Camping Le Rhone, Tournon sur Rhone (day 2)

The noise of four girls talking loudly on the balcony of one of the adjacent flats woke us and the German couple at 2 am. Thanks! What the other flat owners must have thought, who knows. The rude awakening prompted a need to visit the sanitaire. Upon our return a few drops of rain tapped on the tent. It was so warm we hoped there wouldn't be a storm. Just after six the Germans were up, even though it was still dark. Angela felt weary. We have been cycling for seventeen days now without a break. Heavy rain was forecast for the whole day, and the thought of cycling in it was too much. She just wasn't feeling it. So we decided to stay put and take a rest day. We have our own covered seating area next to the tent and there is another larger covered area by the reception. We'd be mad to move on. The weather forecast turned out to be incorrect.

The sun shone and we walked out over the pedestrian bridge to Tain-L'Hermitage where we bought fruit from one of the market stalls. The local table grapes were delicious, juicy and sweet. Back in Tournon-sur-Rhone we couldn't resist buying a small roast chicken and garlic potatoes roasted in the chicken fat that dripped from the rotisserie.

Cycling food folks. Anything goes. No slimfast going on here! For John a visit to France isn't complete without this delicacy. The roast chicken, not the slimfast! A walk on to the tourist office to pick up a map for our next stage of cycling, we stopped by at the church. Inside a beautiful stained glass window was lit by the sunlight. But the musty smell was unpleasant. We like to think our roast chicken and garlic potatoes left behind a pleasant aroma. The Viking cruise boat was still here awaiting new arrivals. As we walked by the next influx of excited passengers arrived, a fleet of coaches pulling up right beside the gang plank. The day passed quickly. The campsite once again full. We have washed clothes and generally pottered about. We have three new cycling neighbours, the two German ladies behind us are very friendly, the others not so. We are now only a few hundred miles from the Mediterranean.

(showing where we now are at Tournon)

The border of Italy, Spain and Germany not so far away. We must leave early tomorrow as the temperature will be 31c and have 30 - 35 miles to cycle. It is also Sunday, so Angela has had to cycle out to the supermarket on the edge of town for enough food to cover this evening, breakfast for two days, and tomorrow evenings meal which will be eggs, as it always seems to be on a Sunday. In charge of the shopping, she afforded herself a half bottle of Bordeaux. Cheers everyone.