The British seasons feel less distinct than I remember; they
have started to mould into each other with our temperamental weather and more
frequent storms. According to the clock change we are now officially in springtime,
the flowers and my hay fever confirm that too, but sadly the temperature is yet
to follow. As my friends and I get older it also seems that the wedding season
has become less defined. Until recently I had never been to a winter or foreign
wedding, now these invites have become the norm.
The most recent was only a short flight down to the South of
France, no harder to travel for than the next wedding up in Scotland. Having
never experienced the Cote d’Azur I could not pass the opportunity to make the
most of this trip and extend the stay, it was the Easter holidays after all.
The wedding itself was further inland set amongst stunning vineyards, so the
days prior I chose to make the most of the famous Mediterranean coastline.
As you probably know, I love to incorporate sport into my
travels. Hiring a road bike was the perfect opportunity to explore this part of
Europe. Day one consisted of a coffee stop in Monaco followed by lunch in the Italian
town of Ventimiglia. Three countries in one ride sounds impressive but I have
to admit it was only two hours of cycling. To compensate for the frequent stops
and large quantities of food and coffee I ambitiously set off up Col de la
Madon, a mountain just shy of 1000m in height. Comparing this to home it
sounded impossible, a hill three times the height of anything on Dartmoor with
no let ups. The smooth road surface, lack of traffic and continuous yet gentle
incline made it surprisingly enjoyable. I found my steady pace provided plenty
of time to absorb the incredible scenery and views. As for the descent - I am
still dreaming about that now.
