My first meal in France. Theplas and yoghurt from Sunbury, honeybush tea from Clapham and apple juice from Wandsworth. I embrace diversity.

Entrance to Le Prieure ... a very welcome sight at the end of every ride. I now have a pavlovian association between this view and a large plate of pasta. 

Sunny courtyard at Le Prieure. 

Phil (with glasses) and Fruskies (with attitude).

Gateau. 

Let's get riding. But don't be fooled into thinking that's a hill there. That's barely an incline, compared to what was to come. 

War memorial in front of the Abbaye at Saint Antoine. 

The road leading up to the Abbaye at Saint Antoine. During the plague, they used to hack off diseased limbs and hang them up along this road, presumably to scare off the fleas. I didn't find out how well that tactic worked. 

The Col de la Madeleine. But not the one they use in the Tour de France. This one is in a walnut orchard. Mind you, pretty much everything is in a walnut orchard round here. 

Now, I did not expect to see the Statue of Liberty on holiday in the Vercors, but there she is, large as you like (though a lot less large than the other one). 

The Isere river with the Vercors national park in the background. 

A view from le pont. 

The famous (ish) hanging houses at Pont en Royans. 

More views downstream at Pont en Royans. 

Keep climbing. Plenty more where that came from. 

Ubiquitous and jolly welcome. 

Climbing up the gorge. 

Alpine meadows on our Monday ride. Very pretty, those buttercups. 

Something told me we shouldn't go any further. It was a combination of this sign and a second, much larger one that said Route Barree. 

Taking a breather after Tunnel de Mortier. 

The road beyond Tunnel de Mortier was not entirely clear. 

OK, I have the wrong bike for this route. Or I have the wrong route for this bike. Heading back to Tunnel de Mortier. 

Through the route fermee in the reserve. The road visible down in the valley was the route up here. 

Chocolat chaud time in Romans en Royans. 

Phil samples the local eau potable.