After several days of frustrating cycling we had an almost perfect ride today.

It was a little shorter at around 65km but a lot of it was hilly.

We first made our way to Claret on fairly busy roads. Yes; we did pass a wine cooperative there. From there we went up a small mountain pass onto a high plateau area. It was hard work but well graded and we could make it in one go at our present fitness level. Wonderful granite outcrops and views of the farmland below. Obviously other cyclist like it as we saw quite a few on the route.

At the top it was reminiscent of the Cederberg area (in RSA). Very arid, not many houses or farms – think it may have been a nature reserve.

Eventually we came to the old town of St Martin de Londres – where we had some lunch out of the bakery and booked our accommodation through the tourist office. It was very hot again but as we were so high up it seemed drier and more bearable.

The journey from St Marten was first very up and down through wild arid country and then a huge down hill run or around 3km coming into Puechabon. Again the views of the countryside and towns below were awesome. After Puchabon there were lots of groves of olive trees and vineyards again. Kris said it reminded him of Israel and it seemed quite biblical to me, even saw some people having a meal under an olive tree.

We are staying in St Guilhem le Desert – coming into the town is amazing – you come from this arid country to a huge gorge with a fast flowing river. We later find out that the old bridge crossing the gorge is called the Pont du Diable – there is a legend about the devil building it in 3 days. We then rode up this gorge alongside the river for several km before we got the the town.

Our hotel is on the river at the entrance of the town. St Guilhem (William) founded a monastery here in 804. His cult grew around a fragment of the True Cross (which is still in the church). The town was founded in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Today the church has special UNESCO world heritage status. The town is largely a tourist town – just one street really with lots of craft and gift shops. We had a lovely supper at a cafe under a plane tree at the center planted in 1855. Very hot into the evening – we are glad that our hotel has air-conditioning, even though we usually prefer fresh air.

Highlights:

• The church and monastery

Lowpoints

• Kris broke a spoke again, luckily only about 10m away from our accommodation