Vercors and Provence trip

Great! are you here for a few days? meet up for beer ?

Alas no Mark. Good to meet up at breakfast. Enjoy your trip. We headed back over Col de la Machine. Stunning. Then bailed out and heading back up towards Dieppe.
 

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Alas no Mark. Good to meet up at breakfast. Enjoy your trip. We headed back over Col de la Machine. Stunning. Then bailed out and heading back up towards Dieppe.

Good to meet up this morning, safe trip back:thumb
 
Day off bike yesterday apart from a short trip to get fuel and provisions for room from supermarket, did a bit of a walkabout around village and got some decent pics, all will appear on my Flickr link to the Vercors & Provence album when I get back

Today off on a round trip to Combe Laval, Col de la Machine and wander back somehow, will make it up as I go:D

Update the day later with phone pics:)
 
Make sure you include Gorge du Nan on way back after Combe Laval

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Peacefull on the terrace this morning listening to a herd of cattle with bells feeding.... The bells!:D
 

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Talking of grip, the D531 out of Pont-en-Royans towards Rencurel has been resurfaced in sections with some inky black tarmac, it has no grip in the wet, had the backend step out a couple of times:eek:
 
Talking of grip, the D531 out of Pont-en-Royans towards Rencurel has been resurfaced in sections with some inky black tarmac, it has no grip in the wet, had the backend step out a couple of times:eek:
They also often resurface with loose clippings in tar at this time of the year - the Gorge de la Bourne towards Villard de Lans seems to be under constant works.
 
They also often resurface with loose clippings in tar at this time of the year - the Gorge de la Bourne towards Villard de Lans seems to be under constant works.

Yes, I picked the wrong Cols to get back to Grenoble from the southern end of the Col du Rousset. Col de Menée & Col du Prayet were just 45km of gravillons
 
Good day yesterday with ride to La Chapel en Vercors, then the D199 (forested curvy road) and on to the Museum de Resistance, worth a visit to hear in English testimony of those there in English, for example, "I saw a German glider land in the field, one German got out, I shouldered my rifle and shot , he fell and did not move, my friend opened fire on the canvas glider with his machine gun, nobody else emerged".

A hard time was had in Vercors, reprisals, villages razed, food and heat shortages, and failure of Allies to maintain supply drops, many captured were shipped to Grenoble for interrogation, execution or moved to German camps, sobering visit indeed,
Makes you think sitting here at breakfast typing this surrounded by Germans.

Last day in Vercors today and it's day long steady rain, start to pack up for my trip to Provence (Castellane) tommorow.
 

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Monday in Rencurel was wet, wet, wet, few went out, it was my last day so hung around the bar and slowly packed for run to Provence (Castellane), Tuesday was much brighter and checked out, 4 hours later in Castellane in the sun:thumb2


Had decent meal in the evening in the old forge restaurant, good as always

Wednesday morning quick look around the Wednesday market then took the bike up some hairpins to a spot I shot this pic on my R1100RT 11 year ago, it's been published and I wanted to "recreate" it on the 1250RT, sorry forgot to take phone pics but will be in the Photo album I will link to when back in UK

Here's the original shot in 2010;

BMW R1100RT by Mark Handley, on Flickr

Back to Castellane for fuel, provisions for room look around town and a pizza and a few pastis with some Germans

Thursday, healthy walk, and breakfast, left at 10 to circumnavigate the Gorge of Verdon in a anti clockwise direction (usual for me) must do it clockwise sometime.

It's about 70 miles around and loads of hairpins, views, drops:eek: outstanding as always, if you haven't done this you must if in the area:thumb2



lots of good pics on the "proper" camera and some phone pics below.

And booked my departure test for Sunday @ 4.30 and located the clinic in Castellane, 30 Euro, :thumb
 

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Looks very nice Mark. Like the old picture of the RT.
 
Catch up, It's Sunday eve, back in my room after a very nice meal in this hotel (Hotel du Commerce) I have avoided it till now as its a bit pricey and eaten in the local restaurants which were nice but tonight's meal was great, Gnocchi and mushrooms of the forest starter, main was black angus steak on a kebab onions peppers, sautéed potatoes and Chimichurri sauce (google it) and a strawberry papalova desert (Picture) forgot to take pics of the rest.

Earlier I passed my covid return test carried here in Castellane 30 euro, now half packed and will get rolling about 9am at latest for the 700km grind to Troyes for an overnight in a hotel just off the autoroute.

Going back to where I left off after the Gorge of Verdon Thursday,

Friday was a day off bike and local photos few drinks and chilli con carne in one of the restaurants / bars on the market square.

Saturday was "Route de Cretes", good thing about this route is half of it is one way so you need not worry about some manic Frenchman forcing you into the final 1000ft plunge on some hairpin:eek:

After the terror and photos lunch in La Palud sur Verdon where after lunch I had difficulty in bringing the R1250RT into a upright position from its rather extreme side stand angle the beast seemed to have gained weight during lunch :D

A helpful Frenchman gave a shove upright whilst I was on it and I was away back to Castellane.

Today, this morning,thunder lightning and biblical rain, all gone by 1pm and blue skies returned, had my covid test so hung around for that.

That bring us up to date, I have hundreds of photos to sort and add to an album on Flickr, I will add a link to it asap when sorted

Been a great trip, not really looking forward to coming back to the UK, better refuel in France,

A few mixed camera phone pics below, Thanks for reading and commentating :thumb
 

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Some cracking pics there Mark.
 
Vercors

Was in the Vercors last week.

Stayed in La Chapelle this time, quiet this time of year, but only there for 2 nights.


Got to some of the other Memorial locations.

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An area well worth visiting

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