Last day of touring before ... the big one

Sommieres to Avignon

A mere 90km today in the first leg of Hannibal’s tour and our last day.  Most are going on to Rome but we are mere cyclo-tourist dilettantes.  We headed out of Sommiere through the old town where a market was being set up.  I’m not sure this was a great idea having a dozen or so cyclists navigating narrow cobbled lanes thru the market. 

But soon we were heading out of town and through the more fertile plains of the Rhone valley towards Avignon.  I was feeling quite sick.  A cold brewing for a couple of days had blown up in my head and the creeping migraine had manifested itself as a bad headache.  I really felt like getting in the van.  But a few kms on the bike and I started to feel better and decided just to take it easy.  It was also quite hot today.

Before lunch we stopped at the Pont du Gard and Camilla and I climbed up the top to see the water course.  Amazing.  I also saw the biggest jar of Nutella I have ever seen in my life.  Not that it compared with the Pont du Gard of course. 

One of the highlights of the day for Camilla and I was seeing a subway hooker (there’s a backstory to this) sitting on the verge near some trucks.  A bit too far from the subway, but nonetheless within strolling distance.  A hard life .

An afternoon beer and icecream stop about 10kms from Avignon allowed us to bunch up and ride into the rather large city of Avignon.  And our arrival on a Saturday night coincided with the Patrimonie festival and a HUGE night inside the old walled city.  

We only got a little lost on the cobbled lanes looking for our hotel.  Not being at my physical and psychological best I got into a stupid argument with the hotelier about where to put my bike bag.

The room I shared with Camilla and Ted was on the 2^nd floor up a very, very tight and narrow spiral staircase – but so cute!

Dinner that night, another 3 course gourmet extravaganza somewhat wasted on me as I had barely any appetite.  So it was fortunate the portions were small.  And I got the most extraordinary main course by virtue of my vegetarian-ness. 

Yes, it’s an egg on a round of polenta!  Minimal!  But actually quite nice.