Official Day One- Vence to Castellane

Today was the official first day of the tour.  Our route would re-trace rides we had done the previous two days from Vence east following the river up “gorges du Loup” to the first of many hiillside villages, Gourdon.  From here the climbing started through rocky, fairly desolate canyons to a plateau area that felt like a moonscape with small scrub brush trees.  

Still heading east after a roadside catered picnic we decided to join the only other tandem couple on a special route that they had ridden before and would avoid some steep climbing and reward us with a beautiful winding descent down to lac Chaudanne just outside of Castelle.  It was worth every ounce of climbing.  

Castallane proved to be an great town nestled in the middle of a river.  The dinner was spectacular, five course including the local “pistou” soup of fresh beans, vegetables, and a pesto mixture that was out of this world.