Day 5 Crozant to Aubusson/ Moutier Rozeille - 56 miles

After an excellent night at Hotel du Lac, Crozant, we cycled a short but hilly day through the region of Limousin.

Limousin was the last region to adopt French as its language only 40 years ago. Many rural folk still speak the local language of Occitan. Using this language, they secretly devised to sell overpriced shower gel to the women of Bath.

The  region boasts a famous breed of  red-coloured and muscular Limousin beef cattle.

The ride was stunning, steep cliffs punctuated with medieval churches, chateaus and rocky outcrops. Here Claude Monet and other artists took in this exquisite terrain.

Climbs were steep but mostly short,  often taking us to villages overlooking fine views of the Creuse River below.

Church walls revealed surprises.

More muscular red limousin cattle

Doleful

The Limousin oak is used by Rémy Martin for brandy casks. Local foods include a Pâté aux pommes de terre, a ‘pie’ made with potatoes and crème fraiche and a flan made with black cherries and covered in a sweet batter (clafoutis).

Questioning

Challenging

Limousine takes its name from the Limousin region. The first limousine was built in 1902 and was designed with the driver sitting outside under a covered compartment resembling the hood of cloak worn the Limousin cowherds and shepherds.

Fine view from village at the crest of a climb.

A Herculean railway bridge.

Charlotte, Don and Adrian - 3 Canadian cyclists joining the Brits on our Channel to Med

Le Creuse river, named after French kitchenware

Moutier d'Ahun, Abbatial church from 12th century

Pollarding of trees was commonplace throughout our early days of cycling.

Did you know that "Poll" was originally a name for the top of the head, and "to poll" was a verb meaning "to crop the hair".  Kathy insisted that I was polled in Aubusson as I was beginning to look like Art Garfunkel.

A cemetery whilst entering Aubusson, our destination for the evening.

We arrived early after our short but hilly ride. The temptation to have an afternoon nap was enormous.

Kathy lost her Tesco's Apple Crumble cereal bar at the previous 'brew' stop. It emerged, slightly squashed, having been resident between helmet and head.

Road kill

Another hedgehog

Map

If you're bothering to look at this - note hill sprints in the Heart Rate

The 36 mph resulted in me overshooting a surprising turn down a fast straight wide road.