North-east of Lyon, the land flattens into the Dombes, a plateau of glacial clay that is dotted with a thousand or more man-made ponds. Civrieux, Saint-André-de-Corcy and Mionnay sit on its southern edge, where the ponds, called étangs, glimmer among fields and woods, and herons and egrets stand in the reeds. Since the Middle Ages, the people of the Dombes have farmed fish in these ponds, draining each one every few years to harvest carp and then growing crops in the dry bed before refilling it, a rhythm that has shaped the landscape and the local menu.
It is an unusual and rather lovely part of France. Birds are the main attraction, and a large park at Villars-les-Dombes, a short way north, keeps thousands of them, while migrating species stop on the ponds in spring and autumn. Mionnay, a village of two thousand, has a place in French culinary history, because a famous restaurant here once earned three Michelin stars and drew gourmets from Lyon and further away. The local dishes include frogs' legs, carp and chicken from Bresse, the region just to the north.
For a rider, the Dombes is a calm place to end a day. The roads are flat and straight, with long lines of poplars and a lot of agricultural traffic, and it is a good area to unwind. Fuel is available in Saint-André-de-Corcy, a village of three thousand, and in the larger town of Neuville-sur-Saône, which is a bit further, so you will not run short. Bakeries and cafés are scattered through the villages, and a lunch in a village inn can be a pleasure. In mist and evening light, the ponds seem to glow, and the sky is large.
After the cliffs and balconies of the Vercors, the contrast is considerable. The ride has taken you from stone and precipice to reed and water, and the land has the quiet of a place that has been farmed for centuries. Mosquitoes can be bothersome near the ponds in summer, so carry repellent, and in autumn, fog can lie thick on the lanes in the early morning, so use your lights.