A is for apple

...and Ardèche.
Our fickle weather decided to have a hot day today. Sun, blue sky, the works. With no great plan we drove west towards the Rhône and ended up on the unmarked roads between motorway and TGV. We like that. Somewhere near Mondragon we hit upon apple groves groaning with fruit. Pink, plum red, yellow. Crates were stacked up alongside in readiness for the harvest but some fruit had already fallen. Never one to miss a free mouthful, Adrian bit into it. Pah! Vile, tasteless. French apples are destined for other things than ploughman's lunch. They go into tartes aux pommes, compôtes, juice. They need to be soft - don't be too harsh.

Last year we went twice to Aiguèze, the cliff village overlooking the Ardèche. Today we thought we'd view it from the other side. En route we passed through St Just d'Ardèche and swerved to a halt by this extraordinary set of buildings, completely decorated with bizarre
sculptures, frescoes, mottoes.







As we were gazing, an elderly man popped outand handed us a leaflet. All his own work. Briefly, he is fighting against the bland internationalisation of culture and art galeries, the ubiquitous pots of flowers and false 'traditions', the nuclear facility down the road. And more!

 

Moving on... We got to St Martin across from Aiguèze and walked on the beach by the river and looked up. Very nice. Lovely river, but by the size of the carpark, a nightmare in season.

St Martin was very sleepy today, all closed up and we were lucky to get a cup of coffee by the bridge at 3.
Kind lady served us as she was clearing up.

It's in fact the lowest bridging point of the Ardèche because the bridge at Pont St Esprit is below the confluence with the Rhòne.

On our way back we passed through Piolenc. garlic capital of, ... Well, here!
They like you to know this.

Then. Just as we were driving into Sablet, an ominous bang from 107's rear. No, not the effects of bio fuel but the exhaust pipe. Bracket broken. Swiftly down to the garage on the roundabout. Man can do it  tomorrow but needs car all day. So no trip to Arles.
Have a consolation pomegranate !