Camp Journal - Ardeche, France

you can never get bored of doing the same things at VC!

A beautiful morning primed the French groups for their excursion into Avignon. Following an early breakfast à la terrace, the French groups boarded the coach and made  their way to Avignon. Once there they spent time exploring the Palais des Papes, soaking up the sights and sounds of this typically Provencal city and of course did not miss the opportunity to sing the song on its bridge. Judging by the look of the campers bulging bags as they returned to camp, souvenir hunting was also featured – all transactions of course conducted in French!

Activity one, two and three joined together for an approximately 17 kilometre all day bike journey.Lathered in sun block the twenty six cyclists headed off into the hills to a day of  adventure, challenge and pedalling fun. After a morning including a couple of steep climbs, some rough trails and a vineyard traverse, lunch was taken by the side of a watering hole. Most of the group enjoyed jumping from a boulder overlooking the lunch site. Campers rocked back and forth in hammocks and doddled in the shade escaping the suns rays. A competition of skipping stones ended the lunch hour with the winner getting 18 skips!The group got their muscles working again and completed the last 8 km. Our biking extraordinaire, Lilly, ended the expedition at a local ice cream shop in Salavas allowing all the hot sweatiness to be forgotten as ice creams were devoured.

This evening we  are all back together in camp and it is film evening - a change in pace to allow a bit of relaxation – we still have seven days of action ahead!