, before joining secured cycle paths, into the town.

We stopped to make coffee by the beach, devouring our croissant and pain au raisin. It seems that we have just got hungrier and hungrier, as each day has passed. I’m not sure I could manage without a second-breakfast now!

Once we had finished, we girded ourselves for the next section of the ride, which if I’m honest, we despise. The ride through La Grande Motte.

As far as the edge of the town, the cycle paths are well- signed, well-made and easy to ride.

The moment you reach the roundabout on the edge of the resort though, the path turns to earth, then the signs disappear and you find youself cycling through a maze of cinder paths, broken and displaced concrete slabs, which rattle the bikes, as well as our teeth.

The resort itself is an amazing example of 1970s design, with pyramid style apartment blocks, and shapes that I remember from the wallpaper of my childhood. It’s a surreal place, and whilst I understand it is one of the most popular resorts in France, I really don’t get it, at all.

Cycling through is never easy, ( this is our 3rd time) and we always end up taking different routes, trying to find roads that won’t make it feel as if we’re about to break a spoke. It’s stressful and just not enjoyable at all

It goes without saying that there are no photos of this part of the ride, as we just want to get through, as quickly as we can. Only then do we feel we can unclench our jaws and relax again. If we could catch a train from one side of the resort to the other, we would …. and we find that stressful enough !

Ws made it through, with just a few expletives, and utterances of ‘hateful place’, relaxing a bit as we crossed the bridge and entered the ‘Gard’, pedalling into the pretty centre of La Grau du Roi, where we found a bench, collapsed onto it, and had an early lunch, just to get over the experience.

By the fime we had finished, we had calmed down a bit and cycled out alomg the Canal Path towards Aigues-Mortes. This is a delightful, off-road, tarmaced route that has the canal on one side, and lagoons on the other.

With every turn of the pedal, our ‘Grande-Motte’ anxiety leaked away, and we simply settlex down and enjoyed the ride.

We stopped to take a look at the ‘La Baleine’ salt-producers, just outside the walls of the old town, with vast mountains of salt, towering over the flat landscape

Then rode into the town itself, sitting by the old gates, in the shade, with an ice-cream (the first of this trip!)

Then it was on, into the Camargue, pedalling along quiet roads, with deep waterways at the side.

It’s a delightful ride through to Saint Gilles, where we’re staying tonight.

We passed fields of black bulls..

And white horses too…

As well as passing rice fields, which we recognise now, after our time exploring Japan, last year.

We arrived in Saint Gilles, after another 91km, and are pleased now that we have booked a little apartment, as the sky has turned black and the thunder is rolling around us, with heavy rain predicted too. I’m not sure it would have been a memorable, enjoyable night in the tent!

We really have had an eclectic mix of weather on this trip, we’ll just have to see what we wake up to, in the morning.

I have a feeling that it could be a soggy ride home!