Thones to Mars, Ardèche: Grenoble, Parc du Vercors, a brilliant dinner.


Statistics for today
Distance 386 kms 240 miles
Statistics for trip to date
Distance 1,577 kms 980 miles
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Thursday, June 23rd, 2005

Good breakfast in the morning, on the road by 8:30. More "Cols" until noon.

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Turns like this + all day long = heaven

I'm grinninglike an idiot by the time I get to Grenoble, where it promptly gets wiped off my face by stifling heat and polution. Since there is a polution warning speed on the highways is limited to 70kph (about 40 mph) which really sucks. I finally find a way up the mountains on the eastern side of the city and once I'm up over the ridge it cools down considerably.

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The woods
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Grenoble in the distance
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Grenoble 2 from the other side. Being sandwiched between mountains like that must trap the polution.

I've now entered the "Parc du Vercors". Awesome winding roads heading through Villard de Lans, then I get onto a long canyon section where the road is cut straight out of the mountain. Big mistake on one turn here: Going into one of the unlit tunnels I can't see anything and end up straying way over into the other lane. That calms me down quick, but doesn't last long when I run into a bunch of logging trucks that needto be passed. Passing trucks on hairpins is an adventure and I'm not the only one doing it. I see a whole bunch of motorcycles on this stretch.

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Road cut from rock
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River
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Canyon
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Bert gets dizzy from all the scenery
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Parc du Vercors

On the other side of the park and I get a bit lost and eventually head into Ardeche which is a pure stroke of luck. This is a beautiful stretch of mountains and high plains that goes on for what seems like forever. I'm getting pretty tired and start looking aroundfor a place to stay. I stop at an "auberge" and find out it's only a restaurant. This isn't the first time that's happened to me, I don't know why they call things "auberges" if there is no place to sleep. Eventually I see something right on my way called "L'art des choix".There is a BMW R1150R out front with a for sale sign on it so I figure I can't go wrong. The rooms are expensive but I'm tired and decide to give it a try and I'm glad I do.It turns out the owner is a professional chef who has worked in Paris, Key West and Montreal. We end up talking for a while and I have dinner which is excellent: salade ardechoise (salade, chevre, confit de canard), joue de porc confite (delicious), crique, courgettes juliennes, fromage blanc maison, crumble framboises (awesome), deca. He offers me a free home-made after dinner drink but we know where that leads... He seems a bit offended that I declined. I don't usually tip in Europe but this meal has earned my respect.

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L'art des choix, Mars, Ardeche, France