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September 22nd 2019
Published: September 22nd 2019
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Friday 20th September 39 miles

I awoke to many birthday messages which was lovely. Breakfast had a better choice than expected and to be fair the owner had provided some gluten free cereal and gluten free madeleines, which I felt obliged to eat as she hovered around. Cake for breakfast is just wrong!

Soon we were ready to go and we found the supermarket first to buy lunch and some more sun cream. We had been using factor 30 but I bought some factor 50 as the 30 didn't feel like enough. This also gave us a chance to warm our legs up a little as we knew it was a steep climb out of the Cèles valley. It was probably about two miles straight up hill and then undulating so quite a strenuous start. We saw quite a lot of pilgrims who were walking one if the many polgrim trails in France.After Montredon, at about eleven miles there was three miles of downhill on twisty roads. This brought us down to Le Lot River which we now follow to its source at the Col des Tribes at over 1000 feet above sea level. Strangely, enough we had now left the Lot Department for Aveyron. (The Lot is too long to fit into one department).

At Port d'Agnès the road we needed had a sign on to say the road was closed. We were looking at the map and seeing if we should risk it/ if there was an alternative and a man stopped to help us. He said we would be able to get through with bikes, no problem, it would be a lovely ride and it would be flat. So we risked it and could indeed get through. To be honest there are very few road closures you can't get through on a bike and luckily in the couple of instances we couldn't the detour wasn't too far.

Lunch was on another bench outside a church in the shade. There were toilets nearby so we took the opportunity to use them. They were very clean and looked after but they were the first 'squat toilets' of this trip. The men's toilets were urinals outside, which is often the case in Europe.

According to the guide book the next twenty four miles were 'flat'. Personally I would say 'Slightly up hill with a few added undulations ' with the road following the contour of the river. A head wind didn't help either. We passed many polly tunnels at the side of the road. They seemed to mainly house cabbages, lettuce and onions.

Arriving at Entraygues sur Truyere we quickly found the B&B but as it was too early for check in we found a cafe bar next to the river and had an ice cream each. This was a very pretty little village with lots of well preserved buildings. It is squeezed between tha confluence of the Lot and Truyere river where its Chateau takes centre stage.Then we checked in at the B&B which was very nice, thank goodness. It is owned by an English lady and her South African husband. She said she had another guest in doing the same route as us.

Catching up with messages we found out that Paul's dad had had his new stent in and was tired but ok. Poor man had to be at the hospital for eight o'clock this morning, after having gone yesterday. He is amazing for ninety eight years old but we were worried it would be too much for him.

I had lots more birthday messages which was lovely. We dined at the same restaurant that we had had ice cream at earlier. I had seen they had vegetarian lasagne. Unfortunately when I asked for that the waitress said they had none but would I try the 'Camembert au four' so I did and it was the best meal I have had this trip. I had a couple of glasses of wine to celebrate my birthday. In all honesty I have mainly been drinking water and orange juice as thirst quenching drinks are needed.

Then it was back to the B&B for bed.

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