Villefranche, upstream on the Aveyron, was our lunchtime destination. But the Aveyron is in a deep gorge with no road. Helen persuaded me to retrace our steps from yesterday for a bit, since we were more than half way up one side, rather than my intended route on the other side of the river. And it proved much easier that way. We returned for coffee to the cafe that saved our lives yesterday, much to the surprise of the locals!


All in all this was an attractive morning’s ride, with a lovely descent to Villefranche, another Bastide town. Though actually the riverside was better than the centre – which was being repaved. We had yet another duck and chips in a delightful courtyard restaurant.

It was red hot as we left town for one final climb up and over to rejoin the river Lot, about 20 miles down from where we had left it. From the top we could see Puy de Dome in the Auvergne away to the north. I wanted to cycle back that way to Paris.

We finished at a tiny campsite beside the Lot next to a beautiful old suspension bridge. We picnicked and did very little as the sun set.