Woke after a great night’s sleep for me but not John, who complained about my snoring, vivid dreams, a buzzing mozzie and a dodgy tummy. Thankfully, he was feeling ok for the 4-hour trip ahead of us. It was a pretty journey as we wound through the hilly countryside to Aix-en-Provence. It was a beautiful... Continue Reading →
More ochre scenery: Colorado Provençal
We enjoyed the ochre footpath so much yesterday, we thought we'd do another today. We'd actually intended to do a longer hike as it's a bit cooler but we couldn't find the paths the route followed on the map and didn't want to risk getting lost... it might not be as hot as it has... Continue Reading →
A tale of two towns: Gordes and Roussillon
After our aborted attempt to visit Gordes yesterday, we tried again today. We were pleased to get a space in the car park easily. Paying for it was another matter! The queue for the payment machine was long so John, thinking he was being clever, attempted to pay online. Unfortunately 4 different cards wouldn't work... Continue Reading →
The source of a river, an abbey and bories
We started the day with a trip to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Our book says that the source of the Sorgue river in this town is one of the natural wonders of Provence. However, once we arrived at the source, all we could see was a dry cave. No water! That said, retracing our steps, the river did... Continue Reading →
A Roman theatre and Welsh rugby
We had our second trip into Orange this morning, this time to visit the Théâtre Antique d'Orange. This Roman theatre still has its original stage wall, which is the only one of its kind still intact, and it is still used for concerts throughout the summer. The theatre was designed to ensure perfect acoustics, amplifying... Continue Reading →
The gorge from above, troglodytes and Orange
Today we've started our journey south towards Nice where we have tickets to see Wales play Portugal in the Rugby World Cup on the 16th. We started by driving along the top of the Ardèche gorge, along which there are lots of viewpoints to stop at. There were lots of goats around, including a herd... Continue Reading →
Last day in Vallon and ancient art
After our busy and tiring days on the river, we've had a more relaxing day today. It's been partly spent preparing Bertie to move on, and partly spent visiting the Grotte Chauvet 2 to see the 36,000-year old artwork. The Grotte Chauvet 2 cave is the world's largest replica of a cave and is decorated... Continue Reading →
2-day adventure in the Gorges de l’Ardèche
We've been looking forward to this 2-day trip through the Gorges of the Ardèche for a long time, paddling our packrafts and camping overnight at a campsite with toilets and showers but no other facilities. On the day, we were awake bright and early ready to go. After buying pastries from our campsite shop we... Continue Reading →
Planning, preparation and relaxation
I woke up feeling much better, apart from the itching bites on my legs. We are both covered in little pink spots but have never seen the culprits… there are no mozzies or midges to be seen anywhere! It’s a mystery! Although we don’t leave the campsite until Saturday, we’ll be away paddling for the... Continue Reading →
Via Ardèche bike ride
I've had a tough day today. 35 degrees is just too hot for me and I’ve really struggled. So much for it being cooler in September! Anyway, we’ve done a section of the Via Ardèche, a cycle path along an old railway. It was lovely, although I'd have enjoyed it far more if I hadn't... Continue Reading →