My Biking Blog: 100 Cols Rest Day 3 Oust

We have cycled over 1700km and climbed 30,000m since leaving Strasbourg on 9/6. We are now approaching the half-way mark and everyone is pleased to be riding out of the tough climbs of the Pyrenees. The small town of Oust were we are camping has very few shops, restaurants etc. Fortunately the camping park has a pool and restaurant with a basic menu and bar.
A rest day is always pretty special on these trips. You get to not only rest after pretty solid days of biking but you also get the chance to catch up on all the tasks that time doesn’t allow on cycling days. These include washing, cleaning and repairing bikes/wheels/tyres, writing postcards and generally sorting all your luggage into manageable order. So today the first task was to go into Seix to find some breakfast. Mark, Carolyn, Tony and I all rode our bikes the 3kms to Seix for breakfast. We enjoyed croissants and coffee before heading up the stairs from the main street to the old chateau that dominates the town profile. Above this there was a walking track to a crucifix higher on then hill and I explored a forest trail which continued to go up the mountain. I am sure that if I had the time (and energy) this would have offered even more impressive views of the valley.
I checked out the local church which dates to 1790 and I think parts of the building dated back centuries earlier. Stamps and postcards were purchased and I cycled back to the campground.
Back at camp Mark and I washed our clothes and enjoyed a tomato cheese baguette which Mark had sourced from the local supermarket.
My rear tyre which was brand new when I left Strasbourg is now worn through to the steel webbing from all the hard braking on these hills. So a replacement is now fitted, thanks to Aidan who had a spare. My rear freewheel hub is still playing up and the chain is slapping the chainstay on freewheel which is annoying. I will need to replace in Malaucene.
After washing bikes and replacing worn tyres Mark, Aidan, Callum and I enjoyed a beer and the “menu du jour” at the campground restaurant.
Now we are leaving the area of the eastern Pyrenees and entering the beautiful gorges of the Cevennes. We will pass through the walled city of Carcassonne and on to Provence and Mont Ventoux.
I did not sleep well because of the cowbells in the adjoining paddocks. Cows never sleep or maybe if they do they are very restless!