After two days of driving and sight seeing by foot, I was tired of walking and tired of being told where to go by the GPS navigator lady. Yesterday I did at least five laps trying to find the right motorway entrance, no thanks to some vague instructions from said lady.
So today I did some sightseeing by bicycle. It has the major advantage that when I get lost I can stop randomly by the side of the road, check the map, and turn around readily if need be. And believe me, it was needed.
Tips for planning a bike ride in an unknown place:
1. Use raceshape.com/heatmap to find popular Strava routes in your area of interest.
2. Map the course using Garmin connect online.
3. Upload to your Garmin.
4. Follow the course as you ride.
Simple and effective. However, you have to make sure Garmin connect plots EXACTLY the route as per the heat map. Don't make my mistake and assume that near enough is good enough. Because near enough today lead me down unsealed tracks, some of them covered in river stones.
I have done a surprising amount of off road riding this trip. Let's be honest, any amount of off road riding would have been surprising. Today I practised my cyclo cross skills on two separate sections, I would say 5-10km in total including a deviation due to GPS error.
It was a good way to travel though. The heat map lead me to quiet roads with little traffic. It was warm and sunny, with enough wind to keep the heat at bay and make things interesting. And I got to see Pont du Gard, a World Heritage Site and a Grand Site of France.
I also discovered that Mont Vontoux is relatively nearby - see the photo showing the view from Avignon. So I had to have the Vontoux Rosé with dinner :)
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