A Potter Around the Vercors.

Great pics Arsey and a lovely part of the world, this brings back happy memories I would love to be back there now but don't fancy 14 days in Quarantine afterwards.
 
It really is a lovely place to visit.

So how many food pics have you taken for your own personal viewing? ;)

Zilch, nada.
I’m here to chill out, potter about and take in the scenery, not to race between food stops and then impress others with how cultured I is by eating some weird shite dressed up with edible fucking flowers :-)


Actually I did send a pic of my ice-cream to the g/f :-)

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Sat on the terrace having a beer and it looks like it’s bbq night . I also think they’re expecting Elevenerife to arrive .
Look closely middle left, arrowed.....

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Look out for snail pizza on your travels. From a wood oven obvs. The one I had was incredible.

I remember it well from our last trip - same day my lovely lady went down with a serious kidney infection that ended up nearly killing her :blast

Nothing to do with the pizza though. Might have been the ketchup.
 
Will.I.Eng is right, the Hôtel Le Marronnier is a fantastic base for the Vercors.
My second visit and I’ll be back .
It’s cracking value too .
For 3 nights or more it’s €62 per person per night half board with a €16 supplement for single occupancy .
So costing me €78 per night with brek and 3 course evening meal .
Also get 5% discount for second visit which goes up to 10% for fourth visit and beyond .
The food isn’t Michelin 2 star but is all you need . Lovely eating on the terrace , both morning and evening .
Very relaxed, lovely staff . Park your bike out front . Sorry, no underground garage so some on here will be worried .
But as the owner leaves the keys in his Ducati at night , I think it’s safe :-)

Just now before brek starts

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Just paid my bill and total was €287.40, for 3 nights , half board with all drinks I had including wine , beer and coffee.

Oh, and they have Affligem on draft .
But no fridge in room for your butter . Beggars can’t be choosers :-)
 
The Vercors is hard to beat for scenery and fab balcony roads, I've ridden most of them numerous times - The hospitality and location at the Hotel Le Marronnier in Rencurel is the icing on the cake (simple ensuite rooms, are more than good enough, if you can, get one with a balcony over looking the valley).

Fantastic pics and weather. Brings it all back. Was there a month ago. There is so much in a small compass. Le Marronnier is the place to stay but if it's full or you want an alternative, would recommend

www.auberge-des-montauds.fr

Probably a bit simpler, quieter and good food, for which it seems to be well known. Have a look at their menu.
 
Fantastic pics and weather. Brings it all back. Was there a month ago. There is so much in a small compass. Le Marronnier is the place to stay but if it's full or you want an alternative, would recommend

www.auberge-des-montauds.fr

Probably a bit simpler, quieter and good food, for which it seems to be well known. Have a look at their menu.

I'll keep it in mind. I have also toyed with the idea of staying right in the centre of Villiard de Lans so one has a choice of restaurants for the evening, but the draw of the Le Marronnier has been to much :)
 
I'm definitely taking the girlfriend next year..Looks a spot on place to visit and ride the bike.
 
Now hang on you lot - I've been trying to promote the Hotel Le Marronnier on here since about 2007 - now the message finally seems be getting through there will be too many of you Tossers clogging up the place and I wont get a look next year.
 
Now hang on you lot - I've been trying to promote the Hotel Le Marronnier on here since about 2007 - now the message finally seems be getting through there will be too many of you Tossers clogging up the place and I wont get a look next year.

Be sure to let everyone know when you're there so we can avoid you..:D
 
Thanks for posting that report Arsey. Nice and suitably succinct report on what is lovely area. JB will give it an A. Or perhaps an A minus given he pretends to be from Yorkshire:D
 
At the risk of a slight thread kidnap en route from the Vercors to the Morvan yesterday we passed Park National de Chartreuse. Does anyone have any knowledge of it? Looked an area that might be worth exploration but our schedule didn’t allow it.
 
Be sure to let everyone know when you're there so we can avoid you..:D

I’ll buy you a pint, Will.
You’ve put me on to both Le Marronnier and Hotel Del Oso in the Picos now and both fantastic.

So on to today.
A cracking ride.
As I mentioned above, the plan was to follow the shaded bit of this route pulled by Wapping from Motorrad TourenNazi :

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I’ll expand it with screenshots from the ViaMichelin app.Sorry there’s quite a few as if I zoom out too much I lose detail.
I may as well show the route in detail,having worked it out myself in case others are interested.

So starting off,the route would take me out of the Vercors and over the Col de Rousset and down to Die.

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The weather was still shite !!

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I’ve always gone over the Col de Rousset from south to north so it was nice to go southbound for a change.
As soon as you exit the tunnel,break hard left as that’s the summit car park with a pretty good view :

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It was nice to be pottering on the Road King with this playing as I descended :

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I know ! How fucking cool am I !!!!!

But the road is stunning.So stunning that last year Evskij actually took his 1290S out of Rain mode just for the occasion !!!!

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If you look at my sat nav below, you can see the roads wiggling with corresponding road shown in the view ahead !


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I overtook this girl a couple of times then stopped to take pics.Had to grab a quick photo of her-she did have a lovely arse !!

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An arse to Die for !!!

So then it was down the D93 before branching right on the D61 through the Forêt Domaniale du Claps !!! Had to scratch that itch.

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This took me up and over the Col de Soubeyrand

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And then a gnarly climb up to the Col de Peyruergue

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This gave distant views of Mont Ventoux, my upcoming destination

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Very beautiful,climbing up amongst the olive trees

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Then down past the Chateau d’Aulan :

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And through the gorge

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To Montbrun-les-Bains for lunch

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Then past Aurel

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Before beginning the climb up to Mont Ventoux past the fields of Lavender.The smell was amazing

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Now,the only thing I hadn’t planned on was that there was no way to transit the summit of Ventoux,unless on foot or by cycle.
Road access is shut until November :

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I could still go up,but would have to double back.Cracking view though

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The summit look like a rocket about to launch !!

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Back down to the cafe for some shade and a coffee.
On arrival, Der Luftwaffe were just leaving, in full twattery

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So, as it was now about 3 pm and pushing 35 degrees C in the valley, I decided I would cut my losses and head to Nyons,where I planned to find a hotel.
Quick look on the XT and a route planned via the descent into Bédoin then up and over the Col de Madeleine

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It’s a beautiful descent through the pine trees.
Bedoin looked lovely, with shaded cafes and bars.
Then the route over the Col de Madeleine was stunning :

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No traffic and tight smooth hairpins.
Needs a 701 !!!

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So finally arrive in Nyons

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Found a hotel right in the main square with a garage around the back.

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No ground anchor though so I’m a bit anxious about my steed of awesomeness !!!

Time for a shower and a beer or two.

That’s me kind of done.Tomorrow I’m heading back to Brittany. Going to stop in the Limousin tomorrow night then a few days in Brittany before heading back to UK and a couple of days off before work at the end of the month.
 


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