We had decided last night to take a break from the rough going on the Canal du Midi and take the train to Béziers - where our interpretation of OSM Cycle indicated an improved route. With some time to spare, we went out before breakfast and, ignoring the warning signs, took a walk along the rampart walls. There were few people out and about, mostly just workers restocking the restaurants and gearing up for another day of the business of tourism. The expanse and size of the fortress were still formidable, the "Eccentric Concentric Circles" still provoked. In the daylight, the yellow really pops against the old stone - not sure why Varini chose yellow, but I do note that Carcassonne is the finishing town of Stage 15 of this year's Tour de France. After breakfast, we biked down to the train station and were soon in Béziers.
Just us and the pigeons enjoying a walk on the wall
Today is the summer solstice, which is not only the longest day of the year but is also a day celebrated in France by the Fête de la Musique. And, it happened to be the day France was to play it's second game in the World Cup. Our charming B&B was in the neighborhood of the ancient Roman arena, so Carolyn went off exploring the town while I tried to catch up a bit on the bike journal (still days behind). She returned declaring that Béziers might just be her favorite French town! With such a resounding endorsement, I gave up on the journal and joined her for more exploring, dinner, and dancing. Béziers is indeed a wonderful town - plaza’s peppered with bistros and cafes, and streets festooned with lanterns. The main street, Allées Paul Riquet is lined with plane trees and is the site of a large monument of the man himself. For that alone, Béziers ranks high on my list of favorite French cities! After dinner, we wandered about, visiting the various celebrations of Fete du Musique. Our favorites were the dancing exhibitions, featuring young girls, older women, and everything in between.
The next morning we headed for Sète, with grand hopes of an easy ride on the Canal du Midi. Alas, the route continued to be highly variable, with sections on rutted dirt paths alongside the canal and single track through fields. There was a fairly long stretch away from the canal where we passed several amusement parks. We stopped for coffee in Agde, biked through fields of wildflowers on a narrow single track, and joined the paved bike trail at Marseillan-Plage that took us along the Mediterranean. We stopped along the beach for a relaxing lunch of shellfish and salad, and found our way to our digs for the next two nights. My friend Christine (who you met at the start of my trip) has generously let us stay in her apartment overlooking the waterways of Sète. After settling in, we ambled over to one of Christine's favorite haunts, and savored the catch of the day: tuna for me and dorade for Carolyn. A short stroll around Pointe Courte, then back to Christine's to enjoy the last of the evening light.
Through the fields on the Canal du Midi single track
