King and Queen (in waiting) of the Mountain.

Thursday 28th September 2023. Alba la Romaine.

We have made another diversion but to the west of the Rhône this time….into the Ardeche.

We have done a bit of exploring in the Ardeche valley but we were aiming slightly higher this time. We quickly arrived at a free aire at Alba la Romaine. It is a beau-village of France and has a history going back to Roman times, including a small amphitheatre and a chateau that dates back to the 16th Century but looks more 18th Century with its renovations.

The aire is a massive area that is close to the town.
A small part of the very big chateau.
Lots of narrow quaint streets.

So, what do we do on a day off cycling up the Rhône? We go cycling around the nearby villages of Valvigneres and Gras….about 33km and quite hilly.

Super pretty scenery….we didn’t notice the hills…..much!
The King and Queen of the Mountain! This was one of three equally high summits. Don’t scoff at the moderate height….we can claim to have cycled up the equivalent of half a Ventoux?
The ride had been superb, on quiet roads too.

We had a nice duck breast with salad for our teatime meal. Everything we have is a salad. It tastes so good.

Last nights rugby was a win for Uruguay over Namibia and tonight we have Japan v Samoa….that could be very evenly matched.

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