An easy day. Tui ad...

We are spending a couple of nights in Millau to rest and get some bike repairs done. Sadly all three local bike shops are closed Monday.
So this morning after a great sleep we rode, baggage free in to town for breakfast.


This is the huge viaduct across the back of town, the view from just outside our room. We rode next to the Tarn on the way to town, crossing over on a lovely old stone bridge.



Found an outdoor cafe in the centre of town



sat under a tree and enjoyed coffee and croissants - but less enjoyable were the facilities



As we were leaving town, we were sitting at an intersection reading the map and a teacher with her female pupils was pointing at us - my thought was that she was saying look at those reprobates, but no, her class was doing a treasure hunt and needed a signature from a tourist, so we obliged - cue more giggly schoolgirls. After checking out closed bike shops we set out for our gentle ride along the Tarn. Well, that was the plan


We rode under the viaduct and came across the village of Peyre

And past fields of poppies



to the tiny village of Candas for lunch






Veal with more of those lovely cream and cheese potatoes and a local dried sausage salad (yes Oliver, and grated carrot too!!)


And to finish, some local cheese. Enjoyed with a couple of glasses of the Rosé grown not 20 feet from where we sat



It was quite hard to get up and get moving, and by this stage it was around the late 20's and feeling really hot.
So further around the Tarn we rode, and it started descending, again - we hadn't ridden any uphills since we left Millau some 20k back. The Tarn was still beside us at this stage.



That means one thing. Hills.
We got to the bridge at St Rome


And started climbing-around 5k later we summited. Around 3PM by now blazing hot, and I've run out of water, again. Going to have to watch this much more carefully.



Started a longish slow downhill and came across this, an ancient Roman chapel and village perched up high, not far from the viaduct and Millau.



Simon and I split at this point, I had washing to do and didn't want any more miles without water. But of course the sting in the tail was the 4k climb and then the very steep downhill, too steep to just go sadly, so I puttered down it at 20kph cursing my luck and wishing for a set of MTB disc brakes :(

Anyway, made it back, washed and washing done, rehydration well under way :)




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