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We are awake at first light, in time to see the sky change colour and the sun climb out of bed behind the Alps. Ali sits out on the step, photographing every nuance, and idly remembering when we collected Mary*Lou that Paul warned us the step-well could be a hazard. Strange how the mind drifts.
This morning the valley is grey with early mist and the river is a silvery ribbon.
As Silvie told us last night, you can never tire of this view in all its moods.
Amid all this peace and beauty a cry goes up; "That puppy has run off with my new phone!" Nick repeatedly rings the number while Ali chases around where the 22 month old labrador has been until she finds it, complete with souvenir toothmarks in the case. After the excitement Ali looks for the horses buut can't find them, so returns the inscribed wine glasses from last evening and says goodbye.
The road out is a steep 1st gear climb but doesn't seem as daunting or as long going up. No idea what to do if we met something, but this road only sees 5 or 6 cars a day.
At Lubac we take the same winding road back to St Jean de Muzols and turn back along the valley floor. From the town we can look up the hillside to where we were parked, perhaps half a mile away but a 6 mile trip around. We continue along the west side of the Rhone, enjoying the easy roads and genler scenery.
At Serriers we leave the cross the Rhone and leave the Ardeche region, entering the Rhone Alps. The road leads cross country with the alps away in front of us to the east. Vines are replaced by maize and corn, mountains replaced by rolling hills.
Our stop tonight is at a little village called Eyzin-Pinet, where we reach the small, tranquil aire around 15:00. Nearly everything is shut for France's annual two week holliday, but some things reopen tomorrow.
We sit in the shade of the van in 35C taking it easy. In the evening clouds build and it looks like thunder. There are a few rumbles in the night but the threatened storm never comes.
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