A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
My third year of cycling through France, this trip started in Orléans, followed the Loire to Nevers, then switched rivers to follow the Allier, went through the Massif Central, down to the Med and then back inland before going over the Pyrenees and to Roses (pronounced RosAs by the way). 1121km not including 50 or 60 not counted along the way.
The second part of the trip, from the Massif to Spain was largely the route I'd done two years ago and had enjoyed so much. I'd started in Orléans largely because the dates that European Bike Express offered allowed me to arrive in Allègre to coincide with the Human Powered Vehicle Festival (VPH) held there every year.
Date of event: 7/8/2011
The climb up from the Allier was very pleasant, though the descent down the other side to the Reservoir de Naussac was even more so.
If you look at the flag pole on my bike you can see how windy it is, it's bending the flag quite a lot. It's also not alway's that warm either, my jacket, that red thing, is out.
Langogne is at the end of this, the Reservoir de Naussac. This was a largely descending road on fast tarmac into Langogne.
I had thought I might stay at Langogne, the town itself looked worth exploring. I went to the tourist office and got some info and cycled out to the campsite. The campsite though was quite a way out of town, it was unmanned with no facilities and I just didn't fancy it. I also knew that it wasn't too far, 30km, to La Bastide Puylaurent which has a really nice campsite. One I'd stayed at a couple of years ago. So I left the campsite, went back into Langogne and set off again.
Still following the Allier, down the D906, amazing considering that I'd first picked it up at Nevers, the other side of the Massif Central. I must check the route and direction of it and find out how it gets around the Massif.