After the excitement of the bull fights in Bilbao, I needed another day to recover and being it was a public holiday and nothing was open except the odd pizza shop and a couple of bars, that's pretty much what I did. The following day I came out of the blocks clumsily and feeling pretty dusty but still managed to strike a blow at a reasonable hour. I was soon under way headed for the French border, making it up as I went along. The original plan I had was to cross the Pyrenees and land somewhere in southern France. However the weather wrote the script a little differently and it rained all day. The temperature dropped and the wind rose making riding conditions far from perfect. Instead of crossing the mountains I took back roads skirting around the foothills. I could not even see the mountains due to low cloud. Eventually the need to take the scenic route became less important than my need to be warm and dry, so I altered my course to the quickest most direct road to Toulouse. I was in Toulouse at around 5 pm and pulled into one of the first hotels I saw as I neared the city center. Got a room and had a hot shower. Spoke to mum and dad for a while, which was good and probably overdue. With some heat back in me I started my walk into town. Walked for a good few Kms with no real plan except to have a look. Toulouse is a nice place from what I saw. But I think there is a lot more I have to see. By the end of my walk, interest had faded and fatigue had settled in. All I wanted to do was eat the greasy kebab I bought from an equally greasy Algerian man and turn in for the night. Mission complete....more or less. I rose from my slumber at around 8 and packed my world into the three panniers. Two cups of coffee later I was back on the road. I plotted a trip back to my friends in France. Making sure to avoid toll roads and highways I set out. This has turned out to be the single best day of riding of this journey. It took me through some of the most beautiful country and best bike roads. My trail ran through villages perched on hilltops and towns with monuments on every ornate corner. Of particular note was the villages in the Aveyron region and the town of Le Puy. I (for once) captured some of this on my helmet camera and am excited to look at it when I get back home. I got to Bourg A'gentale at around 3 and found a phone booth to call my friend Nico. The mobile has a Spanish SIM card so it does not work here. I stood beside the phone booth as some little prat sat speaking s*** to his friend for three quarters of an hour pretending not to see me waiting. I think he would still be there now if I had not banged on the door and given him the "what the f---". Anyhow needless to say he promptly wrapped it up and I got in contact with my mates and headed over for dinner a catch up and now I'm calling it a night. Tomorrow might be a long day.