Beauty and the Beast Tour, 2023 - Day 2

 Limoges to Millau, 256 miles

I really hadn't expected much from today, just an excuse to see the Millau Viaduct and to get further south. As such, I'd simply picked roads that went through the green bit on the map - and, Holy Navigations, did I fluke it or what...

The first section from Limoges to Tulle was unbelievable - rolling hills, quaint towns and some of the best roads I've ever been on. Being a Sunday, there was even less traffic than usual and the road surfaces are SO smooth (I guess because there's just so little traffic to damage it?).

It was so hot, I tried taking my doors off but at anything over 55 or so, the wind blew my cap and headset off and I couldn't use the radio, which I've been doing a lot of this trip, so they had to go back on. I managed to half-open my windows which helped a bit.

Most of the time, my son was behind me because his satnav was playing up but the Beast is literally that; it may be 2.5 tonnes but 6.3L more than makes up for that and I can't even vaguely keep up with him, except in the tightest of corners. Any straight more than 50m long and he pulls away like a train. And the sound - it's like following a really annoyed tiger; it literally growls all the time. It truly is the most awesome production car I've seen/heard. I'll do some video at the end of the trip from inside the car and you'll hear what I mean,

But don't get me wrong - I was having an awesome drive, just a bit slower. Picking off the occasional Clio, Zedster was lovely to hurl round the curves and only when I had to slow for a town did I realise how hot I was.

Once again, the little towns were beautiful; lots of medieval stuff and we drove through one, looking for a parking space but I've worked out where the French all go on a Sunday; lunch! Driving down little cobbled streets, a local stupidly signalled my son to rev the Beast; I think the building damage will be fixable.

Tulle was a pretty place for a coffee stop; set in a narrow valley with a river in the middle and typical French townhouses either side - lovely.

And then the D1120 from Tulle to Aurillac and Rodez was amazing again; sweeps and bends and omigod brilliance. At our lunch stop in some cute little town:

...we checked out an estate agent; €60,000 for a 2-bed house with garden. Lucky they weren't open...my son would have been in there.

The last stretch down to Millau had a nice little alpine-like twisty section, where I almost managed to keep up with the Beast.

The Millau Viaduct is very impressive (don't try go over it; you have to pay, can't see the view from it and can't stop, I'm told):

The short drive to just south of Millau and our hotel in the motorway services (very few hotels in this area) was uneventful, with 30 seconds of rain as we pulled up.

Dinner was a sandwich (weren't very hungry) and about 5 litres of water - never has a shower been so refreshing.

Map of todays route:

Video of the day: