Blue skies greet me and no cloud is in sight. The morning is icy cold, though. As I commence my climb up the next mountain range of the Massif Central the sun is not strong enough yet to warm me.
The first village I reach has, almost unbelievably, no bread! The boulangerie has closed on Mondays, the epicerie is closed for renovation and the supermarket just looks abandoned. I wonder how people here survive Mondays…
The next village, Fournols, does not disappoint, though. A friendly baker, a fresh baguette and a nice chat with an 80-year old and the world’s okay.
Soon after, I get a good look back at the Allier river valley and in the distance the Puy de Dome. I continue westwards through Ambert and up to the Col de Supeyres. On the way I take the world’s steepest shortcut, almost, but not quite, impossible to drive.
From Supeyres a short downhill brings me to a high moor and soon after a 21 km downhill to Montbrison begins.
The town itself is busy in rush hour traffic and I merely pass through. Crossing the Loire valley
I start the climb up the last mountains before the Rhone valley and soon find a campspot.