The best part of the day is when I have to leave the car behind and take out my bike, either on roads not fit for or forbidden to motorized vehicles, or around the narrow streets of tiny villages.
Just across the Rhône River, close to Avignon, I first passed through the town of Aramon. In all the touring or work I've done in the region, my travels have never taken me here. That's the beauty of rural Provence, or France for that matter: splattered with an endless choice of tiny villages set just 5 or 10km apart, you can spand a lifetime getting to visit them all.
Zipping through the narrow streets of Aramon, I was overcome by its massive stone buildings, its old cobbled roads, the disproportinate size of its ramparts. And all of this is hidden on the tourist map.
And plus it was market day: a small market filling the village square and the length of it main street, where the locals can stock up on fresh produce and spend the morning chatting with friends.
The old ramparts and a village gate:
A close-up of the old stone ramparts:
Looking up from the base of the ramparts, possibly to part of its old castle? (I'll have to look this up... unfortunately I didn't really have the time to stay here...)
An old bridge leading to the castle? Anyhow, I'll go back to investigate...
Near the day's end I passed through the town of Beaucaire, set on the Rhône, its main street passed through by a canal...
One of those times where I had to leave the car behind! On my map I saw what looked like a track following alongside a canal, and I went to check it out, and see if it was fit for cyclists. Conclusion: perhaps a little bumpy, but as you can see, for the scenery alone, it's worth the small detour from the roads...
