Viviers

May 10, 2025

So many delights for such a short, simple day! The dramatically beautiful Côte d'Azur really draws the crowds, but it's for days like this that we really love cycling in France, probably our favorite country to bike in.

We aren't sure at all how the day will go at first though, because there's the threat of rain that we've been watching develop for the last few days. If the prediction holds it looks like we can fit our easy twenty miler in and arrive dry if we reach Viviers by noon, so we're down at breakfast when it first opens at 7:30. While we're there it finally occurs to us to see how early we can check in at our hotel so we look up our reservation on Booking. It's a late one, 5:30. We send a message to our host saying that we're traveling by bike, plan to eat lunch at their restaurant, and hope we'll be able to check in to our room afterwards. And then we're off.

And just to stick with that thought, the weather report is close but not spot on this time. In fact it's more favorable, and the first rains don't arrive until nearly three, allowing us to arrive in plenty of time.

Saint-Martin is only a few miles from the Rhone, but separated from it by a low ridge that gives it a different character than the Rhone valley itself. A narrow band of vinyards lies between the village and the ridge, and our ride begins with a few attractive, quiet miles through them before bringing us to the only climb of the day, a pretty insignificant one that cuts through a low gap in the ridge before dropping down to the river and bringing us to the Via Rhona, the famous cycle route we'll follow north for the next several days.

Our ride begins with a crossing of a band of vinyards as we approach rhe ridge separating Saint-Martin's surroundings from the Rhone.

Another fine look at the windy mountain, from a direction we haven't really seen it before.

I'm not sure, but I think our route cuts through that low gap on the far right.

No, this isn't our road - we'll stay on pavement the whole way today. I just liked the lay of the land in this direction.

Our traverseof the ridge takes us through the village of Saint-Michel-d'Ardeche, a place that would have been worth stopping for a shot or two if we didn't have our minds fixed on staying ahead of the rain. After that we enjoyed a fast two mile descent to the river, one steep enough that I was glad I'd taken the time to adjust my worn brakes yesterday.

After that the rest of the day is spent heading north and upriver on the Via Rhona, on separated bike paths nearly the entire way. Everything about it is conducive to enjoying the ride: it's flat, its scenic, we haven't a modest but noticeable tailwind, and the skies are bluer and less threatening on this side of the ridge.

I've been waiting for Rachael to catch up after she stopped to swap out her unexpectedly dead GoPro battery, only to find that the spare is also dead. Charging them last night failed, which we think was because the outlet was deactivated by turning out the lights. The lack of a video is our only blemish on an otherwise perfect day.

In Bourg-Saint-Andéol, another village worth more attention than we gave it today.

Just another tree shot. I'll bet it's hiding a roofless relic though.

On the Via Rhona. I like seeing all the blue in the sky. Maybe we can afford to slow down just a bit.

We were briefly concerned when the bikeway was blocked by a route barrée barricade. I was just studying the map to evaluate the detour option when four young women stopped for a break there waved us forward, indicating that it was passable. We stopped to chat for several minutes when we realized they spoke English, and enjoyed hearing of them talk enthusiastically of their adventure.

They're a mixed lot - the woman with the Palestinian shirt is American, and either two or all three of the others are Scottish. The American is a university student in Scotland, and she's off on her first long distance bike tour with her friends from school. They don't have a fixed goal and aren't sure where they're going next, now that it's looking like it's too early and wet for the climb into the Alps they'd been planning on.

We told them something of our own situation and lifestyle and then mentioned our blog and the website, which got their attention as they considered the possibilities. They could blog their own tour, one suggested. As they lined up for the delightful pose below I asked their names and carefully mentally cataloged them in left to right order, but within a half a mile I'd lost all of them.

It's not my fault. It's the cortisone.

Hey, group! If you find your way to this page, get registered, drop me a comment, and identify yourselves. And then tell us your own story! Folks here would love to hear it.

After this we enjoyed several miles biking through dense riparian woods that deserved a few photos too, and probably an audio because the air was alive with the sound of songbirds. The real highlight through this stretch for me though was the long snake sunning itself while stretched full length across the pavement. It must have been about three feet long and I just about had the camera out and focused when a runner came down the trail from the other direction. I waved at her to stop or at least slow down, but to no avail. At least she didn't step on it as it suddenly came to life and rapidly slithered out of sight.

On the Via Rhona, crossing a small channel.

It's a lively place here. It's not just the bird sounds - here as in many spots the croaking of frogs fills the air.

A grass snake Bill, right? This should be all the evidence you need for a positive ID.

The Donzère-Mondragon Dam and lock. Built in 1947 and now as a historic monument, it's one of the largest hydroelectric dams in France.

I really like the style of the historic bridges in this region. This is the Pont du Robinet. A ferry service existed at this spot for nearly a thousand years until the bridge was opened in 1847. The current bridge is a rebuild on the original design after the original was destroyed in the Second World War.

The Paris-Marseille train line runs south on the opposite bank here, with barely enough room for the tracks beneath those impressive cliffs.

Approaching Viviers, we see La Joannade standing tall atop the limestone ridge overlooking the town. The statue of the Virgin was erected in 1861 on the site of an old cross.

It's been an outstanding ride full of highlights so far, but there's one more in store for us before reaching town when a woman cycles next to us with her friend, hears that we speak English, and then for some reason starts telling us about the Kevin Costner film Yellowstone. It's such a compelling ice-breaker that of course we stop to chat for awhile, and in the course of it learn that she knows Oregon (and maybe lived in Eugene for awhile?), lived in Perth for a few years, and did some significant bike touring with her husband until he passed away a year or so ago.

Eventually we start moving again and the two of them bike ahead of us in the same direction. We soon come upon them again though, stopped beside a small pasture filled with goats and ducks that she appears to be on first name basis with. We watch with amusement as she pulls tufts of grass and tosses them to the goats with cooing, encouraging sounds until it's time we make our move for our hotel before the rains hit.

With Anja and her new friend, whose name I've also forgotten.

The manager of our hotel (the Relais de Vivarais, a Logis hotel) is expecting us when we arrive. She received our request we sent this morning, knows we're here for lunch, and has a table reserved for us in her nearly full restaurant. First though she sends us to our room at the back of the property, led there by her very responsible six year old daughter who first stops off at the garage for us to leave our bicycles before seeing us to our room.

I'd say this is a pretty charming way to be led to our room.

We quickly change and head back to the dining hall to claim our table, and after studying the hand-written menu of the day that's placed on a chair before us we settle in to enjoy the delightful show. At one table sits a family of six, a couple with their two children and a pair of grandparents. At another, a table of five: a mixed-race couple with a toddler with a credibly curly hair, and three grandparents - the parents of the Caucasian woman and the mother of the Black husband, her own hair just as curly as her granddaughter's. At both tables the children are liberally passed around, one person after another taking a turn at giving the children attention and affection.

At the front door, the six year old who escorted us to our room is intently staring at a laptop. Outside a few kids are playing, including the boy from the next table who keeps running out to play and then returning to the table to see if his ice cream has arrived.

It's a small town and it looks like these are all regulars who know each other, here for the Sunday meal. It's a very endearing scene, reminding us again of why we love coming to this country so much.

And the meal is terrific too. And they have a new-to-me NA bear to add to the gallery. And they have an excellent tiramisu that comes with the menu that we didn't think to take a photo of in time.

Today's menu. Our host explains the items and lets us know we're free to mix and match.

Great Jupiter, it's a new Biere sans alcool!

We both select the smoked salmon salad from the left column.

From the right, she has the filet de bar.

It starts raining not long after our salads arrive, and we feel warm and fortunate sitting inside as we watch rain dripping off the eaves outside. The forecast is for it to clear up by midafternoon though. So we return to our room with the plan to come out in an hour or so and walk to the 2000 year old Roman bridge just around the bend.

That doesn't happen though, so we happily just hang out in the room until seven. And then we head back to the restaurant for a light meal. We each have a goat cheese salad, and I'm offered a new treat - a nonalcoholic aperitif, a marron kir. Our host also brings a small taste of white NA wine for my consideration, but says she doesn't recommend it because she claims it's really not any good.

Which is all great, but there's one last delight to round out the day when a couple enters the dining hall pushing a pram and take their seats at the adjacent table. In the tram are three adorable Boston terriers, looking sharp in their royal purple coats.

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Today's ride: 20 miles (32 km)
Total: 604 miles (972 km)

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