Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Made time for the 3rd ride of my holiday today. Got up early and out before the real heat of the day. Only 16.2 miles in all, but that doesn't tell the whole story, as the first 8 were basically downhill, and the last 8 were almost continuously back up again - that's the thing with staying in a hill-top village in gorge country. Started in the village of Montgaillard. It's a very basic hilltop village, with quite a few empty properties. Most of the rest are either owned by British ex-pats or else lived in by local wine growers. The main square is cool and shady, with a couple of water troughs, a post box and a defibrulater. I used the post box to post a couple of cards back home, and I cooled my wrists in a water trough on my way back. Thankfully I have yet to need the defibrulator.
The shady main square, Montgaillard
The water trough, or "lavoir"
The first 1.4 miles take you down to a road junction and the only few hundred yards of flat land for miles around. From there it is a nice 4 mile glide down the gorge of the river Torgan, past limestone rock formations and a river bed full of bamboo reeds to the local village of Padern, with its castle perched above.
Some of the rocks above the local gorge. Mrs Donger and I think of this one as "Bart Simpson Rock"
After Padern, I turned left to follow the road down further trhrough the Verdouble gorge, past the parts I didn't get to see the other day because of the dangerous howling wind. I may not always succeed first time, but I bide my time. Then began the 8 mile slog back up to Montgaillard, via Padern again, where the cicadas and frogs in the reed bed were making an unbelievable cacophony. There were some small trout in the river, but there was not much water left for them. I imagine they will have to make do with rock pools soon.
The gorge of the river Verdouble
Padern and its castle
Thankfully it clouded over a little before the steepest part of the climb back up, and the whole climb went comfortably.
Distant view of Montgaillard
Quick shower and off out for lunch in Duilhac, where we drove up to the ruined cather castle of Peyrepertuse, then spent the whole afternoon in the pool, where an eagle circled overhead.
Tomorrow may be my last day here, but I have a short but outrageous ride planned (the road up to Peyrepertuse may be only 2.5 miles long, but it is steep and it has a series of ridiculously tight hairpin bends that were as challenging a drive as anything I have encountered in the Alps or the Pyrenees. These take you up from what is already a hill-top village, to a castle perched apparently vertically above it on a limestone cliff...... There is an amazing belvedere (sky walkway viewpoint) there. I simply have to try to get up to it.
I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers, Donger.
The shady main square, Montgaillard
The water trough, or "lavoir"The first 1.4 miles take you down to a road junction and the only few hundred yards of flat land for miles around. From there it is a nice 4 mile glide down the gorge of the river Torgan, past limestone rock formations and a river bed full of bamboo reeds to the local village of Padern, with its castle perched above.
Some of the rocks above the local gorge. Mrs Donger and I think of this one as "Bart Simpson Rock"After Padern, I turned left to follow the road down further trhrough the Verdouble gorge, past the parts I didn't get to see the other day because of the dangerous howling wind. I may not always succeed first time, but I bide my time. Then began the 8 mile slog back up to Montgaillard, via Padern again, where the cicadas and frogs in the reed bed were making an unbelievable cacophony. There were some small trout in the river, but there was not much water left for them. I imagine they will have to make do with rock pools soon.
The gorge of the river Verdouble
Padern and its castleThankfully it clouded over a little before the steepest part of the climb back up, and the whole climb went comfortably.
Distant view of MontgaillardQuick shower and off out for lunch in Duilhac, where we drove up to the ruined cather castle of Peyrepertuse, then spent the whole afternoon in the pool, where an eagle circled overhead.
Tomorrow may be my last day here, but I have a short but outrageous ride planned (the road up to Peyrepertuse may be only 2.5 miles long, but it is steep and it has a series of ridiculously tight hairpin bends that were as challenging a drive as anything I have encountered in the Alps or the Pyrenees. These take you up from what is already a hill-top village, to a castle perched apparently vertically above it on a limestone cliff...... There is an amazing belvedere (sky walkway viewpoint) there. I simply have to try to get up to it.
I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers, Donger.
on the run as well so quite chuffed. 
It was all a little on the comical side tbh.
) was a nice little ride along the coast from Margate to Reculver. I was riding with one of the ladies from the cycling club I've just joined, she also has a heart condition so understands what its like cycling with a heart problem.
Nicola was a puncture virgin, and I had only fixed a puncture once before on my MTB, but we got to it and with a bit of team work we found the teeny weeny bit of glass that caused it, took the old tube out, put the new tube in, got it all pumped up!
so off came the wheel again, but we couldn't find any signs of another puncture, and a nice old guy that stopped to see if we needed help also couldn't find any signs of a puncture so we pumped it up again and got the wheel back on, thanked the man for his help (he told us if we were a couple of blokes he'd have kept going!
miles with great company. No photos this time we were too busy chatting!!
