Day 85 Toulon to Rians

In which Sid and Doris climb up into Provence and enjoy being able to speak with people on matters other than ordering food and drink.
We leave the seaside with a couple of backward looks.

For the sailors out there: Our room is named after Gitana VI, a 20 metre Olin Stephens design for Edmond de Rothschild built in 1975. We will try to find a picture.

On the local TV news this morning they reported the killing of the elderly mayor of Signes who interrupted a builder fly tipping in a layby. We later rode past the village. The Var newspapers are following the legal proceedings. The defence is claiming an ‘acte involontaire’. The mayor’s sons say it was not an accident, the van was driven into their father, and so he was murdered.

Toulon itself is not a big town but part of a hinterland with about 500,000 people. Getting out of the town is hard because the mountains behind do not politely stand back but intrude themselves into the town. So a hilly route out through the back side of the town. We have something to smile at: we have been to Istanbul and Jeddah (near Mecca) but not yet Jerusalem.

[Today’s memorable quote from Chairman Sid while taking this photo: “I was going to wee in those bushes but I now see we are opposite the Gendarmerie Nationale” – D.]

 
Once we are on the D544 the navigation and cycling all becomes much easier and the grumps of the Doris are reduced. Belgentier offers second breakfast, bought from the boulangerie and eaten at the cafe in proper style. But not before we have enjoyed the gaily painted church which mixes God and the Republic very satisfactorily with this homage to the grotto at Lourdes. God is thanked for protecting a son. For Sid this does seem to raise the question of His negligence when it came to the other ladies’ sons. Still, that’s faith.

It also included a statue of the Patron Saint of Hay Fever (note the flowers in the background), so we lit a candle for Alzbetka who has recently developed a bad pollen allergy.  

The towns fall just right for regular eating. Tourves offers a Place Hotel de la Ville with a Plat du Jour and Orangina, so Sid is officially on holiday.

We are also pleased to see that in the town square baby foot (the French name for table football) is specifically interdit.  It took us a while to work out what the sign meant but we think you will agree we have got it right.

On August 15th Tourves will be re-enacting the traffic jams they had as the main N7 ran through their tiny main street before its bypass in 1968, as holiday makers drove their newly affordable cars to the beaches along the 1940s road network. The “Bouchon de Tourves” brings together pre-1970 cars, piled roof racks encouraged, and caravans.  This definitely qualifies as a truly Bonkers idea and we are delighted with it.

In Rians we go out for a look around the town, pausing to admire a highly-athletic cat drinking from the town fountain.

The town weigh bridge has been retained as a curiosity. Even with luggage the neddies weigh less than the max 20 tonnes permitted. [Sorry I can’t find our picture of it, but in the hotel pic below it is the little building behind Sid – D.]

The Hotel Restaurant de L’Esplanade is splendidly typical, to the point where it might now be rare.

We remarked to the owner the beautiful stove in reception, and told him the story of the tiled stove museum. He is very proud of his stove, which still works, apparently, including the tap for hot water on the right.

Our room looks out over terracotta roofs to open country. The dining room is airy and elegant (in a two star hotel), the terrace is shaded by tall plane trees. The Menu Terroir uses local ingredients to give a good three course dinner for what we paid for our main course by the beach in Toulon. Say what you like about the French, they can do a good hotel dining room.

Sid has found a Big Band Festival in Pertuis so a short day tomorrow and a brass section in the evening.