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The French Ride
  • Bruce Dimon
  • Bruce Dimon

The French Ride

After a few days in Paris to shake off the jet lag, I'll rent a motorcycle for 15 days and ride through the Alps down to the Riviera and back. Read more
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  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Lac de Castillon
    The water was almost tealThe road climbed high above the Lac de Castillon

    Lac de Castillon

    September 13, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    After passing the Col du Buis and Col de Toutes Aures, I came into the valley of the Verdun.
    Rafting and water sports are big in this area. This is the Verdun. The color of the water is almost what I would call teal.Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Just arrived in Castellane. Nôtre Dame du Roc in the background
    Nôtre-Dame du Roc is outside my hotel windowThe old Eastern Gate of the walled CityThose slots were for the chains for the drawbridgeRum raisin and raspberry sorbet. They said they had their own herd of cows just for the ice cream.Every Old Town has to have a central fountain. This was the precursor to indoor plumbing.The Western entrance of the walled City. The clock Tower was added much later.You see the slot in the ceiling from which the portcullis dropped. It frames Nôtre-Dame du Roc.Moules GratinéesRisotto aux Saints Jacques

    Castellane

    September 13, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    I'm at the hotel in Castellane for two nights. This is a beautiful little town built in the medieval days as a fortified City with only two entrances. Today the remnants of those two entrances still exist. On the east side, the entrance had a drawbridge. The western entrance had a portcullis. You can see the vestiges of the ancient machinery in the stonework.

    I strolled through the narrow streets, did a little shopping, and ate an ice cream cone. You know I had to do that. The town is rather touristy but I suppose we have to expect that with all the rafting and water sports in the area.

    I walked through town looking for a light dinner when I smelled seafood sauteed in wine and herbs. Most of the tables inside were empty but the server said the interior tables were all reserved. If you make a reservation for 8 pm, they cannot seat anybody there at 7 pm. Dinner takes more than an hour. If you're done in 45 minutes, you are dining wrong. Thankfully, I was wearing a sweater and windbreaker so I ate on the sidewalk terrace. Sidewalk tables are for walk-ins.

    For the entrée, I had Mussels Gratiné which are broiled in butter, wine, herbs, and a little cheese. I last ate these a half-century ago in Paris. After finishing the mussels, I tore apart the bread to soak up the buttery wine goodness.

    For my plat, I had the daily "suggestion" which was risotto with bay scallops. It was creamy and delicious. After an espresso, I headed back to the hotel for an early night.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    The first overlook for the canyon. It's 2200 feet deep!
    Impossibly steep canyon wallsCarved by that little river at the bottomI saw rock climbers in the parking lot putting on their gear. I can't even watch.After the narrowist part of the gorge. This side is higher than the other sideYou can see the road on the other side of the gorge. I'll ride it this afternoon.A panorama

    Gorge du Verdon, Right Bank

    September 14, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    The Grand Canyon du Verdon is Europe's largest and deepest canyon. At its deepest, it's 2200 feet. The bottom of the gorge is only 26 feet at its narrowest point. The canyon separates the plateaus at the top by about a mile. Thankfully The French Ride laid out a riding loop that keeps me on the uphill side most of the time. Riding on the cliff side, which had no wall at all, was nerve-wracking. What views, though! Even if you have seen Grand Canyon National Park in the USA, this is just as impressive.Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Château d'Aiguines
    Start with an olive tamponadeEntrecôte with mustard sauce and fries. Notice the U-shaped cut of the friesDessert was a chocolate apple tart.

    Aiguines

    September 14, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Stopped for lunch at noon. The stress of the heights tired me more than expected.
    I ordered the "menu," the daily special. First, the server bought an olive tamponade with toasted baguette slices. Then the beef entrecôte with mustard sauce and fries. The chef made his fries differently. They were U-shaped troughs instead of square sticks. I think he did it to make them crispier while still soft inside, delicious.Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    After the Gorge
    After the Gorge

    Gorge du Verdon, The End

    September 14, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    The Gorge gradually petered out and then I was in the rolling countryside again. The route back to Castellane was still full of fun. As I turned onto one of the roads in the itinerary, I noticed a sign that started "Route Barré" and the date of 14/09. Plus the word "autocross" was in there. I was going too fast to read all the words on the sign. But as I went down the road it occurred to me that today was the 14th of September. Although the sign was saying the road was closed, there was no barricade or even caution tape. I assumed whatever was going on was done.

    I passed some race cars parked on the side of the road and some large car carrying trailers. One of the race cars was following me for a little while and, when I got to a straight section, I waved them by me. He was not going that fast. Imagine my surprise when I got to the other end of the road and slowed down enough to read the sign completely. It said that there was an autocross competition today from noon until 9:00 p.m. it was 2:00 p.m. when I read this. I guess they're having a late start.

    More fun followed as a gorge squeezed the road to a single lane. I go really slow on roads like that because I hug the right side of it. You just don't know when a car will come around the corner right at you. I got behind a minivan and used him as a blocker. That was a lot of fun when it came to a little one-lane tunnel in the middle of a curve. He stared down at the car that wanted to go uphill and I just sat behind him and watched. Eventually, the car backed down the road and the mountain and I got by. After we passed, a couple of uphill motorcyclists tried to pass the car that pulled over for us. I heard a crunch and some yelling after I passed. A glance in my mirror showed a motorcycle leaning against the stopped car. I'll check the video later to see what happened.

    I was back at the hotel in Castellane about 3:30 pm. Because I had a big lunch and ate a lot the day before, I decided to skip dinner and just have an ice cream cone. I did some laundry in the sink so that I won't have to do any more laundry this trip. It will be an early night tonight.
    It's hard to believe there are only three more days of riding left on this trip. I sort of just made this my whole life now. I don't want to stop.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    View from the church in Thoard
    Old narrow streetsNo idea what this machine is. Maybe nobody else does and that's why they turned it into a planter.

    Thoard

    September 15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    When the sign says medieval village this way, you turn. This is the old village of Thoard. There was a market going on selling food and crafts. I wandered the old streets, one of which was barely wider than my shoulders.Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Climbing towards the Col d'Hysope
    Near the Col d'HysopeAt the Col d'HysopeThere's a picture, so it happenedPanorama from the Col d'Hysope

    Col d'Hysope

    September 15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Col d'Hysope in the Réserve Naturelle Géologiques de Haute-Provence. Geologists say the tectonic shift that caused older rocks to cover newer rocks is interesting. I only care about how pretty it is.

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    That loose black patch is natural, not industrial waste
    Looking towards SisteronPanorama

    The Lebre Panorama

    September 15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    I see a lot of these black outcroppings along the side of the road. At first I thought it was some sort of industrial dump or slag. It's actually an ancient sandstone and conglomerate.

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    L'Andouillette lyonnaise
    The café where I ate

    Serres

    September 15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    I stopped for lunch in this cute little town. I picked a cafe at random and saw something on the menu I had never eaten before. I have heard about it though so I decided to try it.
    L'Andouillette lyonnaise is certainly different! Andouillette is a pungently flavored, pork tripe sausage, traditionally prepared with a casing made from veal intestine, and often coated in breadcrumbs before being pan-cooked and served with a creamy, mustard sauce. I liked it but I'm not sure I would order it again. There is an issue with the texture.Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Hotel in Poët-Laval which was a castle
    Ruined chapel of the castleThe courtyard, Cours des Commandeurs.Not sure what made this hole in the wall but it makes a good frameThe defensive city wallA defensive tower on the right and where the guards walk the walls at night on the leftPoët-LavalDefensive wallThe courtyard

    Poët-Laval

    September 15, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 63 °F

    Tonight's hotel in Poët-Laval which was a castle built by the Knights of the Order of the Hospitallers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem. Then a town was built around it. Of course, the castle is a ruin because King Louis ordered this one knocked down too.

    Walking around town, you can still see the defensive city walls. Part of the old castle is integrated into the hotel. The main part of the castle still standing is the dungeon. For some reason the dungeon has a tower.

    An interesting thing about this town and the surrounding area is that it was a hotbed of protestantism during the Reformation. There was a museum on protestantism which was very interesting. The big thing they did that was absolutely unforgivable is that they translated the Bible from Latin into French so that ordinary people could read it. We got to hand it to them because the Roman Catholics did that eventually.

    There was a preserved Protestant church. One of the more amusing things was the hourglass on the pulpit. The docent said that when the preacher started his sermon, he would flip the hourglass. If the hourglass was not empty when he finished his sermon, it was too short.

    After Louis XIV banned Protestantism, a lot of the locals left. A popular destination was Berlin, which was a small town at the time. It was small but its prince had big ideas and welcomed foreigners with skills. In a few years. The docent said that a third of Berlin was French-speaking Protestants.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Amuse bouche - similar to a ceviche with roe
    Sea scallops with a pureed vegetable sideTuna rolled around spinach and leek (I think) and grilled lightly. Served with vegetablesBeef filet topped with foie gras and trufflesI could only pick four!She gave me an extra cheeseSorbet à bergamote (a bitter lime/orange hybrid)Chocolate/raspberry mousse tart and strawberry sorbet

    Dinner at Les Hospitaliers

    September 15, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 57 °F

    The hotel's restaurant is the best in town. They offered a 7-course "chef's surprise" based on what is fresh, in season, and the whim of the chef. I trust him and also asked the sommelier to choose my 3 glasses of wine.

    First was an amuse-bouche which I would translate as "make your mouth happy." Maybe "taste teaser" would be better. It was a ceviche topped with roe.

    Second was Sea scallops with pureed vegetables on the side.

    Third was tuna rolled in spinach and, I think, a leek. It was lightly grilled and rare.

    Fourth was the beef course, a perfectly cooked and thick filet of beef, red and a little cool in the middle. Yes, beef should be eaten rare for flavor and tenderness.

    The cheese board was fifth. It had more types of cheese than I knew of. I chose a blue, a creamy goat, a creamy cow, a hard cow, and a goat wrapped in leaves. Because why not leaves? By the way, you eat the rind but not the leaves.

    For the sixth course, I asked the server to repeat what he said and I swear he said "sorbet à bergamote." Neither Google nor Bing translated "bergamote" but my daughter realized that he said "bergamote" like the bergamot orange in Earl Grey tea. Wikipedia said that experts believe the "bergamot orange to be a probable hybrid of lemon and bitter orange." The flavor was a little like citrus zest and not sweet. Trust me, it was good.

    The seventh and final course was more dessert. A tart of thick chocolate mousse topped with light raspberry mousse. Plus a strawberry sorbet.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Col de Rousset
    Col de RoussetCol de Rousset

    Col de Rousset

    September 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    The Col de Rousset is in Vercors Regional Natural Park. This pass is a southern entrance to the massive Vercors Massif which I will explore over the next few days. My route will take me through the Vercors Drômois (Drome Vercors) and the Coulmes (gorges). The later is better known as the home of the Combe Lavale.

    The Drome Vercors is made up of a number of smaller plateaus. In the north of the Drome Vercors there are several gorges which are traversed by roads cut into the cliffs. Grassy areas are used as pastures in the summer months. With the livable areas surrounded by cliffs and step mountains, the Drome Vercors proved a natural fortress during World War II.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    At the Plateau de Beurre above the Col de Rousset.
    Heading back to the higher Alps

    The Beure Mountain

    September 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    This landscape is on the other side of the tunnel from the Col de Rousset. Of course, there's a ski area; it seems like most of the Alps is populated with places to ski. At first I thought the name was butter but that word, beurre, had two R's.
    From the photos, you can see the higher Alps to the northeast.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    Your arrow is white so the oncoming driver had to stop for you.
    Your arrow is red so stop if somebody is coming the other way.

    Clever Traffic Calming

    September 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Here is a great idea to get people to slow down in town. You put a chicane in the roadway. This forces you into a single lane road. The sign on the right means that there is two-way traffic through this single lane and it tells who has the right of way.

    If the white arrow points in your direction of travel, you have the right of way. Don't worry about that car coming at you. He has to slam on his brakes to let you go first. So hit the gas and trust that he is interpreting the sign correctly.

    From the opposite direction, the arrow is red so the oncoming driver knows he has to slam on the brakes and let you go first. If you're an American tourist, you better learn these things.    Read more

  • Bruce DimonThe French RideBruce Dimon
    This is the remains of a German glider used in the offensive against the Maquisards

    Musée de la Résistance

    September 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    The US Marines have their Iwo Jima. The US army has Omaha Beach. The French resistance has the Vercors Massif. On this Fortress of a plateau, hundreds and later thousands of Maquisards organized the fighting force to counter the occupying troops. After American troops landed on Omaha Beach, thousands more flocked to this hill to join the fight. They thought it was almost over. There were 4,000 poorly trained and equipped volunteers trying to make a defensive fort on this mountaintop. The Germans sent 15,000 troops against them. The French were slaughtered.

    This is the grounds of the Musée de la Résistance. It was a fascinating look into a devastating time. The picture shows the remains of a German glider that landed near Vassieux-en-Vercors during the offensive of July 1944. They landed where the Allies had been dropping supplies and picking up people. The Maquisards thought they were allied aircraft until it was too late. After the war, gliders were stripped for their parts to rebuild the devastated towns and farms.    Read more

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