Going Places: A Nice Round Trip

Thursday 25 September

The sun was shining again this morning with a lively breeze whistling down from the hills - back to weather a la provencale! Unfortunately Gerri's legs had not coped well with yesterday's cobble sotnes so she decided on a rest day. My plan was to make a north-westerly loop into the departments of Drome, Ardeche and Gard to visit four recommended villages (Plus Beaux, of course) and to see something of the wild country in the hills which rise from the Rhone River towards the Massif Central, the backbone of France.
The trouble with taking a nice drive in the countryside is the need to stop at unexpected spots of beauty or interest that pop up with great frequency - it kind of plays havoc with the timetable! Fortunately the narrow roads often mean that stopping is dangerous or impossible, otherwise I would have taken a week to complete my day trip. The first leg took me north into the Drome, through rollling hills and vineyards towards the Rhone - a very hazy morning so the higher hills were only just visible on the horizon. There are plenty of villages along the way, some with a gigantic chateau dominating the skyline and always a surprise when they suddenly appear.Everywhere there are signs of the vendage - people working amongst the vines, little tractors pulling trailers loaded with the juiciest looking grapes coming and going along the narrow country roads.
The road led up to my first destination, the village of La Garde-Adhemar which is perched on a bluff overlooking the Rhone River.

La Garde-Adhemar

From the carpark beside the massive village walls it is quite apparent that this valle is not only a wine producing area (Cotes de Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape, Hermitage) but is also quite industrialised. The busy Autoroute du Soleil and the TGV line follow the river and ther are a number of sizeable towns as well as the giant towers of the Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant. Across the vally are the foothills of the Massif Central.

Rhone Valleyfrom La Garde-Adhemar

I wandered throug La Garde-Adhemar and found it to be a pleasant medieval village with a pretty square and a large church. It was very quiet this morning, just a few visitors, some masons repairing stonework and a happy, noisy bunch of children in the school playground. I bought a pain au raisin and decided to descend into the valley and continue westwards to the hazy hill of the Ardeche department.
After crossing the wide river at Donzere on an old single lane bridge, I stopped briefly to admire the huge rocky cliffs which form the eastern bank at this point.

Rhone River near Donzere

Further along the busy road I was suddenly confronted with the sight of a large ornate cathedral on a hilltop, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. A few kilometres on I discovered that it stands above the town of Viviers which judging from the number of churches and grand buildings plus the giant Madonna statue on one of the surrounding peaks, it is obviously a place of some significance (I found out later that is is home to a Catholic bishop). Viviers seemed worthy of inspection and proved to be a curious mix of grand houses, churches, medieval lanes and shabby modern commercial structures.

Approaching Viviers

On my way again and the road wound into the hills, mostly forested with odd patches of cultivation and now more sparsely populated. After climbing gradually for some time I saw a lookout pint ahead and joined a small group of vehicles in the carpark. What a view! The panorama included fertile farmlands, rolling vine-covered hills, small village and eventually in the distance the mighty mountains of the Massif Central. Well worth the break in my journey.

View towards the Massif Central, Ardeche Department

A few kilometres along the highway I turned south and arrived in the picture-postcard perfect village of Vogue settled comfortably on the banks of the Ardeche River (famous for kayaking) - high cliffs, clear tumbling waters, pretty houses, an old chateau - all basking in the glorious sunshine.

Vogue and the Ardeche River

My plan was to find a place for coffee and a walk along the riverside main street led me to a restaurant which was literally hanging over the water. The La Falaise was quite busy and seemed like a great place to sit and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. So, lunch it was and what a good choice. A bowl of steaming mini ravioli with a mouth watering cheesy sauce, a nice glass of vin blanc and a good milky coffee to finish. Perfect, and very friendly service too!

View from my table, La Falaise Restaurant, Vogue

Vogue - the restaurant is on the green terrace

Reluctantly I tore myself away from this lovely place and continued on down the river - a very scenic drive. It was only a few kilometres to my next beautiful village, Balazuc. Whereas Vogue had been charming and benign, Balazuc was nothing short of spectacular.

Balazuc

It is the usual medieval village really, but the setting on a steep hillside where the Ardeche River has cut deeply into the landscape gives it an atmosphere of grandeur.

River crossing at Balazuc

As I stood by the road that descends from the village to the river a low flying jet (Tornado?) came screaming up the valley - what a din! Kind of surreal in a way - the lady in the postcard shop explained that there is an Air Force base at nearby Orange and that such fly-bys are nothing unusual.

Looking across the river from Balazuc

With time getting on I continued further down the river, by passing the famous Gorges of Ardeche (next time) and taking a winding road through the hills in a south-easterly direction rejoined the river at Aigueze, my final stop for the day. The hills are mostly forested in this area which is in the Gard department. Aigueze sits on a bluff above the river and there are lovely views from its viewing terrace.

Aigueze

The pretty square is safely tucked away behind the remains of fortifications and the main street is shaded by enormous plane trees. If these villages all sound the same, well yes, they have much in common, nut each has its own distinctive character, mostly determined by the geographical features and the unique local history.

The Ardeche River flows into the Rhone Valley at Aigueze

As I drove out of the hills towards Sablet I was touched to see a gigantic poster in one tiny hamlet which was a photo of a beaming young man and the words "Bravo Quentin, world kayaking champion'. Obviously a local hero!
After a slow trip through peak hour traffic in Orange and some snail's pace progress behind the little grape tractors I was finally back in Sablet.