Part 3 : The Rouergue and the Haut
Languedoc
(This is a continuation of the trip log from Part
2 : The Eastern Limousin)
Sep. 18 (69 km): Blue skies, and we were off. We
headed over the ridge between the Célé and
Lot rivers, stopping at Faycelles at the summit for
breakfast and then a twisting 5 km descent to the Lot. As usual,
following a river downstream made for easy cycling. We stopped at the
fine little town of Cajarc to get lunch stuff, have a coffee,
phone ahead to book hotels for the following 2 nights and have the
best pain aux raisins we have ever tasted! We crossed
the Lot and headed southeast up a twisting 3 km climb to the
Causse de Limogne, 200 m above the river. (A
"causse" is a plateau.) We carried on across this
relatively flat landscape to Villeneuve, a nicely preserved
bastide (a fortified town built by
either the French or the English during the Hundred Years War)
with a very nice church. We had our lunch and then took a back-road
route for the remaining 16 km into Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
We settled into our hotel (the modest Auberge de la Poste) and walked
down to Place Notre Dame by the cathedral. The festival of the
Marché de St. Jacques ("market of St James") was set up
in the square. Villefranche was positioned on one of the main pilgrim
routes to Santiago de Campostella (St. James in the field of
stars) in northern Spain. The cynic in me believes that, for business
reasons, the Church made up the story that the body of St. James the
apostle was set adrift in a boat in the eastern Mediterranean and was
found ashore in northern Spain by a hermit some hundreds of years
later. In any case, throughout the middle ages monasteries and abbeys
made a great deal of profit from the pilgrims who made the long
journey from northern Europe through southern France and over the
Pyrénées to this shrine. This festival in Villefranche
featured people dressed in mediaeval garb selling their wares. It was
quite entertaining. After a light dinner we went to a baroque music
concert in the beautiful old Chapelle des Pénitents
Noirs - a pleasant end to another wonderful day.
Sep. 19 (55 km): It was sunny and warm (20°C)
when we set out from Villefranche, heading east. We were immediately
on a long 11% climb - the toughest 3 km of our trip. As we got high
above the town, we met the wind. Hurricane Floyd, having trashed
Daytona Beach, Florida, a few days earlier, was now sweeping across
western Europe. We struggled along for 30 km, climbing gently all the
way, with a fierce crosswind trying to force us out into the traffic.
We finally turned south, into the wind but descending slowly. At
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue (another of the "plus beaux villages
de France"), we stopped to have our lunch. However, the
threatening skies forced us to rush ahead the 7 km to Naucelle
where we had booked a room (H. des Voyageurs). The rain began only
minutes before we arrived so nothing got very wet. It was Sunday and
typically very quiet in town - and more deadly so in the rain. The
wind had made it a very tough cycle and the combination of wind, rain
and Sunday made it our least favorite cycling day of the trip.
Sep. 20 (63 km): A bright sunny morning! A few km
out we spotted a crop of ripe mûres (wild black
raspberries) on the brambles which covered a stone fence beside the
road. They were luscious! I put my jacket on for the cool shaded 3 km
descent to the river Viaur and then removed it for the climb
on the other side. It was relatively easy because of the frequent
switch-backs. A couple of times it felt like rain even though there
wasn't a cloud in the sky because the dew was falling off the leaves.
Once, where the sun had poked through the forest canopy to hit the
road, still wet from the overnight rain, we could see the mist rising
off the pavement. It was beautiful. We saw a sign to the Roc de
Miramont indicating a panoramic view so we detoured to find it.
We headed up the dirt path with our bikes but ended up at a fence
around a pasture. As we returned, a car was coming up the path. The
driver pointed out where we should have gone. We left our bikes and
climbed to the belvedere. Spectacular views in every
direction. 
We
were high above the river we had just crossed. There was an
orientation table indicating directions and distances to the sights
around us. In the far distance to the south, we could see the
Pyrénées, nearly 200 km away! Back on the road and
descending to the next stream, I got stuck behind a truck full of
pigs. Whew!! We went into Lédergues to look for lunch
stuff. It was getting close to that 12:30 closing time. The only
grocery store was closed due to holidays so we went into the
restaurant (Les Platanes). It was very busy. There were no choices -
just the plat du jour. It turned out to be a
litre of red wine, a plate of charcuterie (sliced
sausages of different types) with tomato wedges, a square of quiche,
sliced roasted pork loin with lentils, a cheese plate (including
Roquefort!) and a wedge of apple pie. 
Everything
was very good - especially the quiche - and all for only 70 F each.
My cycle computer wasn't picking up the signal from the sensor. I
decided to open it up since it wasn't working anyway. Inside I
adjusted the contact and reassembled it. Nothing was lost and it
continued to function for the rest of the trip. Sometimes I surprise
myself! The next 22 km to Requista consisted of descents down
to and climbs up from small creeks but from Requista we had a steep
twisting 6 km descent to the Tarn river. We followed the river
to Brousse-le-Chateau (yet another
of the "plus beaux villages de France") where we had booked a
room in the little hotel (Relays du Chasteau). The village is across
the little river Alrance from the hotel and you must cross the
tiny cobbled humpbacked bridge to get to it. There can be no vehicles
in the village - not because they are outlawed but because the
cobbled streets are not wide enough for even one car. The chateau
that dominates the village (and gives it its name) is empty and in
bad shape. We had a nice meal, as usual. This is France, after
all.
Sep. 21 (54 km): We headed out in a cool
(10°C) misty morning, following the Tarn east for a few km
before turning south. As we followed the little Gos river,
climbing almost imperceptibly, the sun came out and the mist began to
disappear.
Everything was covered with a gorgeous glistening sparkle. We came
upon a shepherd with his dog and a large flock of
sheep in a field. The animals were spooked by us as we rode by
but he called to them and they immediately settled down. I wish I had
been able to do that during my teaching career. 
There
was a great view of the grand church as we descended into
Belmont-sur-Rance and a fine 12th C bridge but not much else
to recommend about the town. A couple of km outside of town we began
the 15 km climb in the Monts de Lacaune to the Col de
Sié. It was rarely steep due to switch backs -
"relentless" is a better adjective. There were wonderful views to the
east as we climbed. As we neared the summit the wind picked
up. The col was at 999 m, more than 600 m above our
starting point outside of Belmont. It had taken us two and a half
hours. From there we had a fast 5 km descent into Lacaune and
our hotel (H. Calas). Lacaune has some attractions: public flower
gardens, a Roman fountain and lavoir (communal
laundry), nice old church. We had a very good meal in the beautiful
dining room of the hotel. It was a tough but satisfying day.
Sep. 22 (53 km): It was a little warmer when we
climbed the 4 km out of Lacaune south to the Col
de Picotalen (1004 m). From there we had an 11 km descent to
La Savetat-sur-l'Agoût where we had coffee and picked up
our lunch groceries. We turned east, following the Agoût
river, and at Fraisse we stopped to have lunch in a beautiful
spot by an old bridge over the Agoût. After lunch we had a
steep climb south in the Monts de l'Espinouse to the Col de
la Bane (1003 m) and then had a nice 10 km ride through the
Bois du Somail where we saw many people scouring the forest
for wild mushrooms: girolles, chanterelles and mostly
cèpes. There was a fantastic view of the
mountains south from the Col de Cabaretou (950 m). From there
we had a fast 10 km descent with many switch backs to St.
Pons-de-Thomières, 650 m below the col. The hotel (H.
Somail) was a little dreary and so was the town. Lots of truck
traffic. Many opportunities to buy the just picked cèpes - too
bad they don't sell them dried like the Italians do. We wandered
around, trying to find a place to eat that evening. One good looking
possibility was closed - out of business. The only pizzeria was on
its fermeture annuelle (annual holidays). We saw one
little spot where the menu looked interesting - La Route du
Sel. When we came by later we saw that they had set a little
table outside with a cloth, a carafe of water and a glass of wine. It
looked inviting so we decided to give it a try. Good
decision!! We had a wonderful meal - probably the best of the
trip (including Sousceyrac and its Michelin star). The restaurant was
the only thing I could recommend about St. Pons but try it soon. We
were the only customers that evening. They may not survive.
Spectacular cycling today. France is a cyclist's paradise!
Sep 23 (49 km): It was a sunny 20°C when we
climbed south out of St. Pons to the Col de Ste. Colombe (634
m). Why do they build these towns at the bottoms of hills? A 5 km
climb first thing in the morning sure wakes you up! 13 km east over
rolling hills through pine forest and we were at the Col de
Serrières (678 m) where we turned south again. The 5 km
descent through the forest was beautiful. At
Ferrals-les-Montagnes we stopped at a little hotel/grocery
store for coffee. The room was charming - wood beams, huge fireplace
- a long loaf of bread on the long wood table. I asked madame la
patronne what the loaf was called - we'd never seen one that long.
She told me it was called "le long". Seems appropriate.
We stopped for lunch at a breezy open picnic area, surrounded by wild
flowers, with the forest left behind us. We turned east again,
following along the south wall of the spectacular Canyon de la
Cesse. 
We
were suddenly in the vineyards of the Minervois wine region
and the vendange was in full swing. For the first time we saw teams
of grape pickers. We also saw olive and almond orchards. I added an
almond to my collection of souvenir nuts. This approach to
Minerve was much more spectacular than the route we had used
the last time we were here. In the village we watched a vigneron
unloading a wagon full of grapes. He hooked a large hose up to the
back of the trailer, attached a shaft to the power takeoff of the
tractor and a large auger under the pile of grapes slowly forced the
grapes, stems and all, out through the hose into a press inside the
building. The smell was at the same time sweet and acrid. We learned
to recognize it over the next few days. Cycling by a closed farm
building you could tell that there was a press inside. Minerve
is one of our favorite French villages. They have corrected the
oversight since our last visit there in '92 - it's now included in
the list of "plus beaux villages de France". The village is
perched on top of a point where two river canyons meet. Because of
this nearly unassailable position, Minerve had been the site of a
Cathar fortress, little of which remains today. But in 1210
during the Church's "Albigensian Crusade" to eliminate these
"heretics", the dreadful Simon de Montfort captured it with relative
ease by cutting off the water supply and 180 Cathars chose to be
burned alive rather than denounce their beliefs. (In
my travels in this area of France, I have learned a little about this
crusade and the Inquisition which followed it. It has hardened
my view of the Catholic church and of organized religions in general,
despite my Catholic education.) A stroll around the few quiet
cobbled streets of the village is very enjoyable on a sunny
afternoon. There is a fine restaurant in our hotel (Relais de
Chantovent) and we had a very good meal. A splendid day.
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