Day 19 Pernes les Fontaines to Darbres

Posted by: Rob on 20/06/2013
Cloud at first then sun!
Banner showing view of hills around Mont ventoux

Stats

72.00 mi
20/06/2013 08:39 CEST
Elevation Gain
Elevation Gain:
Up
3509.84 ft
Down
2353.28 ft
Elevation Range
Elevation Range:
Max.
1640.09 ft
Min.
113.19 ft
1180.62 mi
201.49 mi
ShowMap
1180.62 mi
201.49 mi

Day 19

It rained quite a bit in the night, but by morning it had cleared up. I let my tent dry out while I waited for the shop to open so I could pick up my breakfast.

Once done with that I set off. It was easy direction wise and I just followed the road towards Orange and after that, the road into the Ardeche.

It really was rather uneventful! I was a bit tired after yesterdays excitement and was happy to just plod on to the campsite I'd seen near Villeneuve de Berg.

I was making really good progress, but felt very tired. I couldn't stop yawning at one point!

I got to about 10 miles to go and it started to rain. Nothing too bad, but I took shelter under a tree for a while.

Once cleared I set off again. It seemed to take for ever to get to the site, but I got there in the end and it was still quite early.

They said they had a minimum 2 nights policy. And just to make things worse, the price for one night was double what I'd paid at the last place. So basically, I had to find somewhere else. Shame, as they had a really nice cat!

Strangely, I suddenly felt re-energised. I saw there was another site 12 km away. So off I went. The sun had properly come out again and I started getting some good views.

Then there was a massive climb! Well compared to yesterday, it was a baby, but it was still 6 km at 7%

I really enjoyed the climb. It finished at a village called Mirabel and the views were absolutely stunning! I was glad the other campsite wasn't a goer now!

At the top of the climb there was a refreshment van thing, so I got an ice cold can of coke and admired the amazing view.

It was about 5k to the village of Darbres where my new campsite was and it was mostly downhill, but not fully down to the level I started.

I found the site no problem and it's a beauty! I was just thinking that the nicest site I'd stayed at was probably the very first place. So it was about time that was rectified!

It is very picturesque and very cheap too! Plus they have an even nicer cat than the other place! Oh and a parrot that does an excellent impression of the cat!

So all in all, it couldn't have turned out better!

I've just had an excellent dinner and am now watching the sun set over the hills in a cloudless sky. Happy days...

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Karen on 21/06/2013 18:31:31
Why is there no one in the pool? Is it shut?? Dinner looks a bit different tonight (no ice cream) but that salad looks great -making me feel very peckish!
mikej on 21/06/2013 07:29:13
Camp site looks v. good - you can have a dip in the pool before breakfast! Dad
Mum on 20/06/2013 23:43:57
Sorry comment is so late -but just got in. The Ardeche is lovely - we went there about 12 years ago - I remember the canoeing! The views look lovely - also the cat. Boris wasn't very happy on Wednesday morning - as he got shut in the garage overnight. We thought it strange that he wasn't around at bed time - and even stranger when he wasn't to be seen next morning so I went on a search for him. He came out of garage with cobwebs all over his whiskers!
Kirst on 21/06/2013 07:40:14
Oh poor Boris. He won't have liked that at all, even though he probably slept through 99% of it!
Simon on 20/06/2013 22:02:49
Loving the tour of the many and varied bridges of France! ;-) I've always wanted to go to the Rhone valley, now I've seen some piccies I want to go even more!
Kirst on 20/06/2013 20:02:27
that cat looks very alert. And the chocolate tart looks great.