"Day 3: Avignon > Palavas-les-Flots (123 km)

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The festival-goers are still asleep when we start the day at the Café de Provence, with the Club des Cyclistes Rognonais finishing their race for the day. The "coach", proudly 81 years old and looking like Picasso, commands infinite respect. On his advice, we set off for Arles. The little Rome of the Gauls and one of the cities that made the history of the valley, its arenas provide welcome shade at lunchtime.

Leaving the Rhône and its Bouches behind, we head due west towards the Gard. In Saint-Gilles, the charm of historic towns no longer works: there are more pillars in the bar than columns on the abbey church. Never mind, we're at the gateway to the Camargue, and we soon find ourselves on a magnificent cycle path winding through the marshes. Ragondins, pink flamingos, rabbits and birds of all kinds lead the way. As usual, the lights are at their most beautiful at dusk.

The bell tower and towers of Aigues Mortes announce the town fortified by Saint-Louis. We found a very nice place to have dinner, before covering the last few kilometres to the Mediterranean by headlamp. No cycling trip would be complete without a night-time arrival, and we don't really regret having passed the major seaside resorts of the Hérault in relative darkness.

In three days, we covered more than 400 kilometres. In the end, the 22 hours we spent in the saddle left us little time to explore the towns we passed. In long-distance travel, the road is an experience in itself. Destinations take a back seat to movement. On our Paulette bikes, we laugh, we sing, we stick out our tongues, we remake the world, we calculate and recalculate the remaining kilometres before the next stop, we enjoy the passing scenery and we feel free. Tourist stops are extra. For those who want to fully discover the riches of the region, we can only advise you to follow Paulette's itineraries and to devote more time to this section of the ViaRhôna."

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