SETTING THE SCENE
Our second cycle touring holiday in France, following last year’s exploration of the Loire.
A different approach this time – our holiday began with a train journey from Wakefield to Avignon – leaving home at 7am and arriving in the South of France at a little after 8pm. Olivia joined us at London St Pancras.
LNER to Kings Cross. Eurostar to Lille. TGV to Avignon.
A small city centre flat was our first night’s accommodation. A bit noisy and with some rather eccentric details, including a crude plywood door and a see-through glass sink. Not to mention a toilet door that didn’t shut.
Our first day in France began with breakfast in the local market (coffee, juice, pastries and omelettes). Then on to the local bike shop to pick up our bikes.
This year’s holiday plan was based on making the trip deep into France in a single day. The payoff being the we couldn’t bring our own bikes. So we hired three Trek hybrids from South Spirit cycles in Avignon.
Happily these are decent bikes with hydraulic disc brakes, single chainrings and huge range cassettes. First impressions are that they loose little in comparison to our own gravel bikes. They are also equipped with quality panniers, lights and locks.
Julie and Olivia brought their own saddles which Mattieu, the shop owner, was happy to fit.
We had originally planned to ride up the Rhone towards Lyon. But Mattieu recommended we get a train up to Vienne (just South of Lyon) and ride back (South) with the prevailing wind at our backs. Plus a gentle loss of height into the bargain.
We couldn’t find a train with spaces for bikes until late afternoon, so we spent most of our first day cycling on the nearby island, and then cruising the fascinating backstreets of Avignon, stopping for coffees and ice creams.
This also gave us chance to tweak the bikes’ setup and get used to details, such as the reversed brake levers (front on the left and back on the right).
A 5.26pm train took us North to Vienne for 7.30.
Our second night will be spent in a modern apartment a mile out of the town.
All that remained at the end of the day was to scoot back into the centre of Vienne for an evening meal of chicken and duck.
