Crest to Nyons

This was one of the best days so far although it was also the most hilly with over 1000m of ascents. We left crest quite early as a sunny day was forecast and we wanted to get up the first col before it got too hot. Looking back on Crest there was a good view of the hilltop tower.

The scenery on this route was exceptional with the mountains on our left and views over the plains on our right. The buildings have taken on a Provençal character and the landscape is changing with less corn and more vineyards. 

The sunflowers are long past their best and are brown and drooping. the area also seems more affluent, at least in the many small hamlets, and their is a tourist feel to some of them with potters, painters and sculptors having ateliers in some of the villages.

The area around Nyons is also an olive growing area and we saw our first groves today.

Le Tour was here in 2013 and there are still the names of cyclists painted on the road: Kittel, Voeckler etc. We stopped to eat our sandwiches near the top of the second col and took in the views.

The descents from some of the cols were very steep, particularly the last one as we approached Nyons. it was also very windy and we kept our speed down to avoid getting blown off the path. earlier in the day the wind had practically brought me to a standstill when I was cycling along the flat. Fortunately it was behind us most of the way. Approaching Nyons we became closer to the mountains again and the views continued to impress. This part of France is very beautiful and also very quiet. We rode all day on the road with hardly any traffic until around 4pm when everyone was returning home from work.