St Malo to Nice

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Breakfast was in the dining room with the other cyclist who was doing the same route as us. He was doing it in about two weeks and he was meeting his wife in Nice and they were having a week together there. The owner of the B&B sat with us and we talked about living in France and running a B&B. She had lived there thirteen years and had two sisters who lived in France and two still in England. She said the B&B was busy from February to the end of October. She just had the three rooms to rent out and guests could use their lounge and dining room. You had to walk through their Kitchen to get to the bedrooms which seemed a bit strange but it was a very nice house with a beautiful cobbled court yard outside full of flowers. She said that the temperature was about average for the time of year. She said the weatherman kept predicting thunder storms but they hadn't arrived yet. It was hotter than we had expected.

After saying that it was actually cloudy and cooler when we got outside but that was a refreshing change. As usual we stocked up before setting off and soon we were cycling along by the Le Lot. The first twenty miles or so were relatively flat with the road close to the river side. After about ten miles we passed through the village of Estaing, one of France's 'plus beaux' villages and indeed it did look rather beautiful. Yoghurt and nuts was at seventeen miles so about half way sat on a bench in the private grounds of a hospital. The notice on the gate said no dogs so we guessed we were ok to be there. We didn't see anybody else and no one came to move us on.

At stages next to the road there were polytunnels which seemed to house mainly cabbage, lettuce and onions. I guess they were using the river for irrigation. We also saw an hydroelectric plant.

At St-Côme-d'Olt we crossed the river and then the road left the river and went inland and gradually up and up for about three miles. Eventually we arrived at Lassouts and as it was quite cool and now trying to rain lunch was eaten sat in a wooden bus stop for shelter. Just before we got to the top of the hill there was a man stood outside his camper van. He started to shout encouragement and applauded us for reaching the top. After lunch there was a little flat and then down back to the river and just a few miles to St-Geniez-d'Olt. We agreed later we probably could have stayed on the other side of the river and had a much flatter ride. Bike paths like to take you up and over hills just for the sake of it.

We soon found the hotel and the owner was extremely friendly and helpful. She showed us to a locked up garage for the bikes, gave us lots of leaflets on the area and said that she had got me the 'special bread '. She said that if we ate in their restaurant in the evening she would make sure the food was 'sans gluten'. The other restaurants would not be able to do this for me she said.

This was another hotel that was past it's best. Our room was in the Annex. After showers we had a walk round town and read restaurant menus to see where we might dine later. The town was nothing special but did have some very old buildings and might once have been grand.

We could only get the internet in the reception area so we spent some time there. News was that Paul's dad was doing very well considering his busy two days and hospital treatment.

Later we dined in the Hotel de France and I had 'Aligot de l'Aubrac avec saucisse fraiche' a local dish of sausage with creamy cheese mashed potato. I am not the biggest fan of mashed potato but it was quite nice for a change.

Then it was back to the hotel and bed.

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