Everything Goes with a Bang !

I was up very early this morning, as I had decided to ride the Plan de la Tour…a large hilly area, back from the coast, and one which i had travelled whilst coming to the area, and seen lots of pedal cyclist doing it http://www.mapmyride.com/s/routes/view/bike-ride-map/port-grimaud/16511517 , and with it getting hot in the middle of the day, I wanted to have the hardest parts finished by then !

As I set off at 8 a.m., a cannon was fired from the port, celebrating the start of the Festivities honouring Ste Maxime (more later), or was it for me ?

I was surprised how easy it went, at first climbing was quite difficult, as most of my biking, whilst away has been on light gradients, and using my other bike, so the difference in using my road bike, was quite big. Eventually though I settled into it, and cresting the first hill, and downward slope, I was soon into my rhythm, and up the next rise, and down again, by just after 9 a.m. I was entering the village of Plan de la Tour, busiest I’d ever seen a French village – i think the schoolchildren were going away, as they were all trundling cases behind them..

I had a brief rest, and drink, then off up and down more hills again,not quite sure I was going in the right direction, some may say that’s not unusual ! Eventually I cam across some road signs for Ste Maxime, and dropped onto a main road, and had a great exhilarating ride down a steep hill, on the good road, back to Ste Maxime, and ultimately the campsite…for a well deserved rest, and lunch..

It had clouded over by the time I returned, and so I just read for a few hours, dodging a few spots of rain..

Then in the early evening it was a ride back into Ste Maxime, for the festival , in the square outside the church ,with everything decked in Blue and White –similar to that small Parade in Manchester, although not as exciting as this one !http://www.eutraco.com/maxime/anglais/histoir.htm 

There were lots of people there, the Priests, Mayor,dignitaries, A company of Bravedours,with their muskets –fired on several,loud occasions… pipe and drum band, and women and children in costume of the area.. a great spectacle of bangs,crashes,orders and salutes.. before they all went into church for mass..and I came home for  tea !