Time to leave

As the title says... it's a six train journey home (seven counting the London Underground): Die > Valence Ville, Valence Ville > Valence TGV, Valence TGV > Lille Europe, Lille Europe > London St Pancras, LSP > Paddington, LP > Exeter St David's, ESD > Topsham. I've got an overnight stay in Lille so I can can have a rest and catch the first Eurostar back to London.

Anyway, this will be the last blog update until (all being well) my return to France a week before Christmas! Thanks for following me over the summer!!

Last Summer 2026 ride

The journey back to Devon starts tomorrow: feet and two trains will get me to Valence TGV, then it'll be a hotel in Lille via a TGV, so I can catch the morning Eurostar to St Pancras on Thursday, and two more trains will get me from Paddington to Topsham. All being well, there shouldn't be any tight connections – one of the advantages of spreading the journey over two days.

It being another hot afternoon here, it was the normal morning ride, this time to Châtillon via the tiny Col de Ferrand, not least as it takes one via a lovely route through cabanon-crowded vineyards. The return was via the St Roman to Laval d'Aix road, where the grape harvest is in full swing, even if the grapes are mostly tiny this year. The plus side is that they should be full of sugar for the fermentation.

From now on till tomorrow's departure, it'll be various bits of cleaning and tidying around the house to put it into hibernation till my Christmas visit, all being well.

Drôme diversion

It's another warm day today (35C in the afternoon again), and as departure looms on Wednesday, I decided mostly to potter around at home, with just a short ride into Die to get some bread. As you'll see, I got ever so slightly diverted, both getting to Fournil de Sylvain, and when I got there. How am I supposed to resist an almond croissant at lunchtime?

Auberge de Crussol

Yesterday I very much enjoyed a day trip to Valence to join with friends (French, English and Italian) for a delightful meal at the Auberge de Crussol in the shade on their extensive terrasse. The three-course meal was delicious, and just a short stroll afterwards allowed us to see the views to Valance and the western flank of the Vercors Plateau. As it was 35C and my train home from Valence beckoned, we didn't climb a little further up to the ruined castle, but as it's a haven for wild orchids in May/June, plans are already afoot to return on a weekday next year at that time, not least as the set-price menu is considerably cheaper!