The Fold Up Bike Trip

Day 7
Friday 19.06.09       Le Rozier to St Enimie       50m

Another lovely breakfast in an idyllic setting, on a terrace overlooking the river. There is a bit more of a breeze today. We load the bike and head off down the Gorge de Jonte, famous for its Vultures. I have been here before and seen 15 to 20 birds taking off from one side of the Gorge and gliding over to the other side.
Parked at the spot where I saw them last, its out with the Binoculars (brought especially for the occasion) and a quick scan of the skies reveals .... nothing! Are we too early? Is it too cold (thermals)? Whoa, we spot 2 Vultures on a pinnacle and 1 in the air. At least Judith gets to see a couple .... Hang on, there’s a couple more. Soon there are 17 or more circling overhead. I wonder if they have spotted a couple of Old Bikers with not long to go. We spend a good half an hour watching the display before heading off to the Gorges de Tarn, one of the most spectacular sites in France, IMHO.

Halfway to our destination the Heavens open! Just time to park the bike and dash under a shops awning to shelter from the storm. “Good morning, lovely weather”. A British guy is in the doorway chatting to the owner, says he moved out here and opened a Chambre D’Hote a year ago. We passed the time and watched the rain shower pass over and then continued on to Sainte Enimie.

We arrived at lunchtime. Checked into an Auberge and we were given a room with a terrace overlooking the river Tarn – The stuff of millionaires for £30 each per night. Went out to find some lunch and then went back to sit on our terrace for a couple of hours, after all we had travelled 50 miles today! Oooo! Was that an Eagle flying past, where are me binoculars?

During the evening, after dinner, we went for a walk around the village and heard a choir singing in the local church. This is a thing I have come across before. It’s not particularly religious, the repertoire is everything from a Bach fugue to pop songs. The sang KNOSI SIKELE’I AFRIKA, the African Anthem sung when Nelson Mandela was elected President, that brought a lump to my throat. Next up was La Ballade Nord Irlandaise or as I know it ‘The Fields of Athenry’. I almost burst out laughing as I realised what it was – A well known ‘done to death’ irish song, normally sung at the end of a long session of music and beer in pubs the length and breadth of Ireland. An interesting way to spend an evening.

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