On the Road – Distance: 105km I 66miles I Elevation: 1111m I 3645m

We ended our first week of riding at the Rhone River which is the border with Provence. On the way we visited and rode over  the Pont du Gard which bears testament to the engineering genius of the Romans and is a great place for a coffee stop. Jim, engineer and one of my Canadian teammates said that Pont du Gard is always the first structure studied by structural engineering students!  We then cycled through vineyards and the Mediterranean landscape known as garrigue as we headed towards Avignon. The weather was much more pleasant, a little cooler and a nice crosswind. Avignon, a UNESCO listed city, was home to the Popes from 1309 -1429 during the Catholic schism. It is now a hugely popular tourist destination so we took the best and most relaxing option staying at Villeneuve–les Avignon, a stunning town and actually where the Popes lived just a 5 minute trip from Avignon. This gave us a great base to relax in but also the opportunity to duck into Avignon to explore the stunning town.

Of course, another great dinner tonight, in the shadow of the Papal Palace in Avignon!…and a cup of tea..…we rest tomorrow (translation: sight seeing and more eating) then early to bed and sharpen our swords in preparation for slaying the Giant.

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Bon soir
Field Notes – Pont du Gard

The Pont du Gard is a Roman monument built halfway through the 1st century AD. It is the principal construction in a 50 km long aqueduct that supplied the city of Nîmes, formerly known as Nemausus, with water. Built as a three-level aqueduct standing 50 m high, it allowed water to flow across the Gardon river.

In essence, the bridge is constructed out of soft yellow limestone blocks, taken from a nearby quarry that borders the river. The highest part of the structure is made out of breeze blocks joined together with mortar. It is topped by a device designed to bear the water channel, whose stone slabs are covered with calcium deposits.

In designing this three-storey bridge, which measures 360 m at its longest point along the top, the Roman architects and hydraulic engineers created a technical masterpiece that stands today as a work of art.