Arette. France

71 Miles 4062ft

Total mileage 3041 

Getting up this morning there was something unusual about the French sky. It was blue – the first time that we had woken up to clear blue since Holland about ten days ago. 

Having removed all facial hair this morning to lighten the weight prior to the mountains. Whilst getting ready to go out cycling, Monica reminded me of something that had fallen out of use, sun cream, so remembering sun cream first and chamois cream second, off I set at a tardy 9.45 with only about 65 miles to do. 

Today the route took me through some pretty bastide towns. This was Geaune, and I continued to see a number of pilgrims walking to Santiago.   

We agreed to meet at the small village of Morlanne for coffee stop and our usual 30 minutes became much longer, as today was a jour de Patrimoine ( heritage day) In a very nice 14 century house’s courtyard they had set up stalls selling usual local French goodies such as cheese, wine, honey,  foie gras etc. and also made up old time pastis cakes in a fantastic kitchen that looked as though it was used for teaching. 

Nigel fancied a honey pancake and ended up showing the French lady how to cook it. She was a good beekeeper, but struggling on the gas, burning her hand when lighting it, so he even repaired his spare gas lighter and gave it to her, what a gent. 

After devouring the cakes with coffee back in the camper and buying some cheese and wine. We then all went down to the local chateau which had a free open day. 

As is usual in France it had been restored and improved over the centuries, but in particular since the local area had acquired it in 2003, as it had been lived in as a semi ruin since the Second World War. So the tower had been rebuilt and  two new internal buildings built in the courtyard in the last ten years   This all to protect parts of the original 14 century building which had never seen a war and could not have coped with one a century later,  as its walls were too thin to withstand cannonballs! 

 
It did have great views though.  

 As we were leaving, a group of the local 2cv owners club had set up a picnic next to the camper and we all ended up getting Grand Marnier pancakes from them too.  

 After the 30 minute stop had turned to 3 hours I still had over 40 miles to go and it was now around three. Some cracking hills both up and down meant a good average speed and a very quick tea stop whilst Nigel had got the washing out to dry. 

Just as I was getting ready to go a cyclist shouted bonjour and was gone before I got going. I gradually caught him up over the next couple of miles and then chatted to him for a few more. Explaining what I had done and where I was going, I asked what the climb would be like tomorrow to which he added to both “C’est roulant” it’s rolling – looks all uphill to me. 

We had agreed to meet at the campsite at Aramits but when I got there, some event had been happening as there were cars and coaches in the fields and people walking down the road, as well as the fire brigade in the town centre following a fire in a hayloft.  

 All traffic was being diverted but I managed to negotiate myself past although when I got to the camping Nigel had left a text saying he had booked onto the next village campsite, at Arette, because of the fire. 

Getting back on, it was really only another three miles so all was well. 

We then did a quick service on the bike,  cleaning it up, lubing the chain, putting on some new tyres and checking brakes etc before tomorrow’s mountain stage   

 Up there somewhere tomorrow