I’d seen a photo of Pont-de-Barret in a Facebook Group, and it looked intriguing: I’ve only once cycled through the village, and must admit I’d not really paid any attention to it! Anyway, it seemed like a good gap to fill in in my knowledge. Having plotted my route (possibly thinking about my favourite bakery at Blacons), I knew I had to head down to Manas, and turn left there, to get to my target village. Little did I realise that Manas itself was well worth a stop too! And I don’t know how it happened, but I seemed to stop at the bakery on the way back too… oops!

It’s not unusual to see a cloud cap on Vercors, but I think tonight’s takes the biscuit. Apparently north west of Vercors has been cloudy all day, while we’ve had unbroken sunshine. Anyway, when I saw this earlier this evening, I jumped in the car, so as not to miss it, from the vantage point of les Planeaux. Ample reward. Truly amazing.

Nothing too taxing today: with the northerly winds again picking up this afternoon, I did my standard loop to Luc, via the main road south, and by the Châtillon diversion for the return, via St Roman. (I must remember that the road between Luc and Châtillon will be closed for a few days from 1 September, as they are doing work on the level crossing, as part of the work on the line.)

I decided to stop in St Roman for a few extra pictures: yet another of the Diois perched villages, but with no real tourist draw (such as restaurants) other than its prettiness, it’s always quiet.

Oh, and I’ve just clocked up 2000 miles here this stay. So maybe I’ll take my last week fairly easy.

Don’t worry – I’m not going to give you an album of the local supermarket. Instead, you can have some photos of my ride there and back this morning: I took the detour around the north of Die and the Roman walls to get there, which has one or two nice views…

It’s only a couple of years since I did a bit of a photographic walk around Pontaix, but wanting just a short ride before going to market, and knowing that I’d missed the waterfall last time, I decided it was a good morning to return there. As ever, a return trip was not disappointing! And I got to the market (just) in time to buy the soft fruit I was after!!

One of the benefits of having plenty of locals respond on my Facebook Page is that ones who know the area well and have seen the sorts of places I’ve been to chip in with ideas of places to visit, if they think I’ve not been before. One of the commenters on my Cobonne wondered if I’d been to two perched villages near Crest, Roche-sur-Grâne and Autichamp: I’ve passed by the former on routes elsewhere, but never stopped (it’s marked by an impressive TGV line bridge in the valley below), and, as I discovered today, when I did take pictures at Autichamp (‘high field’) three years ago, my coverage was woefully cursory.

Neither has any restaurants, cafés, or shops, so, unlike Mirmande, there was hardly anyone at either. Of the two, Autichamp is far more extensive, and impressive, not least for its three ‘lavoirs’, side by side, which seem to have their own little botanical universes enclosed!

I’d had a Vercors walk to the very prominent and handsome mountain But St Genix recommended, and given a decent forecast for Vassieux, I decided to strike while the iron was hot this morning. Actually, the sun teased me during the walk itself, but the unforgettable bonus was a ‘mer de nuages’ to see from the Col de Rousset, having emerged from a murky Drôme Valley. The walk was a stunner of four hours, and not one ‘airy’ moment to deal with, just stunning views.

Having got home, post-walk, the sensible thing would have been to put my feet up, but now I’m starting to count down the days till my departure, and the evening light being quite stunning, a quick ‘la Drômoise’ PR ride tempted me out (any excuse will do), and I’m very glad I gave into temptation.

I might give myself the morning off tomorrow.

A well timed ride today: after low cloud and mist at sunrise (its later hour definitely telling me that autumn is on the way), by the time I got to Aouste for a coffee & cake stop (my favourite bakery at Blacons is closed for their annual holiday this week), the sun was out, and stated out until I got back to Romeyer, since when showers have been passing by.

Anyway, it was a jolly little circuit to Gigors, but making a point of stopping at another perched village, Cobonne, which I’ve passed by many times, but never stopped at. It was the suggestion of one of my Facebook followers that it was worth visiting, and they were right!

A bits-and-pieces day today. Firstly, booking my French PCR test for my return to Devon – easily done for just the right day and time, and I had a chuckle when one of the receptionists recognised me from the French Facebook Page. Secondly, a short ride, following the 23km family route for the Drômoise sportive. A cracking little route, nearly all on quiet back roads: to Ausson south of the Drôme, then crossing over to St Roman, and returning via Laval d’Aix… a little bit of everything (including some hills), and something to see at every corner.

And as I sit here in my ‘open-air office’ (i.e., where I get a good data signal), I can see and hear the reason I did just a short ride this morning: the Glandasse is disappearing behind grey clouds, and thunder is rumbling around. And there’s the third part of today’s plan: a little bit of shopping for some bits to do some ‘bricolage’ (DIY) to get the house in a fit state to look after itself for however long it is till I’m next out here, after my departure in two weeks.

‘Sportives’ are big in France: not races as such, but mass cycling events. The ‘Ardèchoise’ regularly gets 15,000 people participating from all over Europe; the Drômoise is a more recent addition to the calendar (2021 will be its 15th year), and although its ‘just’ a tenth of the size for participants, 1500 riders is still a considerable number. It always takes place on the third weekend of September, so I’ll be back at work by then.

However, Thomas Bechet, whom I first met in 2012, at Banette in Die (he admired our bikes and spoke good English), is President of the Drômoise this year, so, given the number of followers I have for my Facebook Page, I’ve offered to help with a bit of publicity, by riding some of the routes (that’s not a great imposition!) wearing the Drômoise jersey. We did the 52-mile route together this morning, starting at 8am in Die, and we were back just after 11. No new roads for me on any of the routes, but the company was splendid, and the scenery its normal amazing self. The less said about the strong headwind on the return leg, the better!