Day 12. Castellane to Nice

L'arrivée

The last day started with a long grind out of Castellane and up to the Col de Luens at 1054 m, a false summit as the road then sweeps down into a valley and up again to a higher col that doesn't warrant a sign. After a long descent I entered the final département, Alpes Maritimes, and left the main road for a long section though a wide valley which was surprisingly hard work in the face of a bit of a headwind, and it was a relief to find a café in what the book describes as a 'caffeine-scarce valley'.

In spite of the pastoral surroundings, the kilometre posts reminded me that this was the second highest section of the ride at over 1180 m, almost as high as the road above the Verdon Gorge, before a roundabout marked a dramatic change in scenery as you drop down the side of a gorge on a corniche road, through some tunnels and down steep hairpin bends into Gréolières.

There were a few restaurants but no shops, so I took time out for an excellent if rather large pizza before resuming the ride. It's downhill all the way now, following a twisting road through yet another gorge - the Gorge du Loup - until things become gradually more urban on the approach to Nice. I followed my nose rather than a map until I emerged on the seafront at Cagnes-sur Mer and soon found Les at the hotel which was only a few hundred metres away.

Later that afternoon we both rode along the seafront cycle path past the airport and along the Promenade des Anglais into Nice. The weather was now cool and damp and there was no temptation for a swim, so we settled on a very expensive beer in a beachside bar.

 

Distance today 91 km
Total distance 911 km 

We had a spare day in Nice before our flight home but the weather took a turn for the worse with heavy rain and the mountains hidden in thick cloud. A good morning for watching the Rugby World Cup, and I was just glad that I was not having to ride the last stage on such a foul day. I reflected on my luck with the weather on both of my French cycle tours, as there had been only a few drops of rain during a total of 26 days and over 2000 km.  In the afternoon we caught a train into Nice and wandered around the town, trying to dodge the showers.

The following morning we were up at 6.30 to ride to the airport where the bikes were dismantled, packed in the poly bags and consigned to the mercy of the baggage handling system. A few hours later they emerged unscathed on the caroussel at Gatwick. Thank you Mr EasyJet.

A few final thoughts on Saint-Malo to Nice. I'll remember the quiet rural roads, the interesting small towns, the many spectacular gorges, and lots of great food and wine. I'll try and forget the long grinds uphill in 30 plus degree heat. In no particular order my favourite sections were

• the lower Lot valley for beautiful views and easy cycling
• the D901 from Mende to Villefort - a long gentle climb rewarded by an exhilirating descent
• the Gorges de la Nesque - an almost effortless ascent through an impressive gorge
• the Corniche Sublime - the best scenery of the whole route - and the hardest riding.