Day 25....... Valence to Lyon ......130 km .....(total 2,120 km)

Not the worst view to start the day with. Valence rotunda with the limestone cliffs of the Rhône valley beyond.

Within 10 km of starting the days cycle I passed the 2,000 km mark of the ride. A lot more scenic than the windswept industrial outskirts of Tarragona in Spain that marked 1,000. So that is 2,000 done and “Only” 4,500 left to go. Whoop.

These 3 musketeers rode past and in doing so became the first people to be riding in the same direction as me in the last day and a bit of riding. They talk about MAMIL’s (middle aged men in Lycra) but what you also get a lot of here in France are VOMIL’s. Very old men in Lycra. That musketeer in the middle must have been 90 and he wasn’t the oldest looking person I have seen on a bike since arriving in France.

Stopped in Tain l’Hermitage for my customary “25 km done for the day” coffee. As you can guess this part of the Rhône is Home to some serious Hermitsge wine makers 

The view on the Tain l’Hermitage building isn’t shabby either 

Finally got to pass someone going in the same direction as me. Like me she’s doing Tarifa To Nordkapp . She started when she was 1 and hopes to make it by her 16th birthday. 

Stopped for lunch at an international kayak training centre to the side of the Rhône . The first recreational use of the river or its resources I have seen thus far .

Ordered a steak frites forgetting of course that cooked meat only comes one way in France. Rare. (Look away now Mum) 

“Lettuce “ hope that I get to Lyon before the dark threatening clouds behind me catch up. 

Vienne wasn’t the ugliest town I rode past that’s for sure. I like the idea of returning for a boat trip. 

Got to Lyon 130 km after leaving Valence and was immediately struck by the beauty of the architecture . 

After 6.5 hours in the saddle today and having ridden for 8 consecutive days covering some 780 km I could empathise with this riverside sculpture .

My delightful understanding and patient partner (wifey) in life has flown out for my rest day tomorrow so we will shall be savouring everything this well renowned gastronomic city has to offer on the food, wine and architectural front.