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A beautiful morning when we wake. The owner comes to work and Ali goes to ask if we can stay another night. As long as you like is his reply. He tells us he does not like working on Sunday but he has a large shipment to prepare for Tuesday when a truck will take 30 pallets to Montelimar to be carried by barge to Paris. He has 3 or 4 of these consignments a year.
We set off with Ali's bike on the way towards Gras. The road climbs to 336m giving a fantastic panorama over the vineyards. The vines are full of tiny immature grapes about pea-size, some green, some black.
Everywhere is tinder dry and when the road descends and crosses little riverbeds they too are bone dry. With all the grass and forest around it wouldn't take much to start the knd of wild fires currently devastating Portugal and Madiera.
We pass through the tiny hamlet of La Farre where houses have large terraces shaded by vines, and continue downhill through the craggy limestone valley.
It's absolutely baking and we take shade under the odd tree to let the breeze cool us. We are passed by the odd car and a few serious cyclists in rainbow coloured suits on lightweight racers with umptyseven gears, but no wonder they talk of mad dogs and Englishmen out in the midday sun. The only other things around are groups of swallows diving through clouds of midges to feed.
After 5km the heat is building and we turn back up the hill. With the sun right overhead most of the roadside trees have lost their sheltering angles. If it weren't for the smelling-salts effect of the lavender the air would be almost unbreathable.
We reach the crest again so now it's 2km all downhill. Ali cycles back to the van to get some food while Nick finds a bit of shade for a few minutes. We meet about halfway and get in off the road under a tree to munch our picnic. The best bits are salty crisps and a chunk of chocolate; instant relief.
Back at the van we doze under the awning as the heat reaches 35C at 17:00.
If mad Englishmen can't beat 'em, then join 'em. In hot Asian countries they eat spicy food so Ali cooks chicken curry. It's still 30C when we fall into bed and nod off to the cicadas.
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