We left Monboucher-sur-Jabron this morning at 10:40. Without any finite goal, we traverse Montelimar and happen to pass the boulangerie (baker) from yesterday. So we make a short stop there to admire all the pastries they have. We let several people go before us, just to have more time to drool over all the beautiful and tasty looking pastries, before leaving with just two small bread. We are strong!
The Ardèche
At our leasure, we drive through the Ardèche, stopping whenever there is something to explore. For example a village with tiny streets and lots of arched doorways. And in a village named Prends-toi-garde (which translates into something like “take care of yourself”), we spot a fig tree next to the road. It is well placed next to a low wall, which permits me to pluck a dozen ripe fruits from the tree. That’s enough for us, so we leave the hundreds that are still there for the next observant passers by.
We follow the river Ardèche and eventually find a place where we can reach the water. First, we have lunch there on a beach consisting of large pebbles. Afterwards, we go into the water to cool off. The temperature is nice; not too cold, neither too warm.
Late afternoon, we arrive in Alès. We park the car and go explore the city center, but return to the car after half an hour. Alès isn’t our type of city, so we drive on. We follow the river Gardon for a bit in hopes of finding a spot near the river to bathe and spend the night. After 20 minutes, we turn around and continue on our way to Anduze, because there is nowhere where we can get near to the Gardon.
Anduze
Anduze is a lovely village. We’ll go and explore more tomorrow. We end up at the Bambouseraie, which has a train station for a steam train. It has a lovely view and some benches made from train wheels, and that’s where we eat our dinner. We drive back into Anduze where I go into a bar to use the toilet and am accidently mooned by a young man. Quite funny, for he is unaware of my presence when he drops his pants (he has his back turned towards me). He turns around to show his butt to his comrades when he comes face to face with me. I tell him “I saw that”, and go into the bathroom, leaving him utterly embarrassed.
In Anduze, just outside the village center, Christophe finds a place where we can enter the river Gardon, and we go skinny dipping in the shallow water to wash before bed. On a parking nearby with good lighting (for it is now getting dark quite fast) we prepare the bed in the car. Then we drive back to the Bambouseraie, where we park the car and go to bed.
