Homps

Today was a different travel day as we spent most of it on small backcountry roads. We came through tiny villages around huge vineyards where at least the Merlot grapes were being harvested using big machinery. Often we had very aromatic smells in our noses from the local wild flora.

The machine-picked grapes are being produced to vin de table and similar wines of ordinary quality. The hand-picked grapes are obviously more expensive to harvest and those will be used for the appellation wines.

During the midday hours we biked through a huge flat region that hosted very big vineyards and apple orchards – and it was +28°C and a brisk dry wind against us, so we suffered somewhat.

The town of Azille and a tractor with grapes approaching.

We reached our destination mid afternoon and are now relaxing in Auberge d'Arbousier right on the canal in the outskirts of Homps. The warm wind is caressing the leaves of the plane tree outside our windows and the lazy late afternoon is drawing to an end.

It will soon be aperitif time on the terrasse – and later on a real French dinner and real French wine ...