Quillan to Cucugnan: All Saints Day

November 1, 2010

WEATHER: ALL TYPES, BUT NO HEAVY RAIN

Today was one of the best cycling days we've ever experienced. We left l'Olivette after another excellent breakfast, with light rain coming down. We were prepared with our rain gear on since the forecast was for rain all morning. Luckily we only got a few light showers. We cycled through a wooded area just outside Quillan and then gently uphill for 14 km through a beautiful gorge to the Col du Camperié at 517 metres. The gorge was narrow and winding with rock arches overhanging the road and one short tunnel. By the time we reached the Col the sun was showing ahead of us and the rain clouds were behind us. Then came 29 km of downhill or flat--lovely. After a few twists and turns near the top we could see the ruin of Puilaurens above the village of Lapradelle. Then the view opened up before us with the Pyrenees looming on the right of a beautiful broad valley with vineyards, rain mists and a huge rainbow over the hills on our left. The pavement was exceedingly smooth with a wide shoulder AND we had a good solid tailwind.

The clouds had begun to lift when we got to the col.

The village of Lapradelle on the way down from the col.

The ruins of the Puilaurens fortress perched above Lapradelle.

We flew along, sometimes reaching 53 km, through St. Paul de Fenouill... to the village of Maury at 43 km where we found a bar/bistro open on All Saints Day, and we had lunch; not one of the best: some type of ham loaf with couscous, then boeuf bourguignon with too many mushy green peas (instead of frites) and a piece of cheese with a quarter litre of vin rouge and coffee. It was a good thing we ate a lot because we needed the energy for the last 10 km. It was completely sunny while we ate lunch, but then the clouds moved in.

Leaving Maury we started climbing immediately into a huge headwind. The road switchbacked 950 feet in 5 km and at one point was so steep and the headwind so strong that we had to get off and push our bikes. Luckily for most of the climb, the wind was behind us and the Cathar castle, Queribus, loomed ahead of us. The sky got cloudier and cloudier. When we finally reached the Grau du Maury and began the last two km downhill into Cucugnan, we first had a crosswind and then a strong headwind that we had to pedal really hard against, even going steeply downhill.

On the way up to the Grau de Maury and Queribus.

The sun came out again on the very windy way down to Cucugnan.

It was a relief to climb up into Cucugnan and find our hotel, Auberge du Vigneron, which was closed, with a note on the door saying they would open at 4:00--in an hour and a half. Luckily there was a brasserie just down the hill, very busy on All Saints Day, and we whiled away the time with coffee and a good pear tart. Then back to the Auberge du Vigneron, where we checked in, took showers and rested a bit, before going back outside to look around. It was so windy, that walking wasn't very pleasant.

Dinner that night was at the hotel, the 21 euro menu: pumpkin soup with Roquefort cheese, duck leg in Maury wine with parsnips, turnips and topinambours. Crème Catalan for dessert. A ½ bottle of Corbieres wine accompanied the meal. We like the full-bodied red wine made from the Syrah (or Shiraz) grapes which are grown in the Corbieres region.

Today's ride: 53 km (33 miles)
Total: 722 km (448 miles)

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