geeteetravels

We left Sète after 2 good days, but we had to cross 5 bridges within the first 2 km to do it. Why some marketing genius has not “rebranded” Sète as the Venice of Languedoc I don’t know.
Onwards east and north on a beautiful morning with an onshore crosswind which didn’t bother us. We stayed close to the sea and the saltwater lakes just inland. Montpellier is only 10km from the sea and there is a long line of beach apartments and the beachy  accoutrements. Once we had our typical lunch of yogurt, fruit, and sandwich or croissant (GG only) we headed inland. Today we were on bike trails paralleling the road for much of the time and here as well. We passed by a big shopping mall so I went in search of a pressure gauge for the tires which I suspected of being low. I left one at home in the interests of light weight but that was a mistake. I found a small high pressure pump with a built-in gauge and got the tires up to a more reasonable state.
We became thoroughly confused once closer in to town. The roads became a mass of tram lines and pedestrians and clearly the terrain was not matching the map (in these cases always believe the terrain). We later found out that a very large central area has been declared a car free zone! Very nice. Montpellier appears very modern compared to other towns in France, perhaps because it only dates to the middle ages and not Roman times? We took another “petit train” tour to get a quick overview and went in search of supper. New rule; when there are thousands of restaurants only look at a maximum of 4 before choosing!

Early morning crowd at the petit marché on our way out of Sète.

Another day, et la mer encore with a lesser model for the photo.

You meet the nicest people on the place de la comedie in Montpellier.

The beautiful tramway which winds its way into the place de la comedie.

Believe it or not that is not a church in the background.

We started this beautiful morning by climbing up Mont St. Clair.  This gave us a great view of the land and water around Sète.  The city is almost completely surrounded by water: canals, rivers, etang (large pond) and the Mediterranean.  It was a good climb up, so much for our day of rest.  Next we descended the other side to again find la mer et la plage.  It was a nice sunny day, about 25°, but the water was icey, so no swimming, only wading.  Then we walked back into the centre ville area and treated ourselves to an ice cream sundae in a café along the waters edge.  We spent a little time looking for some new shorts for George but weren’t successful.  He is actually getting tired of the one pair of shorts he brought (other than his cycling shorts).  He was bragging about his lightweight pack but now is wishing he had a bit more along. 
There is so much activity along the canals here. Check out the rowboat races we encountered both evenings.

The well earned view looking northeast towards Montpellier, our next destination.

Out behind Tara you can just make out where there is some intensive oyster farming in the Etang.

Looking back west and the beaches we rode beside yesterday.

On one of the many beaches around Sète.

The harbour is truly a busy place, full of fishermen and commercial traffic.

Both evenings we were here saw boat races in the canal close by the hotel. Unfortunately we missed the famous water jousting Sète is famous for.

Today we were headed for la mer (La Mer – Charles Trenet), the sea, which we were definitely looking forward to. We were also looking to get some better weather since last night we were happy to eat in a restaurant which cooked over an open fire and spread the warmth around the restaurant. First I wanted to see the water bridge whereby the canal du midi enters the city crossing the Orb river! After we got that sorted we tried to leave the job of navigation to our GPS but we always have to keep a healthy skepticism about it’s directions, today being a good example. Sometimes it takes you where you just know is the wrong direction, or is trying to keep you on the really less traveled routes. And sometimes it just is not aware of the brand new 20km long perfect bike path which paralleled the beach all the way from Marseillage plage to Sète! Score! Add in that it was the warmest sunniest day yet with a good healthy tailwind which got us into top gear and 50km/hr for a stretch and there’s not much left to say.

The canal bridge crossing the river Orb in Béziers.

La Mer (insert Charles Trenet music here)

These self portraits are tricky.

That's a bit better.

We could only be in France because beers that small are outlawed in most countries.

On the canal by our hotel in Sète.

Today we traveled from Minerve to Béziers via Aigne, Bize Minervois, Capestang and Oppidum d’Enserune, about 63 kms.  It was a windy day but mostly on our backs so it helped us. 
Aigne is a little village with a circulade,  an ancient inner circular walled dwelling area.  There were several artisan shops and a cathedral of course there but not much else. 
Next stop Bize for our morning cafe au lait.  Not much there either just the usual French shops, churches, parks, people, etc. 
Capestang is where we stopped for lunch and had a look in the local church.  We were trying to climb the bell tower but it appeared to be closed due to safety issues. 
At this point we tried to reconnect with the canal du Midi but couldn’t find it.  We next stopped at Oppidum, a national monument where ancient ruins from the 4th century BC have been found and excavated.  There was an outdoor area with ruins of the village
and a museum full of artifacts found during excavation.  Of course this was on top of a hill, as are most places, which you notice more when cycling.  But it was interesting none the less.  
Then we again tried to ride along the canal.  We found it but it was not paved and there were many potholes and roots to slow us down.  We found a road then but it was busy and it was rush hour so the last few kms. into Béziers was a bit harried.  But thanks to modern technology we found our way to the hotel des poètes, a nice quiet spot by a park.
We got cleaned up and went to find supper.  We are in a little place that cooked over an open fire pit with vine wood.  It was quite good and it was warm inside as the evening was cool.

The man who created the canal du midi, claimed to be a native of Béziers.

The cathedral in Béziers can be seen for miles due to it's hilltop location.

A view of the Etang de Montady, a natural depression turned into fertile field by use of drainage scheme from the 13th century.

No one is allergic to chocolate around here.

The small village of Aigne is a circulade, built in concentric circles. Here is Tara on the inner ring.

Minerve is a very cool place with at least three things going for it. First it sits on a spit of land between two gorges making it remarkable from a physical perspective. Next it has an interesting history as one of the casualties in the papal crusade against the cathars. A certain Simon de Montfort used a catapult called the “malvoisine” (bad neighbour) in a siege against the well fortified town to smash access to their water well. Before giving up, 140 townsfolk jumped into a fire rather than renounce their religion.  Finally, we are staying in a restaurant/hotel with emphasis on the food not on the rooms. We just had a fabulous meal, highly original, wonderful flavours, and with a bottle of a local minervois white wine to go with it.
Earlier in the day, which was fine and warm, we went on a hike and were rewarded with some great view points of the gorges and the town.  Back on the road tomorrow after a great two night stop in Minerve.

Gorge – Minerve – Gorge

We left Carcassonne fairly early and followed the canal du midi again for a short while before finding the Minervois wine region.  Vineyards dominate the countryside which is quite hilly.  We definitely used the lower gears today and the chain didn’t come off once!  Last year we had chronic chain loss issues but I think now George managed to get
the adjustment correct.  The weather was a bit unstable here but we only had a few drops land on us.Minerve is a beautiful little village at the junction of two large canyons.  There is a stunning pont (bridge) just as you come into the town (see photo).  It was drizzly the remainder of the day so we didn’t get up to very much, I think tomorrow will be better and we can do some exploring.

Looking cold with the bridge over to Minerve behind.

Saturday is market day in Carcassonne and to us Canadians this is always entertaining with a huge variety of stimulation covering all your senses, not always favourable. There are 3 market areas here and we did a quick tour until we just had to sit in the sun for a café. The weather was cooperating nicely with a clear blue sky at least to start.  As anticipated hopefully yesterday we took the “petit train” on it’s circuit back to visit la cité.  Today we learned a lot more about the medieval fortress on a self guided audio tour which dispelled some of the dismissive facts from our guide book. The restoration had been done very scientifically using the best methods available in the 1850s and has since been debated but in most cases verified. In any case we found it to be quite fascinating and a close look at history from the Romans on up. Whew – enough academia!
Now onwards and out to check the accuracy of the restaurant reviews from tripadvisor; wish us luck.
Late breaking news – tripadvisor had it right.  Le Blé Noir crêperie was superb; Tara says her best meal so far (she ate half my desert!) but I am still leaning towards the cassoulet.

Cheaper than OJ but tough on hydration.

Occitan food truck.

Un cheval a emporter SVP.

Fabulous produce but no kitchen.

Wow, what a great purple that is!

Yes, we took the train.

La cité from the high speed train.

Escaped horses in disguise.

We ate this work of art.

Today we rode 60 kms from Mirepoix to Carcassone.  We got an early start as we were a bit worried about wind and rain, but it turned out fine.  It wasn’t too hard a ride, only one climb that was notable.  We are considerably lighter this year and can feel the difference.  When you have to haul everything you bring, you learn to pack efficiently.
To date the countryside has mostly been flat and filled with wheat and barley, and beans of course for the cassoulet. As we climbed today it turned into beautiful pastoral lands with lots of grazing limousine cattle, goats, and even donkeys. As we cruised down the other side of the hill vineyards appeared until that was all we saw.
Carcasonne is a city with a medieval walled inner city.  It was important as a Cathar stronghold which was eventually taken by the Catholics.  It is quite magnificent to see from a distance (think Kevin Costner and Robin Hood)  However the current city is not from that time, it was  reconstructed in the 19th century according to records and what was left.  Also, the city has been constructed with certain features that would not have been present then.  So it is interesting historically but really just quite touristy. 
We plan to have a rest day here tomorrow to let our sore behinds recover and look around.  We are staying in a hotel called La Bastide, close to the walled city, an old building remodeled into a hotel with a great view of the tiled roofs and a cathedral.  The woman at the front desk was very patient with our basic French and very helpful about explaining things about the city.  That doesn’t happen too often.
Hopefully we will have a warm.sunny day to get a good look around.

Rolling green hills.

Entrance to la Cité (the medieval city)

I REALLY want to ride that train!

View from the hotel room window.

We thought for sure we would be getting wet today as the forecast was pretty certain. We woke to grey sky and lots of wind (mortal enemy of cyclists the world over) but no rain. This part of France bordering the Pyrenees is famous for winds like the Mistral which in the winter blows for days on end and drives people mad. But not in summer… We headed out regardless after pumping the tires up a bit, and with the captain fully fueled on Cassoulet. Our destination was Mirepoix, one of the fortified cities associated with the battles between the catholic church and the cathars around 1200. Now it is a destination mainly noted for the beautiful central square which is encircled by 13th and 14th century houses which stand on very stout, and artfully carved, 700 year old oak columns and beams.
Off we rode with a gusty strong side wind which is difficult to deal with on a heavily loaded tandem which presents itself as a large sail. We also got to do a bit of climbing, going over 3 small passes on the way straight south headed in the direction of the Pyrenees. So it turns out the rain didn’t show and the sky cleared rewarding us with a clear view of the mountains with just a touch of snow remaining. A good ride for our second day out with some sore bits and pieces remaining from day one. I’d also like to make you aware the captain takes a lot of extra punishment being up front and in fact I am a bit of a mess. Sunburned face and arms, 6 or 7 peculiar insect bites, a swollen bee sting on my chest, and a friction blister caused by my deck shoes. Tara has none of these but as usual collects her daily chain ring impression on her left leg.
Other than the above we arrived in good shape and found a cafe to sit in the sun and watch the tourists and admire the square.
Tara had had enough of the local cuisine based largely on duck and goose fat so we dined on the universal food – pizza. We had an interesting experience with our waiter who thought he understood more English than he actually did, and us who thought our French was completely comprehensible. After the pizza I am sure I said I needed some desert, but a few  minutes later a cheese and ham crepe showed up. What could we do but eat it?

Entering Pyrenee country.

Whose is whose?

Extraordinary carving on the beam ends.

Today was our first official day of the 2nd annual french tandem tour.  Getting out of the hotel with a long bike and baggage is always tricky and today was no different.  Then we had to navigate city rush hour traffic with our long and wide vehicle and we’re out of practice.  But we managed it without any accidents and found the Canal du Midi, our course for the day. This is a canal that was dug in the 17th century connecting the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, starting in Toulouse and joining the Garonne River, to simplify the transportation of goods.  The canal has many locks also which today are used by tourists boats.  The path beside the canal is also well used by cyclists and walkers.  It is lined with plane trees thus is nicely shaded.  There were many people and boats along it today so an interesting place to cycle.  We rode along it most of the 68 kms today before finding the road into the city of Castelnaudry.  Unfortunately we had our 2nd flat tire of the trip just as we entered the city but luckily it was a front tire, much easier (for George) to change.
This city is known as the birthplace of the dish cassoulet, a bean and duck casserole, which George is anxious to try but I may pass on.  Meat dishes here can be a bit risky.
We had an enjoyable first day.  See our canal photos below.

The now familiar shoulder shot while cycling along the canal.

Snack break.

There were a lot of boats using the canal system, some without much width to spare.

Getting floated to the next level.

The Cassoulet came and went; great energy for the next day's ride.