Brittany coast

kayak class in Port-Manech

Brittany has a long coastline and we can't possible explore it all in just a couple of days (though we do try), so today we had to skip some pieces.  From Concarneau we went east to two coastal towns--Port-Manech and Pont-Aven.  At the first--very low-key--we watched youngsters maneuvering their kayaks during a class and then took a walk past the old fort.  At Pont-Aven we joined the crowds who visit here due to its connection with impressionist artists who discovered this charming spot and painted it.  Some also may have come for the outdoor market.  We only checked out the market and small harbor and left the town to the other tourists.

Pointe de Pen-Hir

From Pont-Aven we traveled north through the interior to Chateauneuf for a late (but we did arrive before 2PM) lunch of the classic buckwheat crepes and cider.  Post lunch we headed west again past Crozon to Pointe de Pen-Hir, the rocky headland of this peninsula. A monument to the Bretons of Free France was dedicated here in 1960 by de Gaulle.

It was time to put more miles on the bike so we headed east, avoiding Brest, and then north, avoiding the threatening clouds (though we did get a brief soaking and watched the lightning and heard the thunder for 20 minutes), ending the day in Roscoff, a lovely town of stone buildings and the church of Our Lady of Croaz Batz outside our window.  It is also the ferry terminal for the English who want to vacation in Brittany.

Sea salt and Carnac

a small part of the La Baule beachfront, with the tide out

The resort town of La Baule was established in 1879 with the coming of the railroad and the stabilizing of the sand dunes by planting hundreds of trees.  The town boasts 12 k of sandy beaches which are lined with hotels, condos, apartments, and an occasional original house.  Behind the strip lies the commercial district and lovely tree-lined residential areas.  The tide was out as we rode the seafront, leaving many marina boats high and dry. 

We rode to the end of the peninsula and the town of Le Croisac and then through the salt mashes of Guerande which apparently produces the finest sea salt in France.  The whole elaborate process of hand producing this salt was a surprise to us.  (for a personal view of this, check out:  http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2006/09/fleur-de-sel-de-1/ ).  We stopped with the tour buses at the busy museum/store but decided there was no room on the bike for a bag of the salt.

salt mashes of Guerande

 

Next stop was lunch, unfortunately post-2PM and therefore whatever we could find which was a fancy hamburger topped with egg and fries and salad--rather tasty actually.  On to Carnac and the fabulous megalithic stones (3300 BC) forming "alignments"--long rows in sections along a 2-3 kilometer road.  Some are truly huge and one cannot imagine how they were transported here. 

Late afternoon and time to join the light traffic on the motorway to another walled city--Concarneau.  We located a Brit Hotel (a chain we have not tried before) just two blocks from the walls and took an evening walk along the ramparts and through the surprisingly quiet town. The action is all outside the walls.  

The Loire Valley

The Loire and a tourist boat

This was a day of leisurely riding along the Loire, mainly the quieter left (southern) bank, stopping briefly at small towns but mostly just enjoying the countryside and river.  Several chateaux appeared and we had intended to visit one—Ferrant— but the day seemed to evaporate without that happening.  We delayed lunch, having filled ourselves with the hotel buffet, and couldn’t find a town with a restaurant or even a bar until long after 2PM when we saw a McD sign outside the city of Angers and gave in.

Usse Chateau

Our target was Nantes but as we stopped for coffee we realized that heading for the coast (and avoiding city traffic) would provide more time in future days to explore areas of Brittany and Normandy.  So it is the resort  of La Baule where we have ended up.  The traffic heading east was packed while our westward ride was easy.  We’re sitting here on the beach enjoying our evening beer, and some repetitive music, as the very cool ocean breezes blow.  What a difference in temperature!  Although riding today was quite comfortable.

Tours and Chateau Cheverny

Saint Gatien Cathedral

We planned to spend the morning looking around Tours but the list of interesting sites kept growing and we ended up staying until 3, including lunch.  This turns out to be quite an attractive city with two fine churches, an old town, several ornate public buildings and gardens. We walked through the gardens of the Musee de Beaux Arts, housed in the former bishops residence, and headed for the nearby Saint Gatien Cathedral, constructed over the long period of 1160 to 1547 is famous for its stained glass windows of the 13th to 15th centuries.  A "tour group" near the alter turned out to be a German choir who produced a song or two for our pleasure.The attached La Psalette cloisters include two levels with a famous library (dispersed in 1802 after the revolution) where many illuminated manuscripts were produced and others collected.

tomb of St. Martin of Tours

The Basilica of St. Martin was built between 1886 and 1924, and contains the remains of St. Martin of Tours (316-397), one of the best known Christian saints.  Having walked a good 4 kilometers and viewed two churches, we were ready for lunch.  Rob had noticed a sign for merguez and couscous, which determined our eating location. I opted for fish and rice.  We finally returned to the hotel at 3:30 and departed (quite a bit later than planned) for a ride along the Loire.  

Having time to see only one chateau, we selected Cheverny.  We have visited most of the Loire chateaux during previous visits, but this one was unseen.  It turned out to be an excellent choice.  The Chateau was built between 1624 and 1640 and has lovely furnished rooms.  The Hurault family has owned the property for 6 centuries and currently lives here.  The extensive park and gardens and kennels for apparently famous hunting dogs, and an exhibition (sadly closed when we found it) on this location as the inspiration, for Tintin fans, of Herve's Castle of Moulinsart, added to the visit.

Chateau Cheverny

Our return ride took us past the chateaux of Chambord, Blois, and Amboise.  It was a lovely ride along the Loire.  We have been lucky in both weather and lack of tourists this week.  We hope it continues and we head to Normandy tomorrow.

I think I've fixed the defective link to photos June 24+.  There are lots of photos there.

Le Bugue to Tours

The Beaune Hospital created with 20 kilograms of dough

As expected most of the was spent riding in order to cover the distance to Tours in the Loire Valley, our weekend base. Initially Rob found some attractive and relatively fast roads but eventually we had to pick up the autoroute.  We arrived at 4:30 and decided to squeeze in a museum before checking in at our hotel.

Our lucky choice (Rob's actually since he did the search) was the Musee du Compagnonnage, housed in what was once the monks dormitory for the adjacent Saint-Julien Abbey.  The museum covers the various trades and their guilds in Tours by displaying numerous historic and some newer pieces from these, among other, trades:  carpenters, metalworkers, pastry chefs (check out some of their fantastic creations), shoemakers, tanners, barrel makers etc.  I have included probably too many photos but there was a temptation to show even more.  Lots of photographs and history of the guilds supplemented the examples, though the text was in French with just a small English handout.

Tours Town Hall

We checked into our Best Western, cooled off from the mid-80s temperatures, and took an evening walk, after enjoying a beer at the local cafe next to the ornate RR station. Tomorrow we will do some riding and look at a couple of chateaux.

Living in a rock cliff

We packed two sites into the morning.  The first--La Roque Saint Christophe--was exceptional.  The naturally carved out rock face along the Vezere is a kilometer long and first housed prehistoric man (55,000 years ago) was later a fortress built in 976  for protection against the Norman and Viking raiders, and finally a medieval town with houses, workshops and defensive machines, all built into three levels of the cliff face. The town and fortress existed until 1588 when they were destroyed during the Wars of Religion. 

La Roque Saint Christophe

Our second morning activity was to a Renaissance House, also built into a limestone cliff face.  Maison Forte de Reignac was built in the 14th century with windows added in the 16th.  The rooms are filled with Renaissance furnishings and have either a stone wall or stone ceiling.  There is also an exhibition of over 60 medieval torture instruments.  An underground rock chamber displays prehistoric objects discovered on the site.

Maison Forte de Reignac

The town of St-Leon-sur-Vezere provided a lunch stop along the river.  Again we ordered more food than needed and took home some of the large cheese selections.  We walked the river path and watched a school group in their rented canoes.

During the past year we have read the Martin Walker series on Police Chief Bruno of the fictional Dordogne town of St. Denis (from hints in the books we think this is Le Bugue, where we are staying).  The novels are full of local color, wine, food, and a bit of politics and history.  Walker often mentions other towns of the area and in addition provides a postscript to each book with suggestions of areas of interest.  So this afternoon we tried to include some of these in our ride:  St-Albere, Tremolat, La Linde, Audric , St-Chamassy, Limeuil.  All were charming and deserved a look or a stop.  I wish we'd had a bit more time for some of them.  Guess we will have to return another year.  Tomorrow we head north to Tours, so mostly a day of riding as the heat rises. 

Castle and Garden

Castlenaud

Last year we spent a week in the Dordogne and included a visit to Beynac Castle, a French Catholic stronghold during the Wars of Religion.  This year we wanted to see its rival across the river, Castelnaud, held by the Protestant English for much of the war.  Like many French castles it fell into disrepair, and has been renovated during the past 35 years.  The collections and video presentations mainly describe medieval warfare, including armor, castle defenses, attack mechanisms such as the trebuchet, used to hurl large rocks.  The many levels provide views of the river and surrounding countryside.

The small medieval village at the foot of the castle, and high above the Dordogne, includes shops and restaurants, one of which provided today's lunch.  Perhaps you have noticed that eating out has supplanted picnicking. 

carved boxwood at Jardins de Marqueyssac

We had purchased castle tickets which included the nearby Jardins de Marqueyssac, perched on a bluff above the river.  The gardens which were originally created in the 1860s fell into disrepair and were resurrected in the 1990s. They include the original carved boxwood shapes as well as extensive walks culminating in the belvedere above the river and view of the town of La Roque Gageac.

We found yet another back road to bring us to tonight's destination of Le Bugue along the Vezere River.  

Millau to Cahors

Millau VIaduct

From the new bridge to the old.  We exited Millau by riding under the amazing viaduct which we saw last year.  I won’t repeat the statistics on this bridge but check it out if you are interested.  We were headed for Cahors but of course took a roundabout route, passing near Rodez (another interesting city we visited last year) and then Decazville before reaching the Lot River.

We stayed along the Lot which was bordered by either farms or cliffs.  Walnut orchards were common, as they are in the nearby Dordogne.  We skipped Figeac and carried on to Cajarc where we stopped for lunch at 2PM.  This is the cutoff time for restaurants, so I asked if we could still “manger”.  Just the plat du jour was available, so we went with that—a steak (Rob said bien cuit—well done—but it looked as red as mine).  Tasty though, with roasted potatoes and a couple of veggies.  

Cahors Valentre Bridge

Next stop was the tourist mecca of St-Circ-Lapopie, a hilltop town with views of the Lot and the usual shops and restaurant. It was worth the stop though.  We carried on to Cahors, our target for tonight.  After securing a hotel we walked to the famous Valentre bridge, built in the mid 14th century.  The town is in an oxbow of the Lot and its history goes back to Celtic times.  It is also famous for its dark Malbec wine. We walked through the old town—fairly quiet and less interesting than we had expected.  The weather was comfortable today but appears to be rising in the coming days.

Riding in the Cevennes

view from Mount Aigoual

Rob had a full day of riding mapped out, up and down, along gorges, and through heavily forested countryside. For most of the day we were in the Cevennes and started with a ride to the top of Mount Aigoual where a tower provides fine views.  A long line of bicycles waited along the fence but no riders were in sight.  Hiking perhaps?  

From L'Esperou we descended to the valley and took another long loop ride back to L'Esperou where we found the one open restaurant.  A group of somewhat older bikers (not older than us, but older than most of the bikers we see) were enjoying lunch.  As they departed we realized that the men had ridden up to the town and the wives had driven up, meeting for the meal.

waiting for the laundry to finish

The last ride of the day was along the Gorges of the Dourbie River, leading us to Millau for the night. We just had time to use the local laundromat before it closed at 8:30. We stayed at the same hotel last year and were most amazed by the Millau Viaduct which we will see again tomorrow before exiting town. 

Chauvet Cave

Recreated Cauvet cave

We had intended to visit the famous recently opened Chauvet Cave site yesterday but didn't see any signs to it when we entered the Ardeche Gorge.  We did a little more research last night and discovered that the complex, which includes a replica of the cave (as at Lascaux), exhibition hall, and restaurant, is called the Caverne du Pont d'Arc.  Our hotel owner indicated that the Chauvet family (the real caves are named after one of the three discoverers) has a dispute with the French Government who owns the site, and who cannot use the Chauvet name. Confusing?  Even knowing the real name of the complex, we saw almost no signage to it.

one of the many cave images

We took a roundabout route to this day's highlight, stopping in the town of Goudargues to walk along the river.  Arriving at the Caverne at 12:30, we were able to secure tour tickets for 2, giving us time to view the exhibitions and have lunch.  

I'm including links to the cave site (http://www.experienceardeche.com/page/the-chauvet-cave/56) and to an April New York Times article on it (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/25/arts/design/the-chauvet-caves-hyperreal-wonders-replicated.html?_r=0).  Wiki also has details on the site. The caves were discovered in 1994, and some of the images date from 32,000 BC, older than Lascaux. The caves are more than 400 meters long and contain more than 1000 images. The cave entrance was sealed by landslides thousands of years ago.  The recreated cave is quite impressive.  The audio guide supplemented the French tour. The caves are the subject of the Werner Herzog 2010 movie "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" which is now on my must-see list.

Leaving at 3:30 we still had a bit of travel ahead of us.  More lovely back roads, a McDonald's stop for coffee--our first on this trip-- and then a stretch in the Cevennes Mountains to Florac, a relatively nondescript town but a convenient place to spend the night.

Gorges de l'Ardeche

vineyards along the Rhone

We crossed the Rhone and rode up the west bank as far as Tournon-sur-Rhone which was setting up for a festival on this Saturday of the summer solstice weekend.  The area is filled with "Cotes de Rhone" vineyards.  We left the crowds and headed southwest and up into the hills for the views, stopping in Lamastre to pick up picnic supplies.  The tourist office informed us of a three day bicycle race for which our designated route would be closed for another hour.  We hung around for half of that and then took our chances on the closure.  Indeed no road was closed and no bicycles in view.  Many of the towns along the route had decorated themselves with blue and yellow balloons, flags, and welcome signs.

kayaks along the Ardeche

We found a park in Vals-les-Bains (a former bath town we assume) to eat our lunch and then headed for the Gorges de l'Ardeche, the very popular gorge along the Ardeche River.  Tourists and kayakers and campers were out in large numbers for the first third of the gorge, but traffic lightened as we made our way southeast along this scenic road. Kayaks in the river continued to the end.  We exited the gorge and found a hotel in Pont-St.-Esprit near where the Rhone and Ardeche meet.

Cols, Gorges, and a Combe

road up to the Col de Rousset

The area north of Die is filled with amazing roads and scenery and we spent the day riding and looking at as much as we could squeeze in.  First was the Col de Rousset (1254m) with a small ski resort at the top.  Clouds and some fog obscured a few of the peaks and the weather was chilly.  We later added a couple of layers to ward off the lower-than-expected temperatures.

The Gorges de la Bourne is a "balcony road" built in 1872 (took 11 years to build) which follows the narrow gorge of the Bourne River.  The views up the cliffs and down to the river are spectacular but difficult to photograph from a moving bike, and few view points are available along the narrow road. 

At the end of the gorge is the town of Pont-en-Royans with its famous hanging houses perched high above the river which is known to rise with snowmelt.  It was then 2PM and lunch called, so a restaurant across from our parked bike provided us with the best meal yet (topping Nimes).  We walked down to the river and back before heading to the last big ticket road of today.

Combe Laval is sometimes considered the most beautiful road in the French Alps.  It was constructed between 1861 and 1898, is another "balcony road" and was carved directly into the cliff with numerous short tunnels (for better photos than I have posted, check out http://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/france/302-combe-laval-road-france.html.  The views are amazing and the road is even more so.

hanging houses of Pont-en-Royans

It was after 5 when we finally headed west to Valance for the night. We'll spend tomorrow in the Rhone valley--perhaps tame by today's standards.

Avignon to Die

lunch under the red awning in Serres

We actually got underway before our usual 10 o’clock departure time, and stopped for gas and a tire pressure check.  And then the bike wouldn’t restart—dead battery again.  There was no gradient high enough to jump start her, but we found an electrical outlet in the gas station and used our charging kit for 25 minutes.  Success, and we were off east and north to Die, a possible destination for tonight.

The first hour of the ride was quite windy, like yesterday.  That eventually subsided and the weather was perfect for riding through this lovely countryside which became more rocky and mountainous as the day progressed.  We passed through Nyons which had been a destination on the day rain sent us to Aix.  This area is full of olive trees and a few vineyards.  Lunch time found us in Serres.  As we eat out more often we realize that we are missing our usual vegetable-laden lunch and are eating more meat.  We do share a large salad and try for pasta or fish when available.

heading for Die

Another short stop for coffee and ice cream and on to Die, and assistance from the Tourist Office in securing our hotel.  A weekend festival starts here tomorrow but we will be gone by then.  Tonight’s decision—will it be the Rhone Valley of the Ardeche Valley tomorrow?

Later: The festival of Transhumance is widely celebrated in Provence, the largest being in St-Remy.  It marks the transfer of sheep to higher summer pastures, by walking in earlier days, and by truck now.  Often sheep are herded through the town streets during the festival.

Uzes and Avignon

Having found the end of the Nimes aqueduct, we had to locate its source in Uzes.  The ** medieval town with Roman roots actually has more to offer than that, as we discovered. It is known for its four towers and as the "First Ducy of France"--made a duchy in 1565.  The current owner is the 17th in line, and he allows visitors to visit his castle for a fee of 18E, but we declined.  The old town is full of medieval streets centered on the Place aux Herbs whose Wednesday morning market we stumbled on.

source of the Roman aqueduct in Uzes

Following a somewhat incorrect map of the town we headed for the source of the Roman aqueduct located along a stream in the large town park.  We thought we had identified it twice but with the help of a fellow searcher from Australia we located the real thing.  The information plaque confirmed it, though lack of signage to the site was frustrating.

Off to Avignon 25 km away for a late lunch and visit to the imposing Palais des Papes, home of the papacy for most of the 14th century, including the reign of 6 popes.  It was added to and occasionally had sections removed over this period.  After the return of the papacy to Rome the palace was used as a military base and hospital and lost much of its woodwork and frescoes, but restoration is in progress.

part of the front of the Palais des Papes

Nearby is the famous Pont d'Avignon, also known as Pont-Benezet, which was built between 1177 and 1185 and spans the Rhone, at lease partway.  We walked out on it but somehow didn't take a photo!  At 6:30 we started looking for a hotel and with the assistance of the desk clerk at the K..., found a room outside the city walls at the Hotel Bristol.  

Nimes

Our multiple entry tickets for Arles attractions still had two unused parts, so before departing the city we used them up.  First was the 4th century Baths of Constantine.  These were public baths with a low entrance fee, encouraging the general population to use them.  Cold, warm, and hot baths were available for men, women, and children.

Roman Maison Carree

Next door to the Baths is the Musee Reattu, housed in the Grand Priory of the Order of Malta and built in the late 15th century.  It contains among other items works by local artist Jacque Reattu, drawings by Picasso, sculpture and photographs.  After a law in 1793 ordered the sale of all holdings of the Order, the Priory was purchased by Reattu who lived and worked here.  

We took the autoroute northwest to Nimes, planning to make a brief stop here to see the arena and then carry on to Avignon.  Built in 70 AD, it has a capacity of 16,000 in 34 rows of seats.  Parts of the third tier still exist, unlike Arles' arena.  It is currently used for a number of musical events and two annual bullfights.  As we used our audio guides to envision the original gladiator contests, the thunderstorm hit and continued for 45 minutes.  Checking the radar on our iPad, it was obvious that a line of storms was headed our way, and that Nimes was going to be our destination instead of Avignon.

A break in the rain at 2 sent us across the street to a delicious lunch--our best so far.  Our combo ticket gave us entry to the Maison Carree, a Roman temple built in 16 AD and dedicated to Augustus, and considered one of the best preserved Roman temples.  The building is currently used to present a dramatic film on the founding of the city. Lonely Planet indicated that this could easily be skipped--a correct assessment.

Jardins de la Fontaine

We headed for the third ticket location, the Tour Magne.  Passing the **** Hotel Imperator, we pulled out our iPad and decided to check the rates.  We booked a room and continued on our way through the Jardin de la Fontaine towards the Tower.  Rob wanted to climb, and I was happy to return to our hotel room.  The rain hit again as he reached the top of the tower.  In the early evening, again during a rain break, we walked back to the arena and retrieved our sodden bike.

When we visited the Roman Pont du Gard last year we were amazed to learn that the aqueduct that crossed that bridge was carrying water 50 km (crow-fly was 25 km) from Uzes to Nimes, with a drop of only 12 meters!  Tonight Rob, on his evening walk, found the outlet in Nimes which then distributed the water to various areas of the city. Roman engineering was incredible!  For more info see:  http://www.romanaqueducts.info/aquasite/nimes1/

Roman Arles and the Camargue

Arles boasts some amazing Roman ruins, two of which we viewed today.  The largest are the theater and nearby amphitheater.  The theater was built in the first century BC and could accommodate 10,000 spectators.  The tiered seating had three levels, each limited to various classes (nobility and military, Roman citizens, the rest).  Elaborate performances with special effects were highly popular.

Amphitheater

The larger amphitheater could seat 21,000, was built around 90 AD, and was used for gladiator contests and other games. Both theaters had canvas shades which could be pulled out against the sun. The stonework in both these ruins has recently been cleaned. We later learned that in the middle ages a town grew up in the amphitheater.  When excavation started in 1830, 600 houses and two churches had to be demolished.

For our third Roman experience we headed to the Arles Museum of Antiquity, a large modern 1995 building covering mainly Roman Arles and containing a huge selection of artifacts--sculpture, mosaics, models, everyday items, and the highlight for us--the Arles-Rhone 3--a 30 foot long Roman barge discovered in 2010, raised and conserved (a difficult task with submerged wood) and put on display two years ago. This museum was one of the best we have visited.

Aigues-Mortes

Arles lies at the head of the Camargue, a vast flat natural area between the two arms of the Rhone and the Mediterranean.  It is famous for its Camargue white horses, black bulls, and flamingoes.  Little is grown here except rice and much of the land consists of brine lagoons.  Two towns dot the area and we stopped at both--Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer, the larger and a seaside beach community, and Aigues-Mortes, a fortified town whose walls date to 1240 when Louis IX needed access to the sea for launching troops for the Crusades. (Earlier in 791, Charlemagne erected a tower here for the protection of fishermen and salt workers--and we noticed the large salt piles near town).  We headed back to Arles but took a final side trip that brought us through the most remote part of the Camargue.  

Les Baux and Glanum

There were two big items on today's docket and we happened on a third.  We took the autoroute north from Aix and continued on back roads towards Les Baux-en-Provence.  Six kilometers away we noticed a parade forming in the town of Eyguieres.  Rob can't pass up a parade so we stopped and watched a long line of elaborately dressed horses, wagons covered with tree branches, a women's dance group, and a choreographed group who swung whips of some sort.  Signage suggested this was a festival of Saint Eloi.

Les Baux from its castle

Finally we arrived at the very touristy but quite interesting town of Les Baux. It sits atop a rocky outcrop in the Alpilles mountains and is crowned with a ruined castle. During the middle ages it was the seat of a powerful feudal lordship and renowned for its ornateness and culture.  The castle eventually fell to the Manville family and then to the Grimaldi family of Monaco.  Exploring the extensive ruins requires some climbing skills but provide fine views of the town below and the countryside. In 1821 the aluminum ore bauxite was discovered (Les Baux gave it its name), and there was also extensive quarrying of the limestone in the area.

Our castle tickets included a multimedia show at the Carrieres de Lumieres which is the former limestone quarry.  We didn't know what to expect but the setting made the experience memorable.  To the sound of classical music, paintings by de Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo were projected onto the walls and floor.  The photos really don't convey the effect, especially without the movement and music.

Glanum

At 4:30 we departed Les Baux and rode to Glanum, a Roman town with extensive ruins. The information plaques include drawings of the buildings as they might have looked through various phases of the city's history from Celtic to Roman and later. We wandered through the ruins with a few other tourists and departed at 6:30 for the 40 minute ride to Arles, home to Van Gogh and several Roman ruins, one of which is visible from our hotel window.

Aix markets and museums

Aix food market

After last night's rain, today produced perfect temperatures and sun. First on the agenda were several Saturday markets--food, flowers, and clothing.  All provided photo ops but no purchases.  We walked past many of the ornate buildings, squares, and fountains which make Aix an appealing city.


At noon we took in the first of two intended museums, the Granet, housed in a classic villa.  This museum is actually split between two separated buildings, the original with sculpture, some archaeological finds, and paintings from the Renaissance to early 20th century--a relatively interesting but not exceptional collection.  The renovated Chapelle des Penitents blancs which opened in 2007 houses the Collection Jean Planque.  Planque was a Swiss painter, collector, and agent for the Breyeler Museum in Basel.  He befriended and supported many artists, buying their works and keeping most of them.  Paintings by Picasso, Braque, Cezanne and other well known artists are supplemented by lesser names such as Hans Berger and Kosta Alex whose work he admired.

We stopped for a quick lunch at 2, and then the deluge broke--heavier than last night.  We sat out most of it and made a break when the rain lightened, only to be caught as it increased again.  We made it back to the hotel, dried off, and headed out with our umbrellas this time.

Caumont Centre d'Art

 

The newly renovated Caumont Centre d'Art, housed in a lovely villa (1715+), had a special exhibition on Canaletto and we were quite impressed by both the building and the paintings and drawings of this artist. Fortunately the museum was open until 7, so our rain delay did not impinge on our visit. Before departing we watched a film about Cezanne whose home and inspiration were here.

The final activity of the day/evening was a visit to the local laundromat, resulting in another week of clean clothes.   More rain expected tomorrow but we will move on.

Cucuron and Aix

one of our pre-lunch roads

It was time to leave the coast and head into Provence.  We had planned to reach the town of Nyon but the weather forecast for today and the weekend was for on and off thunderstorms and there was nothing in that town to keep us indoors.  We took the autoroute and then two minor roads through the hilly, rocky landscape.

We had a lunch date with our friend Janis in the charming town of Cucuron. She had recommended a restaurant that was used in the filming of the 2006 movie A Good Year, which we have not seen.  The filming was irrelevant since this is one of her favorite spots and the meal was excellent. The rain held off but it was clear that Aix-en-Provence, just 30 minutes away, would provide the needed rainy-day entertainment for the weekend.

our Cucuron restaurant with the yellow awning

We had just secured a room when the deluge began and continues two hours later.  Will we get to use our patio over the next two days?

Another Provence loop

I hope the blog readers will excuse the repetition of yet another day spent riding in these wonderful mountains.  There are so many remote areas and green-line roads to explore.  Today Rob had mapped out a loop that included some very minor roads and ended with a new section of coast.

harvested cork oak

We started west along the coast in heavy traffic (30 minutes to go 10K) until we could turn north in Grimaud.  From then on the traffic was light to nonexistent.  Like last night's ride, the hilly area is covered with pine and cork oak.  Today we noticed many of the latter from which  the cork bark had been harvested.  The cut section shows a dark reddish bark after harvesting.  For more information see: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_oak.

We stopped at the village of Collobrieres--recommended in Lonely Planet--which was not as interesting as expected but did provide lunch (again, a bit of a disappointment.  Next time we will choose the more crowded restaurant).  

La Tour Fondue near Hyeres

The loop took us down to the coast at Hyeres and the adjacent peninsula from which ferries depart for several offshore islands including Porquerolles.  We followed the coast road east towards St.-Tropez, noting a number of pleasant communities with the usual sandy beach and marina.  We were not much impressed by St.-Tropez.  Several five-star hotels were hidden from view, but the seaside and town didn't strike us as anything special.  Are we jaded by Cannes, Nice etc? Or did we miss some section of town that warrants its reputation?  We returned to our Sainte-Maxime hotel at 8:30.  Tomorrow we leave the Mediterranean and head into Provence and beyond.

Antibes to Sainte-Maxime

We spent the day along the coast with several short stops to provide walking breaks.  West from Antibes is Cannes so for the third time we drove that waterfront with yachts and beaches on the sea side and ornate hotels and upscale shops on our right.  We did stop briefly and walked by numerous horse vans which had transported entries for next weekend's races.

Corniche de l'Esterel

Next stop and walk was at Thoule-sur--Mer with its nearly-empty sand beach (compared to the very crowded pebble beach at Nice) and harbor.  A pleasant low-key alternative to larger resort cities. The coast road west of Thoule is called the Corniche de l'Esterel and was the most stunning ride today, with red rocky outcroppings, clear blue water, and cliffs rising behind.  No beaches here, just great scenery.

We pulled into Saint-Raphael and neighboring Frejus to find a lunch spot, ending up in the harbor at Frejus and returning to Saint-Raphael for another pleasant stroll on the seaside promenade and to the Cathedral which we were unable to enter due to a children's pageant taking place in front.

our evening ride

We moved on to Sainte-Maxime and secured housing and a brief rest (this was not a particularly strenuous day but we have missed our afternoon naps, so took advantage of an early stop).  But at 6:30 we headed out again for a two hour loop into the mountains northwest of the coast.  The hills are dotted with live oak and pine trees, a rare vineyard or olive orchard or house.  There was little traffic on the narrow roads and the loop provided a fine ending to the day.

Picasso and Mougins

Picasso's ceramic plates

The Picasso Museum in Antibes is housed in the Chateau Grimaldi which in 1608 became a stronghold of the Grimaldi family.  In modern times it was the town hall and a museum.  In 1946 Picasso, who lived in Mougins, was invited to work in a studio space at the museum. Many of the pieces that he created here were donated to the museum which became the Picasso Museum.  Jacqueline Picasso donated additional works in 1990, raising the total to 245. The interior is entirely modern while the exterior remains original. We stopped by the busy covered market as we returned to our hotel and then departed.  

Our first stop was the local Villa Thuret Botanical Garden.  In 1857 botanist Gustave Thuret bought 5 acres and started a garden of plants from the various "Mediterranean" climate areas of the world. The estate eventually passed to the state.  We were the only visitors and roamed for an hour, enjoying the shade and well-labeled trees, recognizing many since southern California is one of five such climate areas.

Leda and the Swan:  Lalique and ancient Greece

Having read of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in our Lonely Planet, we decided to spend the afternoon in that hilltop town 20km north of Cannes.  The museum was founded in 2011 by British businessman and collector Chris Levett, whose collections of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities are supplemented by more modern works that reflect classical influence. This juxtaposition of ancient and modern encourages the visitor to consider this influence. We walked the charming town which was generally devoid of tourists.  

Next on the long list of today's attractions was the nearby Jardin du MIP which is run by the Grasse Perfume Museum (which we sadly will have to miss on this trip).  The garden grows the various plants used in making perfume.  Extensive signage in English indicated the growing season, parts of the plants used, amounts required, and value.  

One final stop on this busy day was the Cannes waterfront, since we do not plan to stop here tomorrow as we exit the area.  We took a pleasant walk past the yacht harbor, admiring (?) the wealth invested in these huge boats.

Antibes and around

glassblowing demo in Biot

Our hotel is in Old Town Antibes so we started the day by walking the narrow streets and along the ramparts and through the marina.  In the early afternoon we rode north to Biot, halfway to Nice.  The town is known for its glassblowers so we stopped to have a look.  Besides their own showroom and demonstration area (not active), they display glass artworks of various artists—mostly Czech, French, and American.  Biot is known for its "bubble" glass.  We had lunch nearby and when we returned a school group had arrived and activated the demonstration.

We rode to the upper town of Biot and walked more narrow streets before heading for our main attraction of the day:  the Renoir Museum at Cagnes.  Renoir built the house in 1907 when his hands were crippled with arthritis which he hoped the southern climate would ease.  He lived here with his wife and three sons until he died in 1919.  The house is sparsely furnished and contains photographs of the family and some artwork by Renoir and associates. The house has fine views and the gardens contain ancient olive trees.  The nearby "Farm" building was showing a video in French of an interview with his son, movie director Jean Renoir, who reminisced about his childhood experiences here.

Renoir home and museum in Cagnes

We left at 6 and rode south past Antibes to Juan-les-Pins and the Cap d'Antibes peninsula where we took a walk along the rocky shore.  Tomorrow we will visit the nearby Picasso Museum and perhaps see what Cannes has to offer.

Alps again

along the Gorges Rouges

After taking in the modest Sunday morning "Flower Show Market" along the main street of sleepy-but-perfectly-enjoyable Beuil and purchasing two quiches for lunch, we headed south into the "Gorges Rouges"--a deep canyon of reddish stone with nearly vertical sides.  Yet another amazing road. Exiting the gorge we headed west to the medieval town of Entrevaux. As luck would have it, the town features a small motorcycle museum, which we just managed to catch open before its lunchtime closure. Lots of bikes from the 1950s and earlier.  In addition to the medieval town and citadel perched above, Entrevaux is on the Nice-to-Digne tourist train route, so we had to walk to the station to see it arrive and depart.

Heading west again towards Castellane, we noticed the Gorges de Daluis heading north and of course had to check it out.  Another stunning road! It brought us to Guillaumes (not far from our starting point at Beuil) where we enjoyed the quiche, along with yesterday's leftover pizza and a bag of greens, and cherries. 

To complete the loop to Colmars and on to Castellane, we had to cross one more pass--the Col de Champs (2015m). That was today's twisty challenge.

heading towards the Col de Champs (before the rain hit)

As we approached the pass we watched the skies darken in all directions and the lightning begin. Rain quickly followed. The road down was not in great condition, with potholes and no guardrails--not a pleasant ride in wet cold weather. (rde: It was one of the more challenging ones. Someday I should describe how Judy and I negotiate super-tight uphill right turn hairpins. To begin, it takes four eyes and then ...) We persevered, getting quite soaked since we had not suited up. Seeking dryness we finally stopped in Saint-Andre-les-Alpes for a break and coffee. 

Finally we reached Castellane and the Route Napoleon which we took east&south to Grasse where we hopped on the autoroute for the final leg to Antibes and our hotel for the next three nights.  The Route Napoleon, which we have intersected before, runs from Antibes to Grenoble, and is the 325 km route that Napoleon, after his release from Elba, took north in 1815 to launch a new campaign, which ended with his defeat at Waterloo.  This is the bicentennial of that event, and March 1 saw many commemorations of it.  

French Alps--Four passes

This was a full day of riding, though we only covered 142 miles.  Rob had mapped out a loop from our base in Beuil that included four passes, so most of the ride consisted of hairpin turns.  But the views were fantastic, the weather warm below and cool above, and the traffic was minimal.  This posting will mainly include the names of the passes and the photos are all of mountain scenery and cows.  Not much variation today.

cows stuck on the hillside

We rode the loop counterclockwise, starting with a repeat of yesterday's Col de la Couillole (1878m).  Heading north on Route D2205 through the Vallee de la Tinee, we next took a diversion toward the Col de la Lombarde. This pass continues into Italy, but we turned around at the ski resort of Isola 2000--empty of visitors today, and descended, finding an appealing river walk to break up the ride.  Cow bells signaled a herd advancing along the river, only to get stuck trying to climb the hillside.  Perhaps their usual route was blocked?  Some tried to turn, others started to slip towards the river--clearly the head cow had made an error.  No human accompanied the animals.  We continued on our walk and soon heard the cow bells behind us--they had successfully navigated the hillside.  Please excuse the many cow photos. 

view from the Col de la Bonette

We rode down to the town of Isola for a pizza lunch.  It was a bit after 2PM (often a cut-off for lunch service) so the owner said we had to eat indoors(?) and that the salad was not available.  We tried to order one pizza and one fish-and-chips, but apparently didn't make ourselves clear so we ended up with two large pizzas.  We ate one and saved the other for tomorrow's lunch (maybe).

Pass number two was the highest--Col de la Bonette (2715m) with spectacular scenery.  Then on to Barcelonnette for a brief Carrefour Market stop.  Dark clouds were forming and thunderstorms were predicted, but we continued up our third pass, Col de la Cayolle (2326m).  We negotiated the fourth pass at Valberg and successfully reached Beuil without rain at 7PM.  A trout and beef stew dinner in our hotel restaurant completed the day.