To Sainte-Enimie

October 19, 2022

Today was the big day, the day I would cycle through the Gorges du Tarn, a ~33 mile stretch extending along the Tarn River from Rozier to Sainte-Enimie. And to top it all off, I would meet up once again with Scott and Rachael who would be dropping down to Sainte-Enimie from the Lot River. The Gorges du Tarn had drawn me to this area as a wonderful finish to my eight months in France – the fact that I would get to enjoy the company of Team Anderson was the cherry on the sundae.

As much as I eagerly anticipated this day, it did not disappoint. Though it was overcast when I left Millau, the clouds could not dampen my spirits, which were lifted even higher by the fall colors that were becoming more brilliant with every passing day.

There really is not a lot to describe about the day – the road was quiet, the route spectacular, and the clouds gave way to sunshine in the mid-afternoon. I’m behind on the journal, so I’ve left you with a plethora of photos, mostly un-captioned, and hope you can vicariously enjoy my trip through the Gorges du Tarn. If you haven’t been here, I urge to visit - it's so, so much better in real life.

I wasn't the only one crossing the Tarn Rive this morning

Overcast skies can't dampen my mood or the brilliant yellows

A small town, maybe La Cresse, nestled on the north bank of the Tarn

Tomas, who has been the road for the past four years

In this section, the small road through the gorge is divided into two, even more narrow roads - an "upper road" and a "lower road."

Hauterives - according to the signage, it is a town in peril

There were some headwinds, but I barely noticed them

Both Team Anderson and myself estimated our respective arrival times in Sainte-Enimie between 3-4 pm. I arrived just before four, and within minutes got a text from Rachael saying she was here and there she was, just outside my window. Scott soon rounded the corner and after hearty hellos we retreated to our rooms and reconvened around 6:30 for a walk-about town before dinner.

The reception at the Auberge de Moulin had directed us to one of the only open restaurants in town, but on our way out the door she hurried up to us explaining that it was now closed. Our only choice was a pizzeria up the street. The place was not ready for service when we stopped by, so we reserved a table and then wandered aimlessly about the village, paying more attention to each other than to where we were going. Suddenly, it was time for dinner, and after a bit of confusion over which restaurant we were actually going to and where it was, we were back at La Calabrese pizzeria and restaurant.

We lingered over dinner, exchanging stories of our day, our plans, and life in general. It was a wonderful and warm finish to a day a will savor for years to come

Looking out my window, I spot a familiar face across the street

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Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 3,348 miles (5,388 km)

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Scott FenwickI am not very good at remembering all the daily rights that Pat and I have completed but this one I do. It must easily be in our the top three best rides. From start to finish it is an absolutely amazing ride on a quiet road.
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2 years ago