Spymon

Normally our regular trips across the channel to see the in-laws involve the cheapest possible train or flight from London to France and a week of sitting around doing next to nothing with only the prospect of a decent meal out to stop me going stir crazy. We were determined to make this trip different. My partner's Mother had finished her cancer treatment and was on the road to recovery and we also planned to say good-bye and good luck to my brother and sister in law (well they would be if, and much to the annoyance of all of our parents the four of us believed in marriage, but it's easier just to say 'in laws') were about to embark on a crazy trip on a tandem bike from France to India (they will be blogging and perhaps I will translate and share their adventures).

Anyway, introductions aside if you like trip reports filled with champagne, first class seats and five star hotels you will be disappointed. However, there is an epic train ride, tasty food, clear blue sea, Roman ruins and even some baby animals. What more could you want?

Part 1: Planes: LHR to LYS on BA Euro Traveller
Part 2: Baby Animals: La Begude de Mazenc
Part 3: My Surprise: An Epic Ardeche Train Journey
Part 4: Automobiles: The Road to Aix en Provence
Part 5: Boats: Cassis and the Calanques
Part 6: Food: St Remy and the Roman Ruins at Glanum
Part 7: The Flight Home and Final Thoughts


DSC02915 by Spymon26, on Flickr

Spymon

If you have read my previous trip reports you would know there are a number of ways to get from London to Lyon. This time we were back on BA but our flight to LYS was now at T1 rather than T5 at LHR. We did our usual of a short bank holiday bus ride to Paddington followed by the Heathrow Connect to LHR. Being ignorant to the ways of T1 I thought it would be a good idea to sit at the front of the train and while the carriage was lovely and quiet we ended up with the longest possible walk to T1.


DSC02914 by Spymon26, on Flickr


DSC02909 by Spymon26, on Flickr


DSC02912 by Spymon26, on Flickr
On arrival at T1 the BA desks were easy to find and there was absolutely no queue whatsoever. On arrival the agent looked a little miserable but she quickly perked up as we returned her smile and the day was set. Security was a breeze though it was a pain to take the iPad out of its case. We took a quick tour of the T1 shops for last minute gifts before heading over to the BA International Lounge.

First impressions were good. We were warmly welcomed into the lounge though the door staff were a little worried about getting in trouble as my BAEC number was on the boarding pass but I was using the CX Gold card for access. The T1 lounge was lovely and quiet and we soon settled down with a nice view of the taxiway. After exploring the lounge and looking to get some breakfast it really seemed that this lounge was made for happier times, there were shower rooms, well-appointed bathrooms and lots of space for hot and cold food. However all that was out were some miniature pastries, hot drinks, biscuits, crisps, some very sorry looking fruit… A far cry from Galleries Club South 12 months ago (though from the numerous complaints on the BA forum it sounds like it has gone much the same way).


DSC02920 by Spymon26, on Flickr


DSC02916 by Spymon26, on Flickr


DSC02917 by Spymon26, on Flickr

It was soon time to head to the gate for boarding. The gate was just a short walk from the lounge through what looked like the remnants of a 1970s space station. The gate areas are quite odd here and basically resemble long corridors that can easily get congested. Priority boarding was strictly enforced and we were soon welcomed aboard our flight to Lyon as we quickly settled into 5A and 5B.

We were soon up and away on time with some great views over London and the coastline leaving the UK.


DSC02928 by Spymon26, on Flickr

Thankfully the snack and drinks run kicked off at exactly 12pm, so in my book it was time for a G & T to wash down yet more salted crisps. The small things that make the flight fly by make such a difference.


DSC02929 by Spymon26, on Flickr


DSC02931 by Spymon26, on Flickr


DSC02936 by Spymon26, on Flickr

Before I knew it we were past Paris and landing in Lyon. As always being sat near the front has its perks as we were quickly off the plane, through passport control and waiting for our ride outside with our suitcases before we knew it.

We took a small detour into Lyon for a late lunch near Part-Dieu shopping centre and ended up in a cheap but very friendly and tasty Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant where for a little over £10 we stuffed ourselves silly. I do regret not taking pictures, as for the price the food and service was excellent (this was a common theme on this trip). We were then driven back to Valence for a rest before it was time to get on with the rest of the holiday.

Spymon

As mentioned we were determined to spend this trip not sat around gathering dust at the in laws house so we planned a small trip to La Begude, a cute little town an hour or so away. As was typical with the first few days of the trip we would set out with the sun, as soon as we arrived the rain would pour down and shortly before we left the sun came shining through again. We saw some swans with their cygnets and had a rain soaked walk through some small winding streets filled with beautiful Provençal flowers. It was soon time to be on our way to get some rest before tomorrows surprise event.


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr


La Begude de Mazenc by Spymon26, on Flickr

Spymon

After an early lunch of lamb Provençal (cooked by me no less) that went down very well it was time for my surprise. Speeding along the twisting roads of Ardeche (not the best idea after a filling lunch) we arrive at a small train station for an epic train journey on the Gorge du Doux Velorail.


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr

There was a small problem, we arrived to torrential rain and watched our fellow passengers huddled under cover awaiting the safety briefing. After taking in the basic information; don’t get too close to the train in front and that the trains have a speed limiter (boo!) we were on our way to train 24 at the back of the line.


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr

Having done a Velorail trip a few years ago which although fun was incredibly exhausting I was apprehensive to say the least especially as it was pouring down with rain and there was no opportunity to change drivers. In the end there was no need to worry as this Velorail was a lot more passenger friendly, they even mistakenly thought I was a foreign exchange student (I have to say in my opinion I would be one of the oldest and baldest looking 15 year olds around but what the hell!) The rain began to ease and we began peddled our way down the 120 year old Vivarais Railway Line. After an unremarkable beginning the trees gave way to spectacular views of the gorge and the opportunity to travel at a reasonable speed.


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr

By the time we reached the end of the line we were disappointed it was over but at least we wouldn’t have to peddle back up hill as we would be transported on the historic Billard rail-car for the ascent.


Velorail by Spymon26, on Flickr

After a very bumpy trip back along the line it was time to thank the staff and head home for the day as tomorrow we were off to Aix en Provence.

Spymon

It was early Friday morning, well around 10ish but that’s early when I’m on holiday and we all bundled into our cars for the drive down to our lodgings. I was tempted to add a few pictures of some fancy sports cars and pretend that they were our rides, but instead we settled for a shiny Volvo estate and a “seen much better days” Renault. It was a beautiful day as we sped down the Autoroute for our first stop, a picnic lunch in touristic town of Aix en Provence.

If you are unlucky enough to know me, when I plan a holiday or trip I plan everything out, what to see, what to do, how to get there, where to eat. However, our in-laws gave the impression they had worked out all of the above and there was no need to worry, we’d work it out when we got there. As we approached Aix, much eightblack style arm-waving occurred as it turned out nobody knew where a nice spot for a picnic would be, let alone where to park the car. In the end we ended up sat on a bench not talking to each other passing sandwiches to each other in a not particularly scenic park right in the heart of student district.

After realising nobody had a clue what we were doing I fired up Wikipedia on my phone for the bargain price of about £1.50 in roaming charges and we decided to head along the road for a scenic walk through the old town. Once we arrived in the old town and went our separate ways from the parents, spirits improved and we had a lovely walk.


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr

We met up an hour or two later for an ice cold beer before heading back to the car, though not without incident. As we walked back to the car a large tree ahead of us snapped in two and crushed somebody’s car. It was miraculous that nobody was seriously injured by this freak occurrence.


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr


Aix en Provence by Spymon26, on Flickr

We then drove off to our accommodation for the night, a cute little mobilhome (French spelling) for six, which was about a million times better than I thought and eco-friendly. As the sun set it was time for dinner and we toasted the day with a bottle of English sparkling wine much to the jesting of the in-laws before heading to bed for our trip to Cassis the following day.


Mobil Home by Spymon26, on Flickr


Mobil Home by Spymon26, on Flickr


Mobil Home by Spymon26, on Flickr


Mobil Home by Spymon26, on Flickr

Purim

The citizens (if there are any) of La Begude are not going to thank you for this TR:it looks so amazingly lovely and picturesque that FT'ers throughout the globe are likely to descend on it in hoardes.

Spymon

Thanks for your comment, we had a nice drink in one of the cafes in La Begude and from the German spoken it looked like some had already found it!

Spymon

What better way to start the day than a heart attack, sorry, a full English? Well at least a version of a full English as it’s hard to find the right cut of bacon and the right type of sausages but I did it, got the whole family sitting down to sausages, bacon, beans and a poached egg. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a nice bit of black pudding to finish the meal. After stuffing ourselves silly and fighting over the one shower for six people we were on our way. Rather than speed off down the autoroute we took the scenic route across the mountains with spectacular views of Marseille and the coast.


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr

After the vomit inducing twists of the mountain roads we then enjoyed a nice bout of arm-waving, sorry, map reading… as we bumbled our way to the picturesque seaside resort of Cassis. The fighting, or finding a parking space continued and with all that excitement over it was time to finally enjoy ourselves. Cassis is the perfect seaside town, there’s a small beach with some seafood restaurants behind it, a tiny harbour of gleaming boars and some nice coastal walks. We wandered around the harbour taking pictures and enjoying the sun and despite a good basting with cream my arms were slowing turning a nice medium rare.


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr

For the afternoon we booked a boat tour of the Calanques, a unique set of inlets caused by the warm sea eroding the cliff face. The boat driver had great fun in seeing those of us at the front of the boat get regularly sprayed with water. An hour or so later it was over as we manoeuvred back in to the harbour.


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr

We then abandoned the parents and spent the next few hours having a walk around the cliff tops, finally finding a prime view of the ocean away from the crowds. Unfortunately (or fortunately for some) we had one small issue, it was also in prime view of the nudist beach (which you can imagine by looking to the left of the picture below).


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr

We then got some beers (see if you can spot them) and sat on the (non-nudist) beach to wait for a friend. There’s not many better things in the world then setting on the beach with an ocean chilled bottle of beer watching the sun go down.


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr

As the sun set it was time for dinner. We ended up at the Le Bistro de Cassis for a nice evening meal. The restaurant was away from the crowds down a little cobbled street and reminded me of being in Rome. The service here was fantastic and the food was good with interesting presentation. The thing that really made the meal stand out was how much everyone who worked there went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and that they really enjoyed what they did, a sight that seems so rare back at home.


Cassis by Spymon26, on Flickr

Spymon

After the previous day at the beach it was late to bed and early to rise as we had to clean our accommodation, pack our stuff and get ready all before 10am… After eating, washing, drying and cleaning we passed inspection and were back on the road for the drive to St Remy.

St Remy is a cute little town and after parking up in front of the church we set about exploring and finding a place for lunch.


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr

After a good old stroll we settled upon L’Olivade and we had a nice table outside in the sun. The service was good, but not as good as the night before, the food was perhaps a little better. I had a goats cheese salad to start, bull stew for main (a local speciality) and a cherry clafoutis for dessert.


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr

After feeling full to the brim and a little drowsy from the wine and sun we decided to walk off our dinner. We walked along the main road out of town and found ourselves at some Roman ruins (the original Greek ones were built over by the Romans) and decided to take the tour. We walked from one end of the ruined town to the other and it really is in beautiful surroundings and relatively quiet.


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr

On the way back we walked up the belvederes for an amazing view of the site and the surrounding countryside.


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr


St Remy by Spymon26, on Flickr

After visiting the ruins we walked back to the car to begin the scenic drive home along France's famous Route 7 (which is referenced in another one of my trip reports, links in the final part). Arriving back at the house we realised the trip was coming to an end.

Spymon

We said some good byes before being driven back to the LYS. We felt a little sad as it would be the last time my partner would see her sister for at least a year due to her upcoming adventure where her and her boyfriend ride by tandem bike from France to India.

Check in was quick and there was hardly a queue at all, the check in agent tried to make a joke about paying lots of money to print a boarding pass but we weren’t in the mood for it. Security was security and we were soon sat at a near empty departure gate awaiting our flight home. We boarded a little late to a fairly empty flight. There was no CE curtain on this flight but the load at the very front seemed light. We had nabbed row 8 and this time I was in a middle seat. I have to say whilst I found the seat on the outbound very comfortable the middle seats are really not as there is a hard lump where the drinks tray folds out of the seat… lesson learnt for next time. Service was friendly and I had a chicken tikka wrap and a gin and tonic. Although the wrap was pretty small it actually tasted great and it’s a shame I can’t find one of these in my local Tesco. As we pulled up to the gate the kindly gentleman in the aisle seat offered to take our coats and bags from the overhead bins. Little things go a long way and this small gesture left a great lasting impression from this flight.

We walked and walked and walked passing planes and a small glimpse of T2 until finally we made it to security. There was a short queue of about two minutes for the e passport gates and our bags were amongst the first off. We easily made our Heathrow Connect back to Paddington and that was that.

I really thought I wouldn’t write another London to Lyon trip but unlike previous we decided to make the most of our time in France and I got such a buzz from it I thought I just had to share it with everyone here. I have two exciting trips planned which will hopefully feature at least one glass of champagne, and F seat and a fancy hotel…
If you enjoyed this report, you can read my others here:

For Family, Football and First Class by Train
Experiencing BA Club Europe (LHR-LYS-LHR) As Family Matters
Adventure: San Francisco, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with VX and BA (2012)
Three Ways From A to B a Statusless Persons Guide: BA vs. Eurostar vs. Easyjet (2012) A West Coast
Voyage To India: Delhi, Agra, Orchha, Khajuraho, Varanasi (EK, SG, IT and Indian Railways, 2010)

Moomba

Lovely part of the world Spymon. Thanks for the pictures and report.

Circumknowitall

Incredible pictures. What a superb report.