While it rained all night, the morning brings new hope with a spot of blue sky amidst the clouds. Apart from a bit of drizzle around noon, the rain actually stays away the whole day.
After taking a closer look at Ambialet, which is really small but nice, I ride up to the nearby monastery, where I find nothing much except barking dogs, a nice view on the village and an apparently holy tree.
I then ride up the Tarn valley to Valence-d’Albigeois where I arrive just before 11, right in time to buy a Viselle (think small baguette) from the local bakery for lunch. Apparently I’m following old Tour de France routes, as the many writings on the uphills prove.
From here I travel by smaller and smaller roads on which I have to stop once for a herd of goats before I reach Rodez.
The way from which I arrive must be the worst possible by bike, going over major roads, but the city doesn’t seem very bike-friendly anyway. It is situated on the hilly banks of the Aveyron river and to get to the old city center one needs to go on a steep uphill in a lot of traffic. No bike-lane in sight. Once up, however, the city first shows its super-modern side with chrome steel stadium and rusty iron museum.
Following a wide paved park-area one the reaches the cathedral and beyond that the old city.
It’s nice to see how historic and contemporary architecture can fit together so well.
Sadly, I don’t have that much time and walking through the narrow streets with my bike is quite taxing.
Leaving Rodez is an adventure by itself. At first, I’m happy to have finally found a bike path. That ends somewhere in the rural suburbs and I can’t find a road going in my direction. I eventually end up crossing over field roads. Thankfully I’ve got a good bike.
About 10 km out of town the farmland gives way to scrubs and thorn bushes and I stop to find a nicely secluded spot (without thorns). The sky has cleared up and I can charge my batteries in the evening sun.