Day 12 - Pont en Royans to Valence - Gorging Ourselves in France ...Then Basquing in the Pyrenees - 2023

April 29, 2023

Day 12 - Pont en Royans to Valence

A Different Type of Gorging

Today we are bugging out of Pont en Royans and heading to Valence. We enjoyed our time here immensely and is our first time we’ve done a multi day hub-and-spoke section during a tour. It was so great to be able to do, and thoroughly enjoy, the last two days of sensational riding unencumbered by baggage.

This is something that will become a regular feature for the rest of this tour and future ones.

Pont en Rayons, and our hotel, Hotel Musee de l’Eau, were a good base to do this, as long as your focus was doing the rides. Otherwise the place and the hotel are limited in their offerings. In fact, our hotel and its restaurant were the only ones open in the town and they clearly catered to the passing tourist trade. The other larger towns in the area offered more diverse amenities, but as we were here mainly for the biking, what we had was ok. It’s now time for a change of scene!

When we originally put this tour together, we were going to head south through St Julian en Vercors and Léoncel, climbing other 1000 m, before dropping down into Valence. After eight days of biking albeit modest distances, but with 1000+ metres of climbing each day, both K and I were unanimous in taking the flatter ‘tourist’ route down the Isére to where it flows into the Rhone and then on into Valence. No hills, down stream river cruising. Our legs thank this decision.

We’ve booked an apartment for the next two days and will be taking an off-bike day on Sunday, but tonight we have a special occasion to attend to.

It is our 34th anniversary today. We got engaged in St. Anton, spent our first anniversary with a picnic in a park in Paris and our first ‘summer holiday as a married couple’ on a bike tour from Geneva to St Anton. To say the least, we have an affinity for the Alps and surrounding regions, and we intend on celebrating that tonight in Valence. There’s no need to thrash ourselves with another climb today!

With that we set off down the Isére and after a few hours of relatively easy pedalling we were in Valence and settle in for a well deserved break.

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One last look back on Pont en Royan. Low hanging cloud left over from the thunderstorm last night. It stopped raining at about 8 this morning. Perfect timing

You see things from bike paths that you don’t ordinarily get to see. These are suspension cable anchors on a large bridge across the Isére

Flat river valley cruising. A different but equally good vibe.

The focus is on this small things …. What’s growing or grazing in the fields …. Or growing along the trail.

Just after we had our lunch in Romans sur Isére, we caught this guy having his in a local poppy

Along the final stretchs of the Isére river

Love that most towns and city’s have riverside art

Green and lavender contrasts. Very spring like now

We’ve been here before. In 2018 we did a spur of the moment mini-tour, a source-to sea Rhone ride, and came through Valence (we had lunch there)

Our digs for the next two days. Very well appointed and relaxing apartment about 1 Km east of the town centre.

And best of all … we’re able to clean up before dinner!!!

And what a dinner it was, six courses with wine pairings … plus a selection of amazing amuse bouche(s) - plural - this was the first at La Cachette

Highlight No. 1 - white asparagus, fromage blanc vinaigrette (amazing), guanciale, parmesan and garlic chips

Highlight No. 2 - Filet of Merlan (whitting), citrus beurre blanc, sweet potato purée, with leeks poached with orange (it sounds much more sophisticated in French , spoken by someone who can actually speak it). All six courses were outstanding!

The desert course had two sessions - a wonderful strawberry / basil concoction … and this rather plain offering … Crème au sarrasin, sel du maldon, huile d’olive - Buckwheat cream, salt and oil ???? It sounds more like Scottish oatmeal …. However ….When the oxford dictionary moves to picture definitions rather than words, this is what they will have for ‘etheral’. This was the star of an exceptional dinner.

SOTD - If We Were Vampires by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

I’ve used this before, in fact on our 2018 ride down the Rhone. It feels right for today though.

“It’s knowing that this can’t go on forever,

Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone

Maybe we’ll get 40 years together

But one day I’ll be gone

Or one day you’ll be gone”

These lyrics on their own could come across as depressing … but the sentiment of the song is that you need to savour each moment together, and we do, and will continue to.

With that, a champagne toast to bid you good night.

Today's ride: 66 km (41 miles)
Total: 452 km (281 miles)

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Angela NaefHappy Aniversary! Nice song choice. Really enjoying following your travels. Thank you for sharing the journey.
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11 months ago

Kirsten KaarsooTo Angela NaefThank you. We are enjoying celebrating by cycling around this beautiful part of the world. Glad you are enjoying the blog.
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11 months ago