D142

Upie

We made an early and very cold start to what was to be the coldest day of the trip.

D142 - D538

Crest

The terrain was flat as far as Crest, which is a mainly modern town with a small but interesting medieval centre sloping steeply up to a massive rectangular chateau tower that is visible from miles away. We locked up the bike briefly to explore the steepest part, then set off on the more interesting route to Montelimar.

D538 - D26 - D310 - D128

Montelimar

58 km

Leaving Crest on the somewhat busy D538, we spotted the turning onto the D26, today's prizewinning road - deserted of traffic, wending its way through cultivated hills, past the hilltop village of Autichamp, then climbing to a viewpoint perched 400m above the Rhone valley with clear views to Montelimar and the hills beyond. Rejoining the wider D538, we descended rapidly via Puy St. Martin - where we stopped for a warming lunch of 'soup au pistou' before cycling the straight but quiet road through Bonlieu-sur-Roubion to Montelimar, arriving in Montelimar at about 3 pm.

Lacking a city map and unable to find the tourist office in a maze of streets near a river, we phoned the only chambre d'hote listed in the town, to be told that a room was available, but not until 6 pm. We needed warmth and shelter before that, so we searched for the town centre and eventually arrived at the Hotel Beausoleil. The extreme cold may have prejudiced us, but we found the town disappointing; much of the centre is car-dominated with fast-moving avenues, swathes of car parking and very few tourist sites or museums. But once ensconced in a warm hotel, in which we appeared to be the only guests, we ventured forth through medieval streets to the 12th century Chateau Adhemar, Montelimar's most impressive building, somewhat marred by its use for an exhibition of mediocre modern art.