Tell me where to go.

[Den]

Ive moved this to the proper section for your expert advice.


7 days now. Having an 'easy' holiday in French France for a month.
Four days to meander down and pick-up Lou in Nice.
Along to Thornleys gaff for a couple of days then off to a gite just down from Tarn Gorge for a week.
After that We have got 5 days to get up to another cottage in Burgundy for a week of stealing the wine from the wine bushes and relaxing.

Now, you might now be saying 'lucky bastards', but I have a dilemma. Well, its not actually a dilema, more of a decision making quandry.

From our first gite, I dont want to venture far, maybe a 50 mile radius, so that takes in the gorge, maybe another visit to that bridge thing etc, but I'm not sure, after that, whether to go north up the middle of France to Burgundy, or back along the coast and up through the Alpy bits (where Ive been before, but obviously have only seen a little. I'm not going into Switzerland.

Going up the middle, Auvergne etc, seems a bit 'Scottish'. Nice rolling hills,forrests, nice villages. (Ive followed various roads on 'streetview' and cannot find anything too special). But Ive never been up that way , and as far as I can see, Ive got similar scenery on my doorstep here.

Convince me with your reasons for going up the middle please. What have I missed with my searches.

C'mon Wapping, you've been everywhere.

 

[Wapping]

Och aye, Den

My off the cuff thought is to go roughly: Lacaune (near enough where I guess you start), maybe across to the Luberon in Provence (Apt is the middle of it) to take in Mont Ventoux, Goult, Gordes, Murs etc. perhaps.

Then work your way up to the west of the Alps but staying east of the Rhone to take in the little visited Vercours region. Col de la Machine, sort of way.

From there, it's norfwards (you will be familiar wiv norf, no doubt) either left (west side) or right (east side) of the Rhone to Burgundy / Dijon sort of way. I might favour the left (west) route up and take in the equally little travelled Morvan region, around Chateau Chinon etc.

Yours aye,

Wapping


Morvan:

Vercours:

Provence:

 

[beetee]

'lucky bastards'

 

[Den]

'lucky bastards'

Aye Brian ... yer right, and hopefully the luck will continue as we've just spent the pension !

 

[doyle]

The best laid schemes O mice and men gang aft a-gley...

Without goals ,and plans to reach them,you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination......

A good traveller has no fixed plans,and is not intent on arriving...

But the best for you and Louise,Den must be..

Organization doesn't really accomplish anything.Plans don't accomplish anything either.Theories of management don't much matter.Endeavours succeed or fail because of the people involved.Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds...

 

[Den]

The best laid schemes O mice and men gang aft a-gley...

Without goals ,and plans to reach them,you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination......

A good traveller has no fixed plans,and is not intent on arriving...

But the best for you and Louise,Den must be..

Organization doesn't really accomplish anything.Plans don't accomplish anything either.Theories of management don't much matter.Endeavours succeed or fail because of the people involved.Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds...

Maybe so Mr Doyle. Very romantic. Unfortunately in the real world, no planning gets you to Methil ... or Bradford.

Its trendy to just go and find. Ive done both, planned meticulously and totally unplanned. I know which method I have found the most satisfying.

Some places sound nice.
A woman once asked me where my next job was. Lochgelly, I said.
That sounds like a lovely place, says the woman. If only she knew.

I admit to planning .... a little. Planning in chunks I'd call it. I would like it if someone made a book of Where to Avoid, instead of listing the nice places.
Peoples opinions of what is 'nice' varies. Most folk would agree on what was a shithole.

 

[Riders Rest]

We're in the middle to which you refer... There are some perfect biking roads in this area, the Dordogne starts in the Auvergne, rushes on into the Correze and Cantal regions with its rugged terrain and deep gorges, many suspension bridges and dams cross her along her meander to the Lot and Dordogne regions. Don't forget also the Volcanic Parc in the Cantal namely Puy Mary jutting up just east and north of Aurillac. Also Rocamadour lazily climbing a cliff in the Lot. Some routes can be seen at http://www.motomassif.info or http://www.ridersrest.eu/rides.aspx you probably won't ride as far as us but if you find yours self close the kettle is always on with a cheery welcome...

Oh and... Lucky Bastard!