The Pont d'Arc - a natural
bridge over the Ardeche |
The whole essence of touring on a sidecar or classic bike is to
search out the sideroads then to sit back and enjoy the sights and
sounds as you burble past at a civilized pace. Distances travelled
have to be tailored to the needs and whims of rider, passenger and
bike and can often allow us to visit the road less travelled by..
We start our 5 day classics and sidecar tour by heading north
past the roman Pont du Gard to the beautiful Ardeche valley.
The pace is relaxed and the scenery stunning, leading us up to
our first overnight stay just north of the Ardeche.
On Tuesday we head over towards the Gorge du Tarn through the
magnificent Parc des Sevennes, one of Europes largest national
parks. The unspoilt contryside is also very lightly visited,
giving open roads with no traffic for much of the way.
Through the Tarn gorge we see the newest take on bridge building,
a true contrast to the Pont du gard in the shape of the brand
new Millau bridge, spanning the Tarn valley. We ride across
in what feels like a trip across the edge of the world (we then
ride back again just to prove the point).
If Disney made french villages
- Chesserades |
Cruising back through the Corniche des Sevennes there is plenty
of opportunity to try different bikes and really get the feel
of classics ancient and modern.
Each day of the trip we ride around 100 miles and build in plenty
of stops to take in the scenery and the local produce - you will
not come back from this trip having lost weight!
"This way, my party...."
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