Foggy Start but Perfect Lunch With Chris and Su Everson

Today's ride will take us out and back along the river ending in La Roque to rendezvous with Chris and Su Everson for lunch.

We started along familiar roads then found our way to this velo route over a former railroad line along a very narrow but tree lined path. Since it was midweek the route was mostly empty but for a few cyclists and walkers.  

We tried to find a coffee spot in this typical town but not a Tabac or restaurant in sight. We decided to make this our turnaround location and head back toward our lunch spot. 

We did find this coffee spot but limited our indulgence to fresh bread knowing that a large lunch was in our future. 

A stone something tucked into the hillside was worthy of a photo. 

Far more majestic and photo worthy was Montfort.. which translates to "mountain fort", a popular tourist site. We have ridden by on numerous occasions but never had the urge to take the tour. 

The road along the overlook is a gentle climb and prone to heavier traffic as the cars, trucks, and buses cling to the side of the cliff to negotiate the turns and avoid pesky cyclists like us. We are always glad to have our front and rear lights to warn the drivers of the targets ahead. 

Greater downtown Montfort is nothing to look at and only warrants a stop to allow the traffic to pass us by. The rule here is that if there are five or more vehicles backed up behind, you are expected to pull over and let them pass. It is a proven fact that the farther back you are in the lineup the more anxious and aggressive the driver becomes. France is like everywhere else. 

A map shows how the river meanders down the valley and points of interest along the way. Although we have not explored the full length this appears to be the most popular section of the river. Probably explains why so many castles and forts popped up over the last millennium. 

Cliff dwellers hug the rocks although I am not sure I would trust the overhanging rocks even with the reinforcing posts. We watched from below as people climbed the rickety stairs to explore the crevices. My fear of heights and imminent death provided a sufficient deterrence to follow these lemmings.    

The view from riverside was more appealing terra ferma. 

Another leisurely lunch with the Eversons was our reward for another day on the bikes. Their choice of La Roque was an ideal spot since the two mile ride back home was all we could muster after our hamburgers and frites. Seems the French have a love affair with burgers and rare is really rare. Our kind of people. The uneaten half made for a satisfying dinner recap to a lovely day.