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Some light rain in the night, along with quite a few flashes of lightning and impressively rolling thunder claps in the distance.
The forecast was for showers and possibly a storm mid morning, so I set off early to cross Mt Lozère, the high point of the Cévennes, 1,534m.
St Julien du Tournel, on the way to Le Bleymard: a ruined tower and a short tunnel.
It was a relief not to be climbing up in the heat and instead to be cooled by a thankfully brief splash of rain. However, I think the cloud of flies which materialised and followed me for the last 10km up the mountain was more annoying than the heat of previous days, or perhaps it was a useful distraction from the gradient. Plenty of walkers crossing over on a trail I could see from time to time. Was everyone plagued by flies this morning? Maybe it was that Roquefort salad I ate yesterday?
The Col de Finiels.
You can see one of the flies I befriended.
Coming over the plateau and beginning the descent, these white rocks caught the light and fleetingly looked like big sheep.
Then a long fast descent on an immaculate surface down to Le Pont de Montvert.
Today's stage has taking me from close to the source of the Lot to close to the source of the Tarn.
These circular slate tiles are substantial.
I think this Robert Louis Stevenson stuff may have got out of hand.
Last night at Mende there was a big public fête at the park near the campsite. It was getting going nicely when I returned from supper by the cathedral, and turned into something of a rave, a decent little sound system, pounding away till about 3am. Under different circumstances I'd have liked to dip a toe into that water, but last night my only desire and capability was to eat and then lie down.
As Mende was clearly way too lively a place for me, I decided to head about 20km up the road to Mt Lozère and spend my rest day at Bagnols-les-Bains, a well-equipped little town on the way up to the Lozère ski station of Le Bleymard. Campsite, bakery, épicerie, bar-tabac doubling as bistrot - - everything needed within 150m for a lazy day.
I noticed that as well as a bike repair stand, the town also has a recharging station for e-bikes. Free of charge as far as I could tell.
It's said that Sainte Énimie discovered thermal springs here whilst searching for a cure for leprosy.
A bit cooler today. On the road early to tackle the 4 big hills between here and Mende.
View from the first hill, on the way to St Laurent d'Olt
Today's scenery: lush and green and steep.
I wonder where these 2 huge rocks are headed.
At Montjézieu, after 2 of those hills, I found a bakery and very obliging Bar/Tabac for a large pot of Earl Grey. A leek quiche today, to ring the changes.
The last section wasn't very pleasant, simply on account of the weight of traffic to and around Mende. Wikipedia tells me that it has a population of 12,000, but it feels like a much bigger place on account of the big busy roads and the through traffic. It's the administrative capital of Lozère, France's least populous département
There's an impressive cathedral and historic centre, but it's a bit of a shock to the system.
I thought I was going to be leaving the Lot, but in fact it's still with me tonight in Mende, and the source is not far.
Mende sits in a steep basin, and after lunging down into the city from hill number 4, l rapidly located a glacier for a revitalising sorbet before proceeding to my campsite. Up out the other side of the basin along a busy main road, past a light industrial park and then a sawmill, with a huge lorry load of sawdust out front, adding to the choking effect of the hot breeze. To Camping de Sirvens. Fermé.
When the farmer suggested I try Camping Le Tivoli instead, I felt strangely certain of my intuition as I finished his sentence for him: "it's on the other side of town".
Tonight's apéro: a châtaigne kir. Followed by a beer from the familiar Jonte brewery of Lozère. I've made it to the Cévennes, I think?
Another 7am start on account of the heat. I'd made up my mind to skip the initial 400m climb to Ginhac to the south of the Lot and take the main road on the north following the river down to Estaing. But even early in the morning there were big trucks passing by and I found myself crossing back over the Lot and winding my way up and up...
At Golinhac I started seeing a lot of walkers, or I should say pilgrims.
For a few days my route has been phasing in and out with the Chemin de Saint Jacques. I may have missed my chance to ask why every single one has been coming away from Santiago de Compostella rather than towards it. Perhaps there's some other "camino"?
An upmarket gîte
At Estaing I was able to stock up for lunch.
Then on to Saint-Côme d'Olt where I made just a brief pause to fuel and steel myself for the 10 km climb to Lassouts, my second visit of the day to around 700m.
90 mins later I was just in time to check out the village shop before closing and found this pruneaux pastry, rich and not too sweet.
From here it was a long refreshing descent to a picnic spot at St-Eulalie d'Olt and then on to St-Géniez d'Olt.
At the Intermarché I bought a bottle of 95 proof 'cleaning alcohol' which I think I can use in my Trangia spirit stove for tea-making. I'm sure it's a denatured ethanol, so essentially the same as meths?
Tonight's apéro: Thé d'Aubac
As I'd already climbed over the hills from Figeac to the Lot yesterday, today was an easy journey along the north bank of the Lot river to where the Truyère joins its forces.
Steep green hills on both sides. The river widens and narrows several times along the route.
An interesting roof:
I was on the road at 7am as the forecast was for temperatures over 30°C and indeed the afternoon was boiling. But I got to Entraygues before noon and before the heat.
A very cycle-friendly municipal campsite just across a footbridge from the town. They have a clean modern cabin for walkers and cyclists to shelter and cook and a well equipped bike repair stand.
I took the opportunity on this hot lazy afternoon to shorten my chain. My bike has a hub gear with an "eccentric " (elliptical) bottom bracket to tension the chain. Before leaving Bristol I wasn't sure that the chain was sufficiently worn (long) to allow me to remove a link, so I anticipated having to do this on the road. And indeed yesterday the slack chain jumped off the rear socket on a bumpy patch.
After adjusting the eccentric to its slackest position (closest to the hub) I satisfied myself that I could afford to lose a link before applying the chain-breaker.
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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