Journeys by bike CLICK routes and places for details
Monday, 30 June 2025
Briançon gets wet
Sunday, 29 June 2025
Briançon, highest city in France
Briançon is the highest city in France at 1,326m elevation. It's been difficult cycling here and I have tomorrow to investigate the history of this fortified place.
En route today I note the turning towards the Col de Traversette at Guillestre, short of Briançon. The journey from the Rhone crossing has been long and arduous but the section over the Col de Traversette into Italy is only passable by foot. Legend says rock faces were smashed to widen the track to allow Hannibal's army safe passage. I must continue on road surfaces and after following desperately difficult sections of 'off road' today know that decision was right.
The later constructed Roman Via Domitia passed through Briançon and entered Italy at the Col de Montgenèvre. My direction until I catch up with Hannibal's trail in Turin.
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Gap to Embrun
Friday, 27 June 2025
Gap in Haute-Alpes
Thursday, 26 June 2025
Col de Grimone
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
River Drôme to Die
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Orange to Les Tourettes following the Rhône
Monday, 23 June 2025
Crossing the Rhône
Cycle paths follow the Rhone upstream. At Beaucaire the rivers divides for a stretch and this is where Hannibal's army and elephants spent 5 days crossing on raft constructions. Almost impossible to imagine witnessing the volume of waters to cross. A couple of hundred years later the Romans built a crossing here as part of the Via Domitia. That road and the Via Aurelia connecting Rome through Gaul to Spain.
Avignon ia an amazing walled city and outside those walls the metro runs smoothly through manicured lawns.
No time for the best Chateauneuf du Pape.
Sunday, 22 June 2025
Arles at the centre of mediaevel pilgrimages
The previous images show ancient Rome's amphitheatre now used for performance including bull fighting. The architect Frank Ghery designed the tower in the Lumar Arts complex as a major part of redeveloping an old industrial site incorporating areas of landscaping to reflect the nature of the Camargue.....and the light reflecting metal tower to resemble the light enhancing artwork of Van Gogh artwork and more of course.
At the decision point in Arles for mediaeval pilgrims the routes to Santaigo de Compostela or Rome are displayed. The Via Domitia via the Alpine pass was built by the Romans later than Hannibal's expedition. It is a shorter route as you'd expect.
Alyscamps made famous by Van Goch's paintings is pictured together with a copy of his painting. This site was once a vast Necropolis now largely eroded over time.