Riding the Rails
September 9th
Breakfast is usually just some fruit and yogurt so we can get out the door and do our bike ride before it gets too hot. We rode down Rue de la Republique to the Avignon train station and took the train to Tarascon just one stop away. The trail is still listed as the ViaRhona but it is mostly on roads and a less than stellar surfaced trail when there is one. We did eventually end up on a lovely country lane that opened up to the bridge across the Rhone with an amazing view of the Palais du Papes and the Pont Saint-Benezet. The bridge was rebuilt many times but it was abandoned in the mid-17th century as the arches tended to collapse each time the Rhône flooded making it very expensive to maintain. At one time there were 22 arches but now only 4 remain as it extends out into the river.
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| Pont Saint-Benezet |
We had dinner at Brasserie de l'Horloge on the very touristy Place de l'Horloge but it had good reviews and our meal was very good. I had made a reservation for 7:30 but when we told the waiter he said, "Yes, but it's not 7:30 so we will wait." After a few seconds I caught a little twinkle in his eye and we both laughed before he took us to our table. I love how most of the servers we have had actually like their jobs or at least seem to be enjoying themselves. Our menu had a sweet picture of Queen Elizabeth on it as a tribute to her passing. When our waitress took our order she mistakenly brought us a Chateauneuf-du-Pape which cost more than our two dinners. Oh well, C'est la Vie!
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| Jay with our lovely wine |
