From Grasse, the road heads straight into the mountains. The perfume town soon slips away and the Route Napoléon takes over: long ramps, pale limestone, pine trees and wide views across the foothills of the Alps. The Col de Ferrier brings the first proper test of the journey. Beyond Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, the landscape grows rougher and quieter, the villages smaller, the horizon wider. Towards Castellane, Provence shows its wilder side – dry, high, impressive and made for a long day on the bike.
