Date: 10-11th September 2023
Travelled: 500 kms from Visp in Switzerland to Viviers in France
Visited: La Garde-Adhémar
Stayed: Viviers Aire CC, €13, N44.48240, E04.68010
Budget: 112 days @ €96 per day
We said goodbye to Visp and set off west for France. A long driving day, close enough to 500 kms to say it was 500 kms. It was Sunday and the Swiss get their best Porsche or Ferrari out give it a wash and blast along the A9 or A1, so there was plenty of traffic all going a lot faster than us.
Once we passed Geneva leaving Switzerland behind the traffic melted away, the French Auto Route or motorway was very quiet. This could have something to do with the tolls. Our drive along the French motorway was €51 today.
We spend the evening in a Camping Card Aire at La Roche-de-Glun. Just glad to have arrived safely, it’s a very quiet evening.
It’s a late start this morning our first stop today is the village of La Garde-Adhémar. From our guide book the Most Beautiful Villages of France you’ll find Garde-Adhémar on page 100. The village looks across at the Rhone Valley, it retains its medieval structure dating back to the 12th century. Typical of Provence, we drive through fields of lavender as we climb to the carpark.
La Garde-Adhémar, Nyons, Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Metropolitan France, 26700, France
Picture above, La Garde-Adhémar stand on a limestone ridge.
So we wander as we do, it’s a confusing set of laneways and passages, but we find the Église Saint-Michel whose foundations date back to 1105. It’s a very tall 3 nave arrangement with 3 apses. Very austere but interesting as we haven’t seen a village church for a month or so.
From Saint-Michel it’s just a wander. We follow the old defensive walls and the odd archway to someone’s house.
We finish our visit of Garde-Adhémar overlooking the Rhone Valley, we can see the river in the distance and the trucks on the A7. It’s a hot afternoon 32° and we’ve run out of steam. Whilst where tempted to a late lunch her in the square, we need a supermarket, some fuel and a place for the night.
We find a Carrefour, a servo and a place to stay with shade and electricity at Viviers about 10 kms north of Garde-Adhémar. So that was our first day back in France after more than a month.
Michael + Guymer
