D161 - D229 -D112

St Donat sur l'Herbasse

A 9 am fast downhill start on a freezing cold but sunny morning. Several stops were needed to warm hands and other extremities before the air finally warmed up around 11 am.
We're cycling on a flatish plain with fields full of fruit trees (apples, apricots) with the impressive rocky escarpment of the Vercors mountains looming to the east of our route throughout this day and part of the next (but too misty to photograph them). D574 from St Donat to Romans is today's prizewinning road.

D574

Romans sur Isere

Romans is a declining industrial town (shoe-making) with a charming riverside medieval centre.
Our departure from Romans was much delayed by a bad decision to lunch in a restaurant (for the warmth). We had a choucroute garni (with large chunks of ham, sausage) and rich chocolate dessert. After crossing the Isère George suddenly lost all his strength and we had to sit on the verge of a small road for about 90 minutes for him to recover. This has happened before and seems to be due to impact of a lot of indigestible food on an empty stomach.
Strenuous activity like cycling calls for energy-rich food in frequent small portions.

minor road llel to D538

Alixan

We came unexpectedly upon this medieval village nestled on a hillock in the middle of a flat plain. It seemed so interesting we'd like to visit it again.

D538

Montélier

D538

Chabeuils

minor

Montmeyran

The delay in Romans meant that we didn't arrive at our destination until dusk and couldn't see any information to help us reach the chambres d'hote, La Colombe. So we went into the perfectly-preserved quinquaillerie (ironmonger) and were directed by a charming lady.
La Colombe is an excellent conversion of an old grange (barn) and we had an excellent well-heated room in which to thaw out before cycling in the dark to the only available place for supper (an unexciting auberge 2.5 km outside the town).