Basic but filling breakfast at our budget motel in Limoges, then straight onto the motorway. Refueling part way, then enjoyed the rollercoaster motorway ride heading to Toulouse, the first proper hills in our journey. We hit a few drizzle patches and at one point heavy rain. I'm already wearing a waterproof jacket as a wind breaker, but hunker down behind the screen to avoid the worst of the heavy drops.
No running out of fuel today and no difficulties at the toll booths!
Into Toulouse and we meet one of my work consultant friends, also a biker, based in Toulouse. Jean leads us to our lunch stop where we park up and meet another consultant friend, Benoit. The restaurant Brasserie Cebely overlooks the Garone river and we enjoy a lunch a la Toulouse (famous for its cuisine).
A quick city tour follows, with a brief stop in the centre, being allowed through the barriers to park up right outside the Capitol building. The centre is bustling, full of shoppers and students.
Refueling outside Toulouse, Jean takes us to the starting point for the scenic route to Luchon, avoiding the motorway and winding its way into the mountains. Good decision as it's an enjoyable ride on empty roads.
As we climb it gets colder and the waterproofs that came off in Toulouse are donned again, and I even put on my thermal glove liners. It's not that cold, but I feel it especially as I mostly packed for warm Morocco weather.
We arrive in Luchon, a thermal spa town that seems very well to do, and climb higher on a twisty road eventually reaching Hugo's place on the famous Superbagneres cycling climb route. Hugo greets us by his front door as we reach the end of the climb up the gravel drive to his converted barn. That's the most off-road we'll probably do for the whole trip.
We cook dinner and I experiment with a rice, tomato, egg and soy sauce mix; passable, but it's eclipsed by the Roquefort cheese and desserts that followed.
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