May 17, 2019 Arles to Montpeiller

Today was only 73 kms with only 145 meters of climb however it was not an easy day.   Bob, Ken and I left the hotel after breakfast at about 9:30Am thinking it would be an easy day.  It was heavily clouded with rain forecast to start at about 2-3:00 Pm.  However we got about 10 kms into the ride and the rain started.  It was just a little sprinkle at first however within a few minutes it had turned into a full-fledged rain.  The rain never did stop.  At times it was heavy and at times not quite as heavy.   By 11:00 all the depressions in the pavement were filled with water.  By 12:30 it was running down the road and where there were drainage dips in the road there was large rivers of water. 

Bob wanted to stop for coffee at about 10:30 and as I did not want revolution on day 2, we stopped for coffee. Yes it was already raining but we did not know how much heavy it was going to get and it could have even stopped. 

At about the 45 km mark Bob hit a pot hole filled with water really hard and took two flats.  Luckily Ken was there with a second tube as my Surly does not have 700 mm wheels.  There is nothing like changing tubes in the pouring rain.  The tires came off very easily which was surprising as Bob claims that he has not had a flat on this bike which is brand new.  Never the less it was 40 minutes in the rain.  This experience slowed us down a lot more than just the time lost because we are now trying to avoid every puddle in the road.

At about the 50 kms mark we got to a huge round about and it was not clear which exit to take so we rode around it a couple times just to make sure.  This added at least a couple of kilometers to the ride.

At the 57 kms mark I got a phone call from Agnes saying that she could not get to the hotel.  All of the roads to the hotel were walk up and the closest she could get to the hotel was 1.2 kms.  After some discussion she was going phone the hotel and get directions.  I knew this was going to be a problem as the address for the hotel put it on a tram line.  The address I had which I thought she could drive to was in a construction site.  As it turned out you had to ask at the construction site to lift the barrier.  This caused a huge amount of anguish for Agnes and Judy.   Sorry I did the best I could and did not know about the construction. 

Meanwhile we are riding in from the other side of the construction and on the other side of the tracks so we could not follow the Garmin track in.  Down through a parking garage and carry the bike up some stairs to the large walking plaza.  I knew we were in the right spot as I recognized the buildings from looking at it on Street View, but which way?  There was a tourist info building right there so I ducked in and a quick consult showed we were less than a kilometer from the hotel. 
  

The huge walking plaza is at least 200 meters wide and paved with marble blocks which in the rain were so slippery that Bob and Ken both went down.  I was not a popular person for taking them down this plaza. I guess I should have known this.  Oops sorry.

On the bright side the hotel is very nice although signing into the internet seems to be a problem. 

Also on the positive side of the ledger we went out on the walking plaza and found a pizza place which was absolutely fabulous.   Ken jumps in and orders two 500 ml and one 250 ml carafes of house wine which turned out to be excellent.

Ok my shoes are soaked on my first day of riding but it was a good adventure and if asked if I would do it again the answer would be absolutely.

Terry hot biker