April 8
The Ibis Hotel provided another nights satisfactory rest. I only had a snack for dinner as I ate so well at lunch so, after a good breakfast I made my way out to the Harley. Well, first thing to note, the weather has changed. Damp road, dull sky and spitting with rain but, not cold. First chance therefore, to wear the Harley Davidson Rainsuit. At £85 a pop, one would expect some sort of "special" rainwear. This one was disappointing. Thin, no pockets and one of those small fiddly zips that splits open from the bottom at the first opportunity. Apart from that, it was a bugger to put on the trousers. The leg openings are wide but nowhere near wide enough to accomodate Harley boots. The legs close with Velcro which, on an open touring bike, is about as much use as the proverbial chocolate teapot. As soon as there is any sort of windstream, the flaps open. This kit was made in China by the bidder who'd obviously pay most to slap the logo on and then scrimp with the product. Having staggered around the car park, I at last managed to get the trousers on and headed out for the E15 for a dead straight 300 mile run to Aumont-Aubrac. It would be nice to head away from the autoroute for a while but this trip isn't a tour, it's about getting to the southern sunshine. Apart from stopping for fuel and a rest, I kept going and this is where the Road King Classic earns its spurs. The bike is very comfortable for long distance cruising. I was taking a break about every 90 minutes and felt no real discomfort. If I were to tweak just one part of my bike, then I think I might bring the handle bars back slightly to give a more upright seating position. After a quick sandwich and coffee just outside Clermont-Ferrand, the weather had improved enough for me to take off the rain suit. This was good news as by now, the road was imperceptibly starting to climb as I entered the Massif-Central region. I would now keep climbing to about 1400 metres or 4500 feet until I started my descent the other side of the Pyrenees. For now, I felt a distinct chill in the air as we passed 500 metres. It was like a giant staircase. Steep incline for 3 or 4 miles and then a plateau followed again by another journey upwards. The land here is mainly formed from extinct volcanoes and the views are, quite frankly, huge.
Although the temperature had dropped, it wasn't really cold as the sun had appeared into a clear blue sky and I really started enjoying the views. Another hour passed and the GPS warned me to take the next exit to Aumont-Aubrac. By now, I was on another plateau, this time around 1300 metres high and five minutes after leaving the E15, I pulled up into the Chez Cammillou hotel car park. Again, the manager here graciously invited me to park in his underground car park. "Not", he said "because of theft but to keep the beautiful machine warm". Now there's a man who understands the priorities in life.
Having checked in, the receptionist advised me that the restaurant this evening, was only offering the d'gustation option. Oh well, a walk before dinner is probably going to be a good idea. At 7:30pm, I entered the busy restaurant and it was packed with local couples and families. I was led to a nice single table by a window and served with warm home made breads and butter.
Having been told that a dry white would probably be best for the meal I took the waiters advice and settled for a 2006 Sauvignon that had only travelled a few hundred miles from Bordeaux. So started two hours of gourmet heaven. Cornets of seafood served with anissette, delicate spoonfuls of sorbet to clean the pallet followed by tender crowns of lamb with asparagus and mushrooms. Finally, a banana and green lemon compote. I tell you, these people know how to live!
No comments:
Post a Comment