Day 5: Uzès to Rodez

In the morning Barrie took us on a walk in the Eure valley outside the town, which was quite stoney and challenging in places, but energising!  We had lunch in a cafe (all three choosing paté followed by cabbage stuffed with prawns and vegetables in a cream and parsley sauce) and then went back to Barrie's to freshen up, pack and say our goodbyes.   Barrie gave us one of his memorial books about Marion to give to my cousin David in Florida and a print from the original woodblock of an engraving that Marion was very fond of and which is used in the book about her.  It was a lovely gift.

Gorges de la Vis

We had an interesting journey from Uzès to Rodez using the SatNav.   It was going well until we hit a road block.  We then hared off down lanes and tracks eventually arriving back a bit further down the original road,  beyond the road works.   We took a cross country route, which included a very long section through the Gorge de la Vis with its hairpin bends and narrow roads with almost no passing places and nowhere to stop and take a picture...so here's one I pinched from the internet! I was glad not to be driving on that section.   The scenery in this area of the Cevennes was fantastic, with huge towering rocks and narrow roads clinging to the sides - very dramatic!  We emerged from the Gorges into a little town and found a roadside shack selling drinks with a public loo in the car park behind.  Comforted, we continued to and crossed the famous Millau viaduct.  Of course we stopped to take a photo in a very elaborate parking area with museum.  It was quite difficult to see much of the viaduct but we took a photo anyway.

Viaduct de Millau - by Foster 

Then on by motorway to Rodez.  We found the hotel and the eccentric parking arrangements (we are parked in concrete 'sheds' under the hotel, each box taking two cars one behind the other).  Our room is fairly basic but clean.  We went looking for dinner and made a rather poor choice of restaurant but the atmosphere was relaxed and we had a good bottle of wine to wash down our mediocre food!   It was our 51st wedding anniversary!