Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Arrived in Bagnerre de Bigorre after the biggest day on my bike of the whole trip. Some 10 hours, was totally shattered and could hardly speak or think, bum sore and ears ringing. My welcome was nice though, freshly cooked monkfish (Jamie O recipe...) some red and collapsed into a deep deep sleep.
The day started at a relaxed 10 am, from near Thueyts, in the Ardeche Gorge. I gave away some food and beer to my Dutch neighbours as packing was tight. A distance of some 500 kilometres to the Pyrenees should be doable by this evening (little did I know what was happening in France that day...).
The good thing about retracing some of my route back through France is that I did not need to navigate. This meant I could admire the view and started to see more. Stopped to check my Tyres and take some pics.
The Ardeche gorge roads were fairly quiet and temperature was a balmy 30 degrees, recall enjoying a relaxed pace and very nice roads.
Before long I was passing through fairly bleak country bear the Pradelles,
In the Lozere region. This was now horse country. The temperature fell sharply to 15 degrees and I now did up every zip in my jacket and used my heated grips for second time on trip ( first was at 6 am on the Stelvio). To think two days previous I had been struggling with 40 degrees. I passed the first municipal Camp ground that considered - thank goodness I continued looking on that first day.
I stopped in Rodez as was now overheating and needed to fuel tge body. Stopped in a fast food outlet with free wi fi. Exchanged texts with Liz and checked my e-mails.
The roads were very busy and everyone seemed tense and the drivers were not showing each other the common courtesy I had become used to. It was French holiday traffic ...!!! It was the day before the busiest day on french roads when half of France goes on holiday...good one Ewen.
Had to have a nano nap in Toulouse found nice shady spot after payoll station, which was wise as traffic was horrendous I had hit the busy peak period on a Friday.
Had been keeping my speed below 70 mph so fuel economy was good (average 70 miles to gallon). But not good enough to get me all the way to the destination in the Midi Pyrenees. Never mind a service station in 20 km. Saw the 10 km warning but rode straight past the entrance, fatigue was telling and was starting to make errors.
Took the next exit off - paid my toll fee and asked the operator where the nearest Gas station was ... Cutting a story short found station, filled up (1.77 have paid up to 2.05) - got over 300 miles on this tank driving steady. Getting back to B d B was going to be tricky, eventually found signs which took me back to the freeway and B de B, relief.
Tomorrow the markets, yeah...it will be worth the pain.
- comments