Saturday August 11, Le Chaylard

Beautiful scenery

For the first time this trip we needed to pull the blanket up this morning, and I wasn’t complaining. So good to feel a bit cooler. A fairly leisurely start this morning, seemed to be in go slow mode.
We haven’t been cycling for quite a while as it had been so hot. But we came to this spot as had read such good reviews about the cycle path, La Dolce Via which follows the L’Eyrieux River. Packed a picnic lunch and set off late morning. The weather was brilliant with hardly a cloud in the sky and temperatures in the mid 20’s.
The ride was all downhill as we followed the winding river with stunning views as it wound through rock gorges and bubbled over huge rocks. This was an old railway line which was abandoned in the 60’s and in recent time has been resurfaced for cycling. Much of the track was asphalt although there were gravel sections. We rode through tunnels, over bridges and past small weirs that had obviously been used for generating. I just had to keep stopping and getting the camera out as the views were just stunning.  We passed old stone buildings with neat and tidy vegetable gardens tucked into the steeply sloping hillsides and there was an abundance of butterflies with all the wildflowers on the roadside. All along the way there were picnic tables for the cyclists. There was no need to turn the electric on as we cruised downhill.
Just after passing Pont de Chervil we came across a small food caravan doing a roaring trade with the cyclists. Lots of picnic tables and shady trees and as we pulled in everyone was smiling and eyeing up Ian’s bike. You could buy salads and fries and also beer and wine, something we would never see in an unlicensed place in New Zealand. So we got a small pitcher of rosè and sat in the shade with our picnic lunch. Just so relaxing. Had a long chat with a young couple who were staying in Le Chaylard for the weekend and enjoying the cycling.
It was time to put the bikes onto turbo and head back home…..all uphill. But a piece of cake, although felt sorry for the cyclists we passed as they were working quite hard. Think this would be one of the most scenic cycle tracks we have been on in France, and from what I read it is not widely known about. The only downside that there were no paths down to the river.  Such a good call coming here.

Some climb to put the cross on top of the rock.

Great lunch stop

It looked like a fish to me.

Had to share this view of the urinal on the end
of the toilet block. Very French