Give life a hand and be surprised

Yesterday on my hike, I passed by another sunny parking lot where I want to stay today. My plan is to relax with a coffee in the sun and plan the rest of my journey, and later go for a swim. But once again, everything turns out differently than planned.

A Frenchman named Jean-Charles, who is parked next to me, invites me to share his pizza. So I also share my coffee with him and we chat in the sun while his dogs frolic in the river.

Despite his strong dialect, I understand him more or less. The company is nice, but eventually it becomes a bit too much for me, so I set off for Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, which was recommended to me by a Couchsurfer.

There, I spend a lovely day in the sun by the Ardèche River, overlooking the historic Pont d'Arc.

Here, too, I discover edible wild herbs. Mountain mint can be found on the sunny slopes and provides a fresh addition to my porridge.

As the sun sets, I continue driving past a few viewpoints and enjoy my dinner at a high point.

I personally find the parking spots too exposed, so since I still have energy, I drive further to my next stop, Pont du Gard, which Florianne recommended to me. Driving in the evening with less traffic is almost better for me than during the day, even though I can't see much of the area. But it allows me to concentrate more on driving.