Day 12

The 'FROGS' motto!

The 'FROGS' arrive in Montpellier

More to follow....

Day 11

We decided to start our day by making an extra round trip of about 8 miles, to see the recently completed Millau Viaduct, designed by Norman Foster. Not everyone was convinced this was a worthwhile detour, but Peter and Simon were very insistant, and won their case! Even from our first glimpse of the structure on the skyline it was hard not to be impressed, and Peter and Simon were spurred on to ensure we cycled all the way to marvel at this monumental creation! As we approached, the entire structure became obscured behind a rocky hilltop, but as we rounded the bend we were humbled by the sheer size and elegance of what must surely be one of the new Wonders of The World.

While cycling back to Millau, Simon decided to take "just one more photograph", and lost contact with the other trio, as they made their way southwards. Image captured, Simon cycled confidently on at speed to catch them up, undaunted by much tooting of horns and cries of "Pas de velo, PAS DE VELOOOOO!" He was aware of the stories of the French being much more cycle friendly than the Snotty Surrey 4 x 4 Set, but it all came as rather a shock to realise he was cycling up a slip road leading directly down from the motorway, and that the motorists were desperately trying to avoid an embarrassing accident! Hands held high in shameful thanks, cautious retreat completed, and safely back on the correct side of the road once more, he was now momentarily LOST! Mobile phone to the rescue to contact the Chief Navigator, for instructions to follow the route out of town, over the river bridge in the direction of The Doubie Brothers......well........that's what it sounded like! Glimpse of bridge, river and direction sign to Canyon de la Dourbie seemed a reasonable choice. Thus started one of the most beautiful sections of our journey, as the walls of the canyon rose to tower above us, and shepherd us on our way.

Lunch at 14.45 south of Nant

More to follow.....

Day 10

As the mists rose out of Estaing, so did we. Andy decided to stay in the hotel to write postcards, with the intention of cycling at twice the speed of sound to catch us up a little later. We were somewhat dubious about this happening, but he was determined to send his snail mail home. The gradient continued upwards through pretty countyside on the D556 towards Espallion. A rare navigational error saw us climbing out of Espallion, away from the river, but Peter and John quickly spotted this and we descended back into the town to take the correct road following the river. A steep climb took us past rewarding views, and we finally reached a very welcome café at the summit in Lassouts. Relaxing into shaded chairs,drinking a long Citron Pressé, cooled our glowing muscles after the arduous climb. Much to our amazement, Andy arrived almost simultaneously, like a steaming racehorse, much in need of refreshment and rest. He must have cycled like the wind.

An unclassified road took us past a lovely farm. We had a long and speedy blast along a main road for a while, before our second long climb of the day. Numerous stops were made to take photos, spot birds, Orchids and other delights as nature provided us with a visual feast.
John has now trained us all to scan the verges and pinpoint exotic species. This newly aquired skill enabled Simon to quickly identify the Lesser-Spotted Austin Sunglasses, which had made a desperate break for freedom, by hiding in the verge. Sunglasses and thankful owner were reunited after a couple of miles.




We stopped for a well timed picnic lunch at 14.00 at Col de Lagarde. Our energies recharged, we continued along well surfaced roads at good speed. The weather had been the hottest so far, and as we spotted a grey cloud forming in the distance, the temperature started to cool. As we watched, this cloud developed an increasingly menacing appearance. A few spots of rain triggered Peter and John to take precautions and don their rain jackets. Simon and Andy decided that a refreshing drop of rain would bring welcome relief from the heat. After initial enjoyment, the drops grew larger and wetter and, stair-rodding earthwards, caused flash streams to appear in an instant. We quickly realised we had underestimated the ferocity of this electic storm. Visibility reduced to a few yards, John and Andy invisible ahead, Simon waited for Peter to emerge from the deluge. It wasn't possible to get any wetter, so with a quick raising of the eyebrows and shrugging of the shoulders, we decided to battle on through the worsening storm. The rain grew colder and small hailstones started bouncing on the tarmac. As these grew larger, the battering on our helmets sounded like rifle shots, with ears and exposed fingers began to sting. In the thick of this, Peter and Simon spotted a familiar specimen. The Austin sunglasses had expoited the chaos to go awol once more. Peter cycled on as Simon volunteered to recapture the wayward pair. Whilst executing this delicate manoever he crashed to the ground, scattering the precious contents of his bar bag all across the road! The hailstorm intensified, filling the bag with water, and pulverising soaked documents where they lay. The hailstones had grown to over half an inch in diameter, the pain was becoming intolerable, and the noise overwhelming. As soon as all the sodden possessions had been retrieved, Simon hurled himself into a thorny hedge, hands clasped over peppered helmet, to sit out the unforgiving blast from the heavens. Apart from the hedge, the storm had ambushed us on a very exposed limestone plateau, with no other shelter. Peter and Andy had huddled together under a small tree, and as we advanced down the road, we spotted John emerging from the shelter of a roadside barn, to record the bedraggled trio approaching. I began to get a fearful taste of how vunerable it most have felt at Le Somme.

We dried out on the magical descent through the valley to Boyne, which impressed Peter as looking like a "Lost Kingdom". The road drop swiftly for over four miles, then lead us through a gorge that gave us a fantastic "5 Star" ride, before arriving at Millau. We had a timetable to maintain, as European Cup Final Champions League was being played in the evening between Liverpool and Milan. Milan won 2-1.

"First goal to Milan........!"

"Drinks all round anyway!

Day 9

Having cycled at total of 85 miles with shattered bearings, today was going to be make or break day for the success of Simon's journey. We had tremendous cooperation from the hotel manageress, who had offered to drive John and Simon with the damaged bike to Aurillac, to a specialist bike shop she had spoken to yesterday on our behalf. We asked "are you sure?", and she said "Why, are you afraid". It was only when we were being whisked on our way at over 120 kph on tortuous country lanes, she wasn't kidding! John and I thought of the irony of having an accident in a car, while on a cycling holiday.When Simon picked his bike up to load it in the car, the back wheel fell off! It was now evident that the bearings were so completely seized, that the only reason the wheel was able to turn, was because the retaining nuts had worked loose! Don't try this at home! Our new found friend from the hotel left the charming bicycle repair man in no doubt that our repair was urgent, and should be completed without delay!

As John read his book on the grass on the forecourt, Simon caught up with the blog, as the new wheel was prepared. Within 90 mins, we were taxiied back to our hotel, with a gleaming new wheel fitted. Smiles all round! Peter and Andy set off on todays journey to Estaing at 09.45. After meeting the CTC backup van driver outside the hotel (who we had met on the ferry to Caen), John and Simon finally commenced their ride at 11.15am. Twitchers and Smudgers (Birdwatchers and Photographers), have been known to extend travel times by indulging in these extra pursuits....!! Left to our own devices, we started our extra curricular activities after barely a mile had been consumed. By the time we got to Marcoles, our quest for provisions for lunch had failed, as the locals were busy consuming theirs! We therefore felt fully justified in making full use of L'Auberge du Tour, and nobody was there to disagree. We were the only customers, the barmaid did smile, but you had to look VERY carefully! Beer was very good, sandwich was very good. A couple of essential phone calls were made, by which time we couldn't remember if the beer was any good....it would have been impolite not to have made sure...so we did!

A stroll round the fascinating medieval village completed our lunch hour, and we continued on our way. John's enthusiasm for spotting interesting birds and some stunning Orchids, gave Simon some new subject matter for his image making. We were becoming increasingly aware that that we had travelled very few of the 57 miles required today, and it was now unlikely we would arrive in Estaing before 7pm. We had two serious climbs today, one up to Mamet, and then a slightly smaller one up to Morales. Lacapelle had an alpine feel to it's landscape and local buildings. We had a gentle ride through lush countryside, past woods, grazing and cultivation. After a swift, snaking descent to the bridge over the river, there was a long hard climb up to Mamet. The highlight of the day was a breeze of a descent, as fast as we dared, for the five miles down to the river, Le Lot. We followed the river on a road that seemed to defy the laws of physics, as the gradient almost felt as though we were going downhill, but we were in fact gently climbing. This 20 mile stretch took us through the magnificent Gorge du Lot, bristling with inspirational sights to photograph. After a break for a refreshing oringina at Viellevie, Simon and John arrived in Estaing at 7pm, just half an hour after Peter and Andy. The waitress decided what we were having to eat for supper, but it was a good choice and we had a very good evening.

Day 8

We had a good few issues to discuss this morning! Peter and John went off to the local hospital to check Peter's ankle out, while Simon and Andy went off in search of a bike shop to make increasingly vital repairs to Simon's rear wheel. Very quickly we realised that Lundi means much the same as Sunday used to mean back in Blighty! Despite locating two excellent cycle shops, the lack of actively dashed our hopes of having the wheel sorted out today. Simon was facing several choices, most of which meant he would not be cycling for the entire route. This would only be an extreme choice, to be taken either as a last resort, or to enable the others to complete their goal. Extreme doubt was expressed that the bearing would last the distance from Mauriac to Hotel du Lac at Lacapelle Viescamp. Simon felt he had no choice but to continue cycling with the shattered bearing. Brutal editing of what was now essential for the rest of the trip was done. All surplus equipment, and some of Peter's too, was packed into boxes, and posted back home. This would lighten the burden for the rest of the ride. Peter and Andy returned from a remarkably efficient hospital visit, having been x-rayed, diagnosed with a torn ankle ligament, and "fixed" with an ankle brace, linament and Paracetamol. The cycle began with a climb out of Mauriac into wind and rain. This was a three hill climb day. A dramatic drop down to the Maronne, where we picniced for lunch. The weather improved throughout the day, as Simon's bearings progressively destroyed themselves. Peter and Andy went ahead of Simon and John to the hotel, so Peter could rest as much as possible. At the junction of the D653 and the D18, John and Simon had a final 11 km to crack. Things were looking very grim. We were actively trying to hitch a ride by the traditional "thumbing a lift technique, amongst others, but no luck. Simon spun the pedals, but they would no longer propel the bike. He had to resort to running uphill with the bike, while John assisted with True Git power. This involved a well coreographed sequence, cycling side by side, with John pushing on Simon's back. We eventually arrived at Hotel du Lac....completely knackered! We relaxed through a beautiful evening, with beers and supper outside in the sunshine, overlooking the lake below us. Perfect end to a gruelling day.

Chillin' ce soir!

Day 7

Jerry removing the pedals from his bike was a symbolic act that signalled the end of his cycling tour with Les Gits de France. The rest of the bike was dismantled and packed in the regulation bag, to allow it to be flown home. A few posed photos in front of Lac de Vassiviere, and to the chorus of our cycle bells, we finally left Jerry to make his way home by air from Limoge. We have had a good laugh with Jerry, and it was sad he was no longer cycling with us.We started to climb even as we skirted the lake, and although hard work, we were encouraged by beautiful vistas, and the promise of more to come. The weather was damp, but not uncomfortable and we made steady progress.An irritating noise started to develop on Simon's bike, and despite our best efforts to identify the source, it remained an invisible mystery. After much slogging up long hills, we were finally rewarded with an impressive downhill run on a good clear road, and recorded a top speed of 39.7 mph...VERY frustrating!The intermittent clicking noise from Simon's bike was becoming more regular, but was difficult to pinpoint.We passed a sign in the middle of nowhere, warning of aircraft, further down the road we were amused to see an aircraft fuselage, without wings, pointing nose first from the side of the road, giving a good impression of a chicken shed!

We stopped for coffee and Oranginas at around our 350 mile point. Simon's cycling computer got accidentally reset, which was very annoying. A few miles down the road the mystery noise eminating from Simon's bike got much worse, so we removed all the panniers, and turned it upside down to carry out a thorough investigation. It quickly became apparent that the rear wheel bearing had broken up, and the wheel would no longer spin on it's own. After a few trial runs we decided to split Simon's luggage between everyone else, to reduce the weight on the rapidly deteriorating bearing, to encourage it to last as long as possible.We made a long and steep descent to the river Dordogne, which was huge and made us realise how high we had climbed. Any such descent into a gorge is inevitably followed by a long, steep, hairpin-laced ascent. Thus was no different, but 7 miles of continuous uphill cycling was more than we needed Peter's ankle was in pain, Simon's rear wheel was hardly revolving, and John and Andy were now carrying extra loads. Using sheer Git-Power, we somehow ground our way to the days desination of Mauric.

It should be recorded here that tonight Simon had Duck Surprise for supper. The surprise, of course, was that there was no duck! Simon is not a great fish eater, but the choices left on the menu were thus reduced to duck, duck....or duck! He has had duck for four days now, his pedalling technique is developed a waddle, but all the jest and ribbing at his expense is simply water off a duck's back!

Jerry dismantles his bike to fly home











John relaxing after lunch








Simon wearing his underpants outside his trousers again!

(notice any similarity Simon??)

Bridge over the Dordogne followed by a 7 mile steep climb back to the plateau!






Frogs finding the going tough today!!

End to a hard day

Day 6

Lunch on day 6 at 300 miles - just outside Le Grand-Bourg

First cycling stint from 8.45 - 11.15, Straight up very long steep hill, a bit of a rude start first thing! The skies were very grey, cool with light drizzle. A general impression that we are going higher up as the day progeses. The sun breaks though after 24 miles as we stop for coffee.... Pain au Chocolat, and an Orangina in Dun le Palestel.Just before reaching Le Grand-Bourg at 1.00 we passed our 300 mile mark. We stopped for lunch at a picnic site by an arched wooden bridge over the river. This morning saw our first hairpin bends, and downhill speeds approaching 64 kph, fully loaded with wine bottles whistling in the wind.15.30, finished steep climb up to Bourganeuf for refreshments, after 18 miles since lunch. Numerous stops along the way to maintain the suncream barrier against the increasingly hot sun.After Bourganeuf the character of the route changed dramatically. We entered a landscape of dense pine forest with steep, narrow roads, and huge valleys with big views. It took two gruelling hours to crank our way through the many hairpins, with a few spectacular downhill runs winding swiftly through the forest. We arrived at Hotel Golf de Limosin in Auphelle, overlooking Lac du Vassiviere at 17.50. First task was to flop out on the terrace with an immediate order for 5 beers. On examining the maps we realised that we started this morning at an altitude of 115 metres and we are now at 650 metres!No wonder we feel frazzled! 70 miles in total today. Simon

Day 5

Crossroads cafe - somewhere south of St Germain.

Breakfast at 8.00 was beautifully presented and generous. The Hotel management raised an eyebrow at Simon's anatomical attire, and the guests on the next table moved nervously away!We wandered through the beautiful medieval streets, the top of a hill to find a large Norman church in a Romanesque style. This had four unusual spires along the length of the nave.A circular route through fine old streets, past castle walls and towers, brought us back to Hotel de France. We loaded up our bikes and eventually set off at 10.30.This is the first day we have all started the day without wearing jackets to keep us warm, and as the morning mist evaporated, our choice of suncream and shorts turned out to be a good one. John had an unexpected halt when some high speed insect flew straight into his eye. Very painful, brought tears to his eyes, and to add insult to injury he suffered a dowsing from the field irrigation system as it swung through its cycle. Sunglasses make good insect deflectors too!Long undulating roads, with perfect cycling surfaces and very few cars. Sunny skies with high clouds. Glorious flowers along the sides of the road, greens of all shades creating painterly landscapes, patterns of trees and farmsteads providing inspiration for photographs.

Then a blast of vibrant rouge a gauche, as our eyes where anbushed by a stunning Poppy field. Cameras blazed like First World War machine guns, but now only with peaceful intent.

John spotted an area on the map with numerous lakes, which might be interesting for flora, fauna and bird watching, and we all agreed to divert off our planned route. After several miles of disappointment we were finally rewarded with the sight of a lilly clad lake with birds dipping and diving to pluck fish for an in flight feast. A huge grey Heron flew 10 feet above Simon and Peter's heads, which was an awsome spectacle. What looked like a small crocodile causing sleek ripples in the water turned out to be a Coypu. Through the binoculars this looked a bit like a beaver. John was in his element, photographing, insects, birds and plants. A sudden clap, some shouted French words an forceful gesticulations from an insistent Frenchman at the road, made us realise we had unwittingly trespassed on a hallowed bird sanctuary. We were cycling through one of thenations Parc Naturelles Apologies made, we mounted our velocopedes and continued back towards our planned route.

After 60 miles we arrived at our hotel just south of Argenton sur Creuse at about 6.30. A thoroughly enjoyable day....and no punctures!

Day 4

Trogladitic houses in Amboise

Today got off to an amusing start as John sat at the largest table for breakfast. Jerry and Simon joined him, and expressed surprise that it had been laid for eight people. We munched our way through the generous bread baskets before the waitress realised we were not the group of eight elderly and rotund Germans, who now had to be squeezed on two small tables of four. As Peter and Andy had seriously overslept, the three of us sat comfortably on the huge table and attracted some quizzical glances from the Germans! Where we bovvered?As we only had to cycle 28 miles today, we spent the morning in strolling around Amboise. We visited the magnificent castle chateau, with its jewel like chapel mounted firmly on the top of monumental masonary. This is where Leonardo da Vinci is buried, or at least part of him! We saw many fine rooms, and there is also a fantastic roof garden,with views over Amboise and the Loire. The castle has two ramps, one on each side, that provide separate access for the Royal coaches and the military. After the castle we visited Clos Lucé, the home of Leonardo da Vinci, who died here. Although he spent the last three years of his life here, they have milked the association.We collected our bikes and bags from the hotel and set off for Loche at 12.45.

Lunch consisted of pannini and sandwich baguettes, sitting of the bank of the River Cher, opposite the beautiful chateau at Chenonceaux.

Although not cold, today was consistently damp, drizzly and grey. The ride to Loche was only 28 miles, which was very welcome after the last few days. We arrived in Loche at 4.30.Simon

Jerry at Loche after ride....yet another short bed!

Chateau at Chenonceaux