September 6, 2023
Day 2 - Villeneuve-sur-Tarn to Assyènes
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A cool breeze this morning! What a difference that makes in energy levels.
After our usual in-the-room breakfast, we headed out at 0915 or so. Across the bridge in Trébas was a Spar market, so we got some sandwiches and apples for a picnic lunch. Today’s ride covers some pretty empty countryside.
We rolled out of town onto roads very similar to yesterday’s. Traffic was almost nonexistent.
The Tarn has been dammed for hydroelectric purposes, and much of today’s ride was along the resulting still water. The wind was up, so the water was not quite as still as it might have been.
The few villages we passed through were very quiet and surprisingly well-kept.
Just when we were ready for a coffee break, we arrived at beautiful Brosse-le-Chateau. A small hotel/restaurant seemed to be the only business in town, but it was perfect for us. We lingered over our drinks and enjoyed the view.
Rich was feeling lazy, but Robin crossed the old “dos d’an” bridge and walked up into the village to investigate.
After the worlds longest coffee stop, we roused ourselves to get back out on the road. As Scott had warned us, there were several tunnels. We avoided all but two. The first two had bike paths around them.
The first tunnel we went through had a bicycle signal to keep cars out while we were in the tunnel.
And it was dark inside!
The second tunnel had a “no bikes” sign on it. But there was no obvious way around it, it was only 450 meters long, and there had been almost no traffic. So we went for it. Don’t tell anyone!
The last tunnel we avoided by taking a lovely gravel road that ended up taking across an old bridge to a luckily open gate.
Closing in on our destination for the day, we crossed back over the river on a wooden-planked bridge and climbed up to the village of Assyènes.
As I mentioned above, this is sparsely settled country. There aren’t many hotels or restaurants and tonight there were none at all that were convenient. The “Chambre de la Tour” was all we could find - left over from a hotel/restaurant that’s closed. They’re still renting the room, though.
So tonight’s accommodations are, ahem, a bit rustic. We’re in a garret room at the top of an old tower in a tiny village with no services. No internet either! Thank goodness for our awesome and cheap phone data plans. Yay, Reglo Mobile!
We planned ahead, so tonight’s dinner will be coming out of the microwave. Never fear! We’ll be back to our usual level of opulence tomorrow.
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 90 km (56 miles)
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