The road is excellent, traffic is nonexistent, the climbing is easy, early season irises and orchids are beside the road. I almost have to pinch myself to believe I am here. After a winter of flooded rides round Reading, the contrast is almost too much. Still, the lack of warmth is familiar. Robin thinks Rob is going better than he's seen him do for a while.
People have jobs and families to contend with here too.
Through Vence and suddenly we're on the tail of 10 or 15 other cyclos. I wish I was riding my Principia, nice though my loan bike is, because the equipment level here is high and I would like to pose. Robin knows some of the other riders but they're going slowly and we move ahead. The road runs along the contour of a slope. Houses with terraces and stone walls are by the road, little fields, yellow mimosa, tall Cyprus trees.