Wednesday 25th September 2024

All good things come to an end, and it was time to push further north and closer to home.

Staying in such an ancient building, but then they all have apart from the Ibis is Cannes, is a real honour.

They had put in a good modern shower, so we freshened up got dressed and went down for breakfast.

Rolls, pain au chocolate, yogurt and coffee was the order of the day, and travellers with a long way to go need to fill up before the off.

I walked our bags to the car, snapping the village cemetery on the way, loaded the car and we were ready.

Back down the gorge, past the Devil's Bridge and to the autoroute north, for our next destination: Milleau Viaduct.

We knew the road would climb, to nictitate the bridge being so tall, and indeed the autoroute climbed to nearly 4,000 feet again as ascended the Massif Central.

The landscape opened out, and the high plains are farmed, and looked like anything you'd see at sea level.

Then the bad news, roadworks on the bridge meant the resting place was out of bounds, and anyway, as we approached, most of the bridge was shrouded in fog.

Jools took shots as we went over, pushing on, as we still had six hours to travel.

The Massif continued for over an hour, the road reaching its highest peak, then dropping for over 10Km at 6%, was heavy on them brakes.

Through the day we travelled through or near: Issoire, Clermont-Ferrand, Bourges, Vierzon, all the time, slowly, the countryside and climate was turning more north European. Blue skies faded, clouds replaced them, and in the final 90 minutes, heavy rain began.

We turned off the autoroute at Tours, headed along the Loire, where I had booked us into a nice looking hotel, I based my choice on a fine indoor pool for Jools.

We crossed the river by a narrow metal bridge, then off the main road to the foot of a cliff. A single track road took us up, through a narrow gap in the rocks and there was the hotel, partially built into the cliff.

I had no idea, and I could claim it was I being clever. But sheer luck.

We parked, and the owner showed us round, insisting, along with me, that Jools sees the pool. She wasn't in the mood.

The pool was in the face of the cliff, about 25m long, and looked glorious.

She was sold, so once back in the room, she found her costume and went for a bob in the cliff.

As it were.

Did the hotel do food?

Non.

But there is a place down the road that does stuffed mushrooms and some kind of stuffed unleavened bread rolls.

Sound good.

He booked us a table for seven, and driving in driving rain, we found the cliff face, walked up the sloping path where the Gastrog was just open.

There was little choice in the menu, you has mushrooms to start, two medium sized ones, either with local cheese of "black" sausage. We both had one of each.

Followed by the stuffed breads. I have Toulouse sausage and bean with goosefat stew.

It was simple, but glorious.

And ended with lemon cake and ice cream with a coffee.

Amazing, simple, local food, served with panache. In a cave.

Back to the hotel to nurse our insect bites and try a bottle of the local wine.

We slept well as rain hammered dwon on the tiled roof.