The cycle path ended at Sauveterre en Guyenne and from there we had to cut across country on D roads to La Reole on the Garonne. The plan was to buy bread or a sandwich in Sauveterre but of course, being Monday, everything was shut. I had planned a route on the ‘white’ roads on the Michelin map which proved to be easy and surprisingly flat.
La Reole was a surprise. 
Tiny but a medieval gem. It has the oldest Hotel de Ville in France (built by Richard Coeur de Lion), the Black Prince’s Palace, a huge priory built in the 9th century. Well worth a visit. This whole area seems to have formed the front line in the 100 years war and in addition was in the middle of the Cathar Crusade (Montsegur was 10km away). It’s packed with history, much of which you would miss in a car.
Tiny but a medieval gem. It has the oldest Hotel de Ville in France (built by Richard Coeur de Lion), the Black Prince’s Palace, a huge priory built in the 9th century. Well worth a visit. This whole area seems to have formed the front line in the 100 years war and in addition was in the middle of the Cathar Crusade (Montsegur was 10km away). It’s packed with history, much of which you would miss in a car. 
Unfortunately, despite all this history there seemed to be the usual shortage of food. Eventually we found a slightly down-at-heel Café des Sports which provided a cup of tea and a couple of sandwiches which we decided to take away and eat somewhere more salubrious.
We asked directions from a couple of schoolkids and attracted their derision by referring to the Garonne as a ‘riviere’. I’d forgotten how structured these things are in
French. It is of course a ‘fleuve’! Later that even, over dinner in our b and b we were given an exposition on the difference between riviere/ fleuve/fleuve cotiere/ confluence etc. Ah there are times I miss the certainties of the French educational system.Although the map doesn’t show it we were told by a couple of cyclists (also hunting unsuccessfully for something to eat in Sauveterre) that the cycle path now starts in Fontet and were delighted to discover that this the case. We followed it as
far as Hure then cut off to our next overnight stop in La Tuilerie, near Noillac. It was a bit of a slog up and down hills and over D roads, but proved to be very worthwhile. We arrived 15 minutes before the heavens opened to a warm welcome with tea and brownies. . The other guests arrived around 6pm. They had been out for a bike ride and didn’t miss the downpour. The evening was very convivial. Copious glasses of wine were served as ‘apero’ and under its influence we played table-tennis and table football with the son of the house
hold while the daughter of the house practised for her drum exam upstairs. After an excellent dinner around the immense round table, talk turned again to table tennis and led to Johnny rushing out to the garage and returning with makeshift bats (cut out of a pine plank) and net (two brooms and a roll of tinfoil). We ended the evening playing 3 a side table tennis around the table. The house is beautiful and Alison runs a very hospitable and classy chambre d’hote. Definitely a place to revisitMileage to date 421km
