We were on our way by 8.30 though really didn't need to leave early today as it was only a twenty five km ride. This choice was made to make the other stopping places a good distance for me. So a perfect autumn morning, no clouds in the sky and dew on the grass. There was a big market in the street when we went to buy our bread etc for the day. I really would have liked to browse but the boss said no. Just as well as my panniers are heavy enough and we are heading for the foothills of the central massif. We arrived here by 11am having climbed some fairly big hills including going into and out of my first gorge with hairpins! Anzeme gorge was its name I've just found it on google maps.
Gueret to Aubusson
Received this version of the Irish blessing from GAS today
'May the wind be on your backs, the sun shine on your faces and all the roads be down hills with clafoutis waiting in the restaurant.'
Kia ora for that GAS
The GPS sent us out of the hotel car park onto an extremely steep supermarket car park ramp to cut off a corner and keep us off the main road. Not good first thing in the morning. Up and down we peddled to get out of Gueret. THEN Mt Gueret! One third of the way up Willem stopped for me and I had a rest and a drink. Two thirds of the way up I pathetically called out 'I can't ' and got off my bike, bottom lip quivering. It was just too early in the day for my lungs and legs. We rested then walked a bit. After that I was OK .
The rest was manageable climbs with good down hills
Beautiful forest lined much of the first part of the route. Banks colourful with heather and gorse, which was low growing amongst the heather. Not the huge horrid stuff we hate in NZ
Granite boulders covered with moss seen under the trees. It is high country, there must be
cold winters judging by the huge stacks of firewood. Pasture was mostly quite rough and there were a few more cattle. In one area dry stone walls enclosed the weedy paddocks
Once again finally gave up looking for seat of some sort for lunch and sat on a bank. 100m away over the crest of the hill. Was a town with sunny places to sit. Not that we need more sun as we are in it all day. I am plastering the sun block on my face but I sweat and I wipe it off. My face is beginning to
look as though I have been on a sun bed for too long and my hair is bleaching so it looks whiter each day
I have heard the mewing calls of what I thought were buzzards for the last few days. Today we saw several of them swooping and calling, fantastic
Eventually we got to our hotel. A small place in the centre of town which is also a bar and a TAB (betting shop). I thought it looked a bit rough but it was fine. It had a very nice lady in charge and a lovely iron spiral staircase. We were on the second floor and realised the fire escape was down the spiral stairs or a jump from a rather high window. Our big window with shutters but no curtains looked into a similar room on the other side of the narrow road.
We had not known that Aubusson is a charming old town and the centre for carpets and tapestry. There were lots of workshops selling and displaying local products. Fascinating I had never given the craft of tapestry much thought until I watched it being made.
Aubusson to Ussel
It was cool when we left and there were lots of shadows because of the hills and the trees. We followed the road to Fellatin as suggested by the nice man in the tourism office. A climb, reasonably gentle, then a plateau. Very good and our easiest exit from a town so far. Further along we rode a ridge. Beautiful forest again, natural and planted. Heather, in purples and lavenders, on the banks in the sun. Signs of logging but no logging trucks thank goodness.
Better pasture land today too and hay making. It was lovely to smell the cut grass. The limousin cattle are a pretty brown. They are very proud of their beef in this region and produce lots though we have not actually seen many animals.
There were some long climbs and saw real mountains on the distant horizon. Now I do my best to relax my shoulders and my grip on the handle bars. I engage my core muscles, pump my legs and turn my ankles. I go as fast as I can without aching legs or getting out of breath. I don't look too far ahead just at the road a few meters in front of me. Willem is nursing me along now and he has taken some of my luggage. The distances are shorter and even when we are on a flat stretch of road he rides a slower tempo than before. He tells me to conserve energy where I can. We rode along quite a big road for some km. the traffic is so careful it is not scary. However one truck and trailer laden with bales of straw came past very fast and close and almost lost control on the next corner. There are idiots everywhere I guess
The hotel here is The Grand and probably should have 'used to be ' in front of it's name. It has a lovely dining room and another fine spiral staircase. The Patron is a large voluble gentleman who
speaks excellent English and I suspect drinks a bit much. He is so short of staff sometimes has to clean the rooms himself. He is the chef and barman and has one lovely lady,who reminds me of someone's Maori auntie, who helps and does waitressing etc. He says it is impossible to get staff. Willem thinks he may just be awful to work for. Dinner was really good though,four courses for €19 and he has allowed us to download our voting papers so tomorrow we fill them in,post them, and then what.......?
Lunched at a Creperie. The waitress talked to us, asked questions, listened to my answers in halting, mangled French then when we paid spoke perfect English. She and her husband, the chef, are bikers and assured me the roads of the gorge of Dordogne are not TOO steep. Tomorrow will tell as we head for Mauriac.
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