Join us on part 3 of our 1200km cycle ride through France, cycling from Rochefort to Angouleme, where we have tickets to watch the opening match of the ProD2 rugby season, for our team Provence Rugby.
We explore the beautiful and historic town of Rochefort, enjoying an evening at the Oceana Lumina Son et Lumiere in the Arsenal and old Rope making factory. Then take the transporter bridge across the river with our bikes, visiting the ancient port of Brouage, now high and dry in the middle of the salt marshes.
We avoid the storms on a ride through the extensive vineyards around Cognac and Saintes, before a very wet day into Angouleme and the rugby.
A beatiful area to cycle though, with pretty towns and villages to explore
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Welcome to Postcards from Provence and part three of our 1200 km cycle from Devon back to the south of France. You join us in Rashford, an unexpectedly beautiful and historic town. We spent the afternoon exploring, finding this wonderful garden that helps introduce young children to gardening. Popped down to the marina and met the demo’s devour too. Our day off started in the market and we took a walk out to the transporter bridge, but more of that later. Then the evening we spent in the old Arsenal at the Oiana Luminina, an incredible son Lumiere. The Arsenal was built in the end of the 1600s and was an absolute powerhouse for bu ship building in France right through until the 1920s. The cordy itself is over 300 m long, just built for rope making, but it made a superb backdrop for this event. Following morning, we were awake early, another glorious morning. We sat with breakfast in this elegant square, looking forward to the day ahead. We putotted out along the riverside path out towards the transporter bridge. Can’t tell you how excited I was about this. I’ve wanted to go on this bridge for years. Donkey, baby donkey. But yes, we saw donkeys. They were very cute, but this was where we were heading. Transporter bridge was built in 1900 to make it easier for people to cross the river at this critical point. [Music] It has a platform on long cables that is just carried gently across the river. We sat and waited for it to open, enjoying morning sunshine on our faces before wheeling us and the bikes on. It used to take 12 cars, now just bikes and people on foot. But the other side, we rolled off and joined the birds heading south. Back through into the marshes on our way towards Maren. Another incredible area of salt marshes that stretches from Roshaw down towards Marin and on beyond from there. It’s filled again with incredible bird life, although the stalks had already said goodbye to their nests. We said hello to a Highland cow, a little bit out of its area, and then onto the beautiful old town of Bruage. This walled city sits in the middle of the marshes and used to be a port surrounded by the sea, but now is high and dry and is a beautiful little place to explore. [Music] We entered via the gate, [Music] parked our bikes up, and took a walk around the walls. Below us here is a little area filled with little artisan shops. Really quite nice. Now the views off are amazing. Just marshland as far as the eye can see. It’s hard to imagine what this would have been like surrounded by the sea. You can even take a horse trip through it if you want to. But we enjoyed the view a few minutes off the bike before heading on for lunch by the bridge to the Ilderon. and onto Sans Son and the campsite we’ stayed on many years ago just to enjoy the sunset over the marshes at the end of the day. After a good night’s sleep, we set off again, heading out in the morning sunshine, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and stopping for breakfast in a local village before heading on again through old sunflower fields that must have looked magnificent a couple of weeks before. It was such a glorious morning. We putotted through pretty villages. This one had a little market under its lovely market square. [Music] And we stopped for second breakfast. enjoying a touch more of the sunshine. Yet all around us, storms were raging. The villages through here were really beautiful, but the landscape was as well. [Music] All around us, we could see the storms in the distance, but somehow they kept missing us as we cycled on. It was such a beautiful area to ride through. Gentle rolling hills, empty roads, and just incredible views. [Applause] [Music] Unbelievably, storms did keep away from us and we just enjoyed the ride into the cognac vineyards, which went on forever. We thought there were vineyards in Provence, but there was nothing in comparison to these. The grapes looked ready for harvest and we just stopped and admired the site. Really, really beautiful riding day. The whole of Cognac area is covered by huge domains, vast fortified houses, absolutely beautiful. Just shows how rich it was and still how rich it is now, thanks to the wine. [Music] We carried on just enjoying the ride, stopping in this beautiful little village for lunch. This 12th century s church is amazing and the doorway just beautiful. [Music] And then on again past some sunflowers that were actually still in bloom. And then an amazing gate of two dogs facing down a wild boar. I’ve never seen anything like it before ending up in Memler Carrier for the night. An unusual place and somewhere we’ve not been before. They said it was going to rain. We couldn’t believe it, but they were right. And the next day, we woke to roads like rivers for our ride into Angulan. There aren’t many photos from that day. Sorry, it was far too wet. And we got horrendous puncture going actually into the town. But we fixed it and looked at the map where we were staying and realized just how far we’d come. Happily by the afternoon the sun came out. So we got to explore this really lovely old town before walking up in the evening to this rugby stadium. One of the main reasons we’ve come here. In fact the only reason to watch Provence Rugby in their first away match of the season. It was great fun. Worth the ride and the sunset was incredible. Unfortunately we may have lost but it was a great evening all the same. We walked back through the town and went on the next day. Thanks for following us and next time we’ll take you into the door.