Food in Provence (and elsewhere)

Despite a small detour due to misleading road marking and a badly placed sign (J. and I are convinced most French signs on walks are placed to reward you for having made the right choice of path, not to signal which way to go), I find my way out of Tournons and on to a gritty, but perfectly serviceable cycle path. The first 5km or so are wooded on either side but any bucolic fantasies are quickly dismissed as I pass a walker with what sounds like “Eye of the Tiger” at full volume on his phone! Things become more industrialised when I reach Glun where I cross over one branch of a divided Rhône and then the other.

I feel it’s worth stopping to note yet another confluence, as the Isère flows in from the left. Not that you can tell from the viewpoint as both are the same colour.

I seem to be the only one who does think this worthy of note, though, as many cyclists with paniers motor on past. There’s also a large group of Canadians on a guided tour. They are using their electric assistance. I’m not but I catch them up and then gradually weave through them. Their guide (on a normal bike) then overtakes me and keeps just ahead until just before Valence where he turns round, waves, and heads back to his charges.

The Via Rhôna route has changed in Valence. Right as you arrive, the cycle path weaves through what looks to be a newly created park and then I’m guided (with no complaints about the signage!) not to the railway station where the Wells route ends, but to the northern side of Parc Jouvet and under the A7 to the Rhône.

I reflect again that it would be amusing to cycle up to Maison Pic and have the bikes valet parked but J. doesn’t approve of this fantasy. Which anyway would be for another trip so I reprogram the Dura for Le Pouzin (the destination for the next Wells stage) and head off. Just as I’m about to cross the Rhône I spot the giant Leroy Merlin store by the junction where we join the A7 when driving down to Valréas. In the car there´d be just over an hour to go; I’ve got 5-6 hours of solid cycling yet.

I don’t remember much of the next section, probably as I’m concentrating on arriving in La Voulte-sur-Rhône by 12:30 so I can buy a sandwich at a boulangerie just as you arrive. I’m not the only one with the same lunch plan: there’s a group of four cyclists eating their pain bagnats at the terrace of the bar des trois platanes. I join them and more arrive, including a couple I’ve overtaken on the way down. J., meanwhile, is eating her sandwich on the terrasse of our hotel.

I make a brief stop in Le Pouzin to program the Dura for the next stage and, after cursing some extremely tight 180° turns that I can’t make (the Dura goes into auto pause mode each time!), head for Rochemaure. This section goes past the Cruas nuclear power plant that we see from the A7. The Via Rhôna (but not me) will also pass the Tricastin plant, the reason there’s now a Grignan-les-Adhémar Côtes du Rhône appellation; the vignerons of the former Côteaux du Tricastin disliking the association…

From here it’s just a 20 minute ride to Rochemaure. There’s a frustrating moment in the town when I can’t follow the google directions but I’m soon at the Tour des Remparts and J. opens the door for me as I’m taking off my helmet and gloves. No view of the Rhône, but our room has an attached tower bit with a jacuzzi in which (after a shower!) I soothe my aching muscles. I’ve ridden just over 84km; a little longer than the 73km I´d expected. Sadly, that isn’t going to reduce the distance tomorrow.

After beers on the terrasse we head off to La Vielle Maison for dinner. The Marmitroll (or Moomintroll as we call it) had a more attractive name and menu but, sadly again, is only open at lunchtime. Our forced choice is OK, but not inspiring and we find service rather slow. J. takes the baked St Marcellin to start leaving me with the prawns in garlic and parsley. When these arrive with shells I regret my choice of a piece de boeuf and wish I’d gone for the burger. And I’m not proved wrong. J.’s pluma (when did this become the piece de porc de rigeur?), though, is good, even if a little overdone.