I could see from my maps that Figeac was less than 30 miles from St. Cere. I also knew that I would be climbing out of the Dordogne Valley and into the Valley of the Lot. I could see by the hills around St. Cere that it wouldn't be easy.
It was foggy and cold this morning. The weather pictures on the TV showed some rain/some sun. Up to now, that symbol has meant it was nicer in the morning and rainy in the evening. I ate the fruit I had in the room and went out to a local market to get some more breakfast and food for that day's ride. A diversion of the River Bave goes through the town and defines the north-side of the town's main square.
I decided to drink some hot chocolate and stare out at the wet pavement in front of the cafe a few doors down from the hotel. I saw the TI across the square and went in hoping to find useful information about what to see in St. Cere and gain insight into the the day's ride to Figeac. There was a sculpture garden in front of the TI which fronted St. Cere's main square.
I saw this tower on top of a hill as I rode in the previous day. From the main square it looked eerie. Note how inviting the weather is for a bike ride.
At the TI, I was given a guide to the historic buildings in St. Cere. The route was well-signed and I spent about an hour walking through St. Cere's alley-like streets.
It was a small town which was nestled up against the valley's hills. Here is another view of the hilltop tower from "residential" street .
I discovered the small square called place du Mercadial, which is where I had dinner the night before. It contained St. Cere's oldest house. The water pump in front of the house used to part of a fountain.
My walk ended on the diversion of the river for the mill. Here is where the manmade cataract powered the mill.
I returned to the hotel and packed up. I left St. Cere about noon going up a sun-dappled road.
The road wound steadily up through forest and farmland. There were no cars on the road and the sights, sounds, and smells made this bit of road one of my favorite riding days.
It was hard not to take a picture around every turn. First, it was stunning views across fields.
Then, it was a field of sheep.
Then, I rode along this creek for many miles.
Given all the rain, I often heard rushing water. Here is one waterfall I saw through the trees.
After about an hour of uphill grind, I rode into a long valley.
It seemed even the most mundate shot would look good. You decide.
The road kinked up as I got to the top of the valley. The view was stunning!
As I climbed out of this valley, the skies opened up and I took refuge under some trees. It was a definitive bike touring moment: waiting for the rain to stop on a deserted road at the top of a beautiful valley.
I finally came to the tiny town of Terrou, where I had a sandwich sitting on the rim of a fountain in the sun. I hoped it would mark the long descent into Figeac, but was sadly mistaken.
Since today's cameras have so much memory, I like to take photos when exiting towns. It helps me place where I took pictures. Here is the view just outside Terrou.
I felt so good that I allowed myself another wildflower picture.
Just to the left of the previous picture, I looked up and saw a mare and her colt trot away.
I had another hour of climbing through hillside forests to small valleys.
I eventually got to the top of the climb. It was nice to be looking downhill both ways!
I coasted down virtually all of the 12 miles to Figeac. All in all, I rode about half up and half down this day! I didn't stop to take pictures until I got to Figeac.
I would later discover that Figeac is a stop on the pilgram's path from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It is an attractive larger town with a warren of old town streets surrounded by more recent buildings.
It took me a while to find the TI. I had a long conversation with the very nice agent who found me a "nice" one-star hotel (primarily, this means that you have a sink but not a toilet in your room). Since tomorrow was the day the stitches were to come out, I asked the agent if she could get me an appointment to see an English speaking doctor the next morning. With one phone call, I had a 9:30 am appointment for the next day. I was amazed at how easy this all seemed. The best part was that I knew it would only cost me 22 Euros! This is the view across the tiny square in front of the TI.
My hotel was about half a mile away in the newer part of town, right on the main road out. It started to rain just as I left the TI. By the time I found my hotel it was raining pretty hard. I walked into the lobby soaking wet and took my bags off my bike. My room came with a garage for the night, where I put the bike, pushing it up a steep little hill in the driving rain. I took everything up the three flights of stairs to my room and rested a while.
I changed into my walking around town rain gear and went off in search of something to eat. I walked around the old town for a while and didn't find any restaurants that interested me. Instead, I found a grocery store just before closing time. I bought some of the pre-made soup in a carton, vegetables to put in the soup, and for tomorrow. I walked home in light drizzle. I followed the river Cele that defines a line between old and new Figeac. I past a large square with a military statue and church.
I returned to the hotel and ate dinner: leek and potato soup and steamed broccoli. I read a bit, tried to find a comfortable position on the bed, and went to sleep.