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It's the most peaceful place imaginable, but with all that cheese last night sleep was not the best and this morning dawns dull and cool so the planned early start doesn't happen.
Late morning we return along the moorland road [which we learned is known as France's desert] and join the northbound dual carriageway towards Millau viaduct. We are running down a long, curved incline when the white triangles appear in front of us and then we are on the bridge. The wide deck curves and tapers to its vanishing point and the cables flash past on our left, always reaching up to the top of the towers. Through curved wind deflectors on our right we get glimpses into the gorge beneath. Despite its vast scale there is an elegance and lightness and minimalism to its form. It really is breathtaking.
At the northern end a sliproad leads to an information centre so we turn in for a visit. Models and pictureboards describe the design and engineering challenges that were overcome to put 2.5km of road in the sky over 340m above the river. There is also a souvenir shop with outrageously expensive goods which appear to require visitors to repay the undisclosed build cost. The best part is a walk up to the viewpoint which gives a stunning, eye-level perspective with traffic passing by only 30 metres away.
We leave the visitor centre and rejoin the A75, stopping at the toll where we are charged €14.60, when the machine finally accepts one of our cards. Our journey continues, climbing on the motorway finally reaching 891 metres.
Forty minutes later we pass through Severac le Chateau and follow the road to our Passion, tonight a scruffy little field down the lane from a milking shed. The air is heavy and flies are everywhere but a breeze gets up and then there are showers. Three more vans turn up during the evening and after dark the heavy rain comes.
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