Our stay in Castelnaud came to an end around noon on September 30th. Being there for five weeks was a pleasure, but the time with friends new and old elevated it to a new level. It was hard to say goodbye until next year, but we will be back!
The drive to Toulouse is about two hours but we decided to squeeze in lunch near Gourdon at a lovely restaurant in the town of Payrignac. L'Occitan is worth visiting again in 2026, either on a drive from the house or a stop along the way. The steak was one of the best we have had in France which is nowhere the quality as back home. The frites made it a complete meal and the last for this trip.
After a 40km reroute to the A20 we eventually got to Cahors and the final leg to the Blegnac airport in Toulouse. Once we found the hotel and turned in the car it was time for a well deserved last drink in France.
Up at 4AM to get us, our bags, and bikes for the 6:30 flight to Frankfurt. Of some concern was our incoming UA flight from Denver due to the government shutdown. It was already airborne before the stroke of midnight. Our layover was about three hours and then we were on our way for the 9 1/2 hour flight to Denver. It did not seem that long since we took a long nap midway.
We landed in Denver at 1:30 and on the road by 3:30. Two hours was an improvement from last year as all our bags and bikes found us waiting. We picked a perfect week to return to the mountains since it was close to peak time for fall foliage. We were in the house shortly past 5:30 followed by a speedy unload. It was great to be home sleeping in our own beds, although the jet lag induced sleep left us unfulfilled. We know that it takes a few days to adjust so we just braced for the transition.
Our annual French odyssey will continue next September, which at our age will come faster than we expect.
This year we were able to clock 548.2 miles on 23 rides. Although substantially less than last year we had some great routes on new roads as well as our family favorites from prior years. Considering that we were only away for 37 nights it was not such a bad accomplishment. Due to advancing age and weather considerations our rides are getting shorter but no less satisfying. Deferring getting e-bikes means we get more of a workout on our me-bikes even over shorter distances. One of the most satisfying achievements was that we did not have any punctures on the road nor slow leaks that required a tire repair. Also the bikes performed flawlessly unlike last year that required brake pad replacements.We did have a mid point chain wax which was very quick without problems.
So there you have it another chapter in our love affair with cycling in France comes to an end. Stay tuned for next year's voyage.
