Breakfast, clean the apartment, pack, load-up the bike. Flat back tyre!
I fixed it but it took about an hour in the end, the pump which I brought along is defective and broke the valve on the tube, I had a spare and fitted it.
So, much later than planned starting off. But – this is an easy ride today. The first 50km all gently downhill on an old railway line. It has been carefully converted to a cycle-path. Lovely smooth surface mostly, clay or tarmac, beautiful gorge scenery, lovely weather, the perfect cycle trip.
There are quite few other cyclists on the route, It is such an easy, traffic-free luxurious ride that it must be popular in the holiday season, those coming up the hill look a bit disgruntled sometimes though.
The next village down, Le Cheylard, is much more lively than Saint-Martin, there are several bakeries, a Super-U, this must be where locals come for bread and groceries.
And this – a cycle-repair station, with a pump, so I can pump-up my back tyre properly – a bit further along there is a cycle shop also – so I buy a new pump and leave the old one ” pour la poubelle”. What facilities this cycle-path has!
I remember the french word for bin, poubelle, because in an early French lesson at school it was a word given us to memorise, but I forgot it when the teacher picked me to answer a question – so he made me stand in the large wicker waste-paper bin for much of the rest of the lesson – very amusing chap.
The valley is often photogenic.
And eventually I reach the river Rhone.
The Rhone cycle route is equally well-maintained, but very open, exposed. I am more tired than I expected to be at this point, I was expecting the day to be such a doddle. But even going gently downhill requires pedalling on the gravel surfaces, and my legs are probably feeling the effect of all those hills still.
The wind blows from the North here, and I’m going north, The next fifteen miles to Valence are an unexpected hard slog. I’m in no hurry, so no struggle to hit a deadline, even so it’s tiring. I arrive at my hotel very tired and I think hungry.
I go out and eat far too uch mediocre food at a nearby restaurant, next morning – still recovering – oh well, let’s see what Valence has to offer …