Monferran-Plavès

6:22 / 72 miles / 5,692 ft. After departing Agen where Mathilde left us the supplies for a nice breakfast including coffee. We rode about 30 miles and spent a chilly lunch break in Lectoure, France, near the historic cathedral. The noon bell rush filled the city center, with women hurrying to yoga classes and children of all ages enjoying their school lunch break that last usually from noon until 1:30 or 2:00, some sporting shirts that said "Smile," "Chicago," and "New York." As most businesses, including the tourism office, closed for a couple of hours, Lisa scurried around searching for a baguette (she’s turning French!) Our ride from Agen to Lectoure took us along winding roads through breathtaking countryside. Vast, open farmland stretched across the hills, making us feel like we were on top of the world. We enjoyed reaching speeds of nearly 35 mph, as we tried to coast up our next big hill. The woody scent of drying sunflowers lingered in the air, and the valleys below were a patchwork of golden fields of corn, wheat, soybeans, and sunflower. We passed isolated farmhouses, seeing more sheep and cows than people and cars. The livestock, grazing lazily on the hillsides, dotted the landscape like clouds on green hills. Despite the chill—enough for me to wear legwarmers, though Lisa braved the ride in shorts—the scenery was stunning. After our usual lunch of baguette sandwiches with hummus, beets, cheese, chips, and a Coke, we rode past the Basilica Saint Gèny and made our way to Auch. Auch was hectic, as large cities tend to be. We stopped for a Powerade at a grocery store and visited the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie just as the rain began—our 12th consecutive day with rain. From Auch, we climbed more rolling hills, with sheep grazing as sheepdogs kept them in check. The windmill and ruins of the Château de Durban standing quietly, adding a historic touch to the serene landscape. From Durban we had about 6 miles remaining, we needed to stop by the grocery store before our climb to our Airbnb. We picked up a microwavable lasagna and our normal breakfast supplies. Then we rode the 2.4 mile climb of an average gradient of 10% to our Airbnb. We had a nice night at the Airbnb with great views over the valley. Just before bed Lisa stepped outside to check on our bikes, and called me out to see the sky, magnificent with millions of stars.Read more