Day 7 - Carcassonne to Barcelonnette

It was a long day of driving today, but we accomplished a couple of things that we had wanted to do along the way.

First stop would be to dance on le pont d’Avignon. The pont d’Avignon built in ~1180, is a bridge that originally spanned the Rhône river.  There are currently only 4 arches remaining intact.  After many floods, damage, and repairs over the years it was decided to not repair it anymore after the mid-17th century.  Many Canadian school children learned the song “Sur le pont d’Avignon” in the French immersion grade school programs.  In the song it says “on the pont d’Avignon we all dance”.  There were a number of songs about the bridge back in the 15th century, but this one is the only one that has survived.  It was sung in Normandy as a wedding celebration song, and in the 19th century was brought over to Canada by French emigrants.  It is said that this song has brought more fame to the city than any advertising campaign could have ever brought.

Le Pont d’Avignon

…on y danse, on y danse!!

Next stop today was to be Mont Ventoux.  Mont Ventoux is a very famous peak that has been featured in 19 Tour De France editions, 11 as end points.  In the 2025 edition it will be featured as an end-point once again.  The ascent of Mont Ventoux is 1375-1610 m depending on which direction the approach is from.  I am sure it is a cyclist’s nightmare, but for cycling fans it is one of the ultimate spectacles.  The drive up was absolutely beautiful.  The trees are all in the middle of changing colours, and once we were above the tree line the views went on forever.  There were a few brave cyclists out on their way to the summit, and I can only imagine what they must have been feeling.  We noticed remnants of spray painted messages of support on the roads - “Go Pogi”, “Vas-y! Vas-y!” Once we arrived at the summit we looked around for a bit, enjoying 360-degree views, then headed back to the car to continue on our way.

Mont Ventoux

Summit Selfie

Summit Elevation

We only had 175 km to drive to get to our chalet in Barcelonnette.  Despite that it took us about 4 hours to do it, but we thoroughly enjoyed the drive.  Again, it is difficult to put into words just how beautiful the scenery was, but it is fair to say it was some of best we’ve ever seen.  We went from forests, to foothills, to full on French Alps.  Getting through some of the little towns was also very cool, with the narrow lanes, old stone buildings, and charming main streets.  The only unfortunate part was that the last part of our drive up to our chalet was in the dark.  We suspect that the views when we wake up are going to be unbelievable…

I predict tomorrow morning will be a little on the slow side.  Maybe a hike in the afternoon, or wandering around town checking out the shops.  That’s it for tonight.  À demain!!