Phare de la Gacholle is along the bumpy road in the Camargue. It was closed. While it looks greqt please keep in mind it was 35 degrees, and we had been cycling for two hours (if you can call a sand path cycling), and had to stop to reapply suncreen and anti mozzie repelant.
You just gotta love France. There are always a large number of bread shops in French towns. They are all so tempting.
This was as close as I got to a field of sunflowers. Saw many fields where they weren’t quite open. It was on the road from St Remy de Provence back to Barbentane. However I did see a number of fields on the train from Avignon to Paris.
Part of our longest cycle (60 km’s) involved cycling up a 400 meter climb (according to the lonely planet), to les Baux de Provence. The day started off bad, as we had intended to set out early – however the re-occuring puncture returned and we waited for the guy to turn up with a new tyre- by &&ish we were back on the road again. 3.5 hours later and a lot of cycling behind us… the hill climb started after Paradou… and just kept going… and going. We stopped twice only to have a drink of water, as it was 35°( and take some photos)! But at no time did we walk the bikes up that hill. Goal achieved! After we parked our bikes we also walked up a number of stairs to the town (those lunges came in use after all). The town itself has lovely buildings (bought some great biscuits which we have eaten), but very touristy. Worth the hill climb!
On the cycle from Stes Maries de la Mer, we were instructed to go along the forshore – which although bumpy with stones it eventually (when we worked out which path we should follow) turned into sand. While this may look great from your computer it was about 35°+ this day and we had been cycling in the heat for over an hour. Don’t forget the mozzies. We may have trained for cycling – but not these conditions. Thankfully it did not last long.
Helen took this great photograph. But I think that we will need to remove the bridge.
Some of my colleagues wanted proof that we were actually cycling. I hope this is sufficient.
It is damn hot.
Barbentane is a gorgeous small town on the side of a small hill. Very few tourists here.
