Aigues-Mortes to Arles: our last cycling day of the trip

November 14, 2011

WEATHER: sunny morning, mixed afternoon, headwind

After another mountain of fruit salad and more excellent bread, we said au revoir to our affable B&B host and set off in the cool sunshine for Arles. We anticipated an easy ride through the completely flat Camargue. but had not taken into account the headwind which blew for the whole day and was quite tiring. The scenery was interesting, but not enough so that we would have wanted to spend a lot more time cycling through it. We passed vineyards planted in pure sand which produced (as one might expect) vin de sable. There were also fields of cattle and many bulls, another specialty of the region. Occasionally lines of trees or a slight change of direction lessened the impact of the wind.

The view of the ramparts from the window of our room just inside the walls.

Looking back at the southeast walls of Aigues-Mortes.

The chapel in the vines; vineyards in the sandy soil of the Camargue.

We stopped for lunch in the pleasant town of St. Gilles at a busy bistro in the centre. Once again (as has usually been the case on this trip) we were able to park our loaded bikes just outside the door on the terrasse, where we could keep an eye on them. The first course was a salad buffet, then rabbit with mustard sauce and apple tart for dessert. When the young woman sitting at the table next to us heard us speaking English, she introduced herself as a former flight attendant for American Airlines flying from LA to Paris, and was happy to refresh her excellent English skills in conversation.

Sunny skies and very little traffic all morning.

After lunch the route was flat all the way into Arles. We encountered another bridge closure as we entered the city, but fortunately, the narrow pedestrian walkway was passable and just barely wide enough for our loaded bikes. We had been to Arles in 2009 on a day ride from Tarascon and had entered the city from the opposite direction. Today's approach from the west was very pleasant through tree-lined streets with the leaves just starting to fall. We made our way through the pedestrianized centre to the Hotel Amphitheatre up a tiny lane and close to the Roman ruins.

And the lions lay down with the...pigeons. Statue in a square in central Arles that we passed on our way into the city.

Dinner that night was at a restaurant just across the street from the Roman arena, and was noteworthy for the excellent first course--thin slices of grilled eggplant topped with a savoury fresh tomato sauce.

Today's ride: 56 km (35 miles)
Total: 1,038 km (645 miles)

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