To Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val - You lead me away from home, just to save you from touring alone - CycleBlaze

April 30, 2022

To Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val

A blue sky morning greeted our first full day on the road on our way to Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. 

After a wonderful breakfast,  we took our bikes out of the garage at 09:30. The day was already warming up and we both immediately took off a layer knowing that the first part of the ride was back uphill toward the church. 

Our bikes in the warm morning sun, waiting to be loaded.
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KAREN JONESLooks like secure storage...
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2 years ago
Discarding a layer before we leave!
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The church in Arcambal.
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I wonder what the holes in buildings are for? Ventilation or for other purposes? The yellow iris are also beautiful.
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Once we had reached the top of the hill the riding was frequently in dappled sunlight.
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Labenque was our first town of the day. This is from the web: Located just minutes away from Cahors in the Lot, discover Lalbenque, an atypical village known worldwide, especially by the greatest chefs and gourmets from the four corners of the world, for its invaluable treasure: the black truffle. It is impossible to talk about Lalbenque without mentioning its famous truffle market. It is a seasonal market which lasts about three months, from early December to early March.
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The French countryside is very beautiful for cycling.
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Way too much fun!
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It was market day in Labenque. The small town market days are always a treat. Every thing is fresh, beautifully presented and enticingly aromatic! A great way to shop - if you have room!
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Fresh wild mushrooms but the black truffles must come much later in the year.
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The market was busy but still enough room to walk our bikes through. As we were walking, the wind blew over the umbrella of a beer maker`s stall knocking two bottles to the ground. Neither broke but the tops exploded off spraying Scott and his bike. Eau de Biere - his favourite scent!
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Olives.
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Preparing a salmon.
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Great cycling in the sunshine.
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The creek beside our lunch spot.
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The second major town on our route was Caylus. We approached the town from the top of a long steep downhill where we hit our maximum speeds for the day. The town has a number of very old buildings in various states of repair centered by a large historic church dating back to the 13th century. We quickly visited  Caylus and began the last seven kms to Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. It was a most picturesque ride along La Bonnette creek but our steam was fading and we were glad to reach our destination for the day. 

Gorilla sculpture in Caylus.
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The Church of St. John the Baptist has the most beautiful set of ancient stained glass windows
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More stained glass from The Church of St. John the Baptist.
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Building in Caylus.
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On route to Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.
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Arriving in Saint-Antonin-Noble -Val we easily found our room for the night. We stayed at Marie Colline a la Campagne. Our hosts Mimi and Patrick were so helpful - carrying all our baggage up three flights of stairs and showing us around their home.

In Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.
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Enjoying our afternoon refreshment in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val town square. A local brewery - Brasserie Bélier - makes a very nice IPA.
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Widely considered to be one of the oldest civic buildings in France built in the early 13 century.
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Detail on the front of the town hall.
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Lots of beautiful buildings and architectural features in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.
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Limestone cliffs above Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.
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In Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.
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Our home in Nobel was the top floor of the building with the green shutters.
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The Aveyron River, just outside our back door.
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Rachael AndersonWhat a great start to your tour!
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2 years ago