Up to Mont Franc; not to worry ... The blog was down for a few days

Somehow probably because of something I did, I lost access to my blog. That's what happens when you are from a generation that grew up with a slide rule, black and white TV and rotary dial phones and are given an iPad mini to try and operate.

I will catch up today by blogging the past few days, not that I expect anyone reads this, but more as documentation for when I am old and want to relive my youth.  Day 17 began with what has now become a regular stop at the local towns office of tourismo to plan my day and book that nights room.

Usually located in an old renovated structure from a bygone eon

As usual I was greater by the typically lovely staff who began working in ernest on my behalf

With a successful booking they would sometimes reluctantly pose for a photo

Saying goodby to the small village of Lavaur

I passed through mostly agricultural land and slowly began to climb.

It became war to hot as the day progressed and unlike previous days when an up was followed by a down, today every up was followed by another up, although always gradual. After a while I realized that although pretty, helpful and friendly the young ladies in the Lavaur tourist office did not understand travel by bicycle and had booked be into a room with a 110 ride that was totally up!!!

Late into the afternoon pretty much out of gas and still 50 miles from my room ..... I needed to come up with an alternate plan. I was up about 3000 or 4000 feet in a rural, agricultural area with only a few small willages around. There were often big signs of encouragement painted on the road and locals told me that the Tour de France had earlier in the month passed along here. 

The weather looked pretty clear so and since I had my sleeping bag and mattress and there were some signs for camping I took the risk of a secluded dirt road toward a campground. 

Being a Friday night it turns out the place was booked for the entire weekend with a wedding party; a British guy was getting married to a local French girl. They were sympathetic and I was given a spot off  to the side .......

...... Overlooking the entire world

I went to sleeping watching a beautiful sunset and nervously hearing thunder and seeing a few dark clouds with lightning roll past below of in the distance. The night brought a beautiful star show and in the morning there was the most incredible sunrise that I regret I was to sleepy to take a picture of.