Provençe and the Ardèche
Mountains give way to vast gorges as we approach the Côte d'azur
THE SKIES ARE darkening we leave the café in St Martind’ardèche. No rain, just roiling clouds and a palpable build-up in atmospherics that add to the sense of drama as we turn onto the D290 along the Gorges de l’ardèche. The grand gorges of France are unlike any riding in the UK. They display the landscape on a huge scale, easily enjoyed on involving roads. The road along the Ardèche Gorge sweeps through scrubby land beside the river, climbing slowly until finally bursting out to run dramatically along the clifftops. The views are immense; naked rocks and rolling hills on the far side of the vast valley.
Then the road descends, in sweeping curves, to run beside the river at the foot of the cliffs. As trees close in on one side and rock walls piecerd by caves loom on the other, it feels as we’ve moved from the big screen to the small screen. And that’s the real appeal of the riding here – it’s so varied, with every kind of landscape and all kinds of road.