Canyon - last ride before the clocks go back

Riding the South Rim road of the Grand Canyon of the Verdon in Provence - my last ride before the clocks go back for winter

Last ride before the clocks go back for winter - riding the South Rim road of the Grand Canyon of the Verdon.

Autumn mist lingering in the valley of the Durance but warming up fast on the sporty road up from Manosque to Valensole, the pretty town of the lavender farmers. The boulangerie faces the town fountain and offered a delicious tartelette of cherry clafouti.
A challenging road between Valensole and Riez in the company of a Peugeot 208 in rally trim: hills and curves then a straight run. The topography opens out towards Moustiers-Sainte-Maire, the village clinging to a cliff by a waterfall, a stop on the pilgrim route to Castellane. Moustiers overlooks even wider and bigger country as the River Verdon emerges from its Grand Canyon in to the Lac de Sainte Croix. The water level is as low as I’ve ever seen it, maybe it’s been managed low for maintenance or maybe it’s the exceptionally hot summer, though there were a lot of storms.
Hoping for visual treat of trees showing their reds and golden browns before the leaves drop, I headed up the zigzags of the road along southern rim of the canyon. Solo cyclists pedalling away but also stopping for the view, I spoke with one from Essen, Germany and another from Nice. Also a Dutchman cruising the kilometres with electric assistance. The beeches are in full display but not much water in the Verdon and the faraway hills to the west (Ventoux, Lure etc) shrouded in threatening clouds.
Long picnic lunch, just a can of Zéro and a little quiche from the boulangerie back in Valensole, but enjoying the views and exploring the woods; the mushrooms are big here but I left them in place. There was a group in a car from the Ain enjoying a full French picnic at the same location, numerous boxes of salads and bottles of rosé.
Back through Aiguines, then along the high road above the Lac de Sainte Croix bordering the Zone Militaire. The mist still strong in the distance as I helped a linesman with his selfie with his cool new Raybans. On to the fortified town of Aups with its expansive panorama over lower Provence and to the coastal ranges. One of many towns in this region with lookout towers built by the Saracens, there’s also a Roman fountain, and the road to Aups has numerous memorials to the battles for liberation in 1945.
So back to Marseille down through the gorge to Saint Zacherie then the fast road to Auriol. 295 km and loving every one of them. Dinner with Pascal F from the AMA bike club and watching Free Practice Friday MotoGP from Philip Island, Australia.
Tomorrow the clocks go back and it will be winter.

Moonset at dawn

Canyon - last ride before the clocks go back

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