Moissac - Munich to Paris the Long Way Round - CycleBlaze

September 1, 2019

Moissac

A lovely leisurely day

We walked into the central square for dinner and ate our meal to the accompaniment of live jazz singing. The square was buzzing on a Saturday evening

The weather forecast was for much cooler weather today - only reaching about 25 degrees - and we had a short day.  This meant we had a leisurely departure.  It was back on the canal that we had travelled yesterday for the first 12km into Montech. We went into the town and found a cafe then along came another coffee seeking pair of cycle tourists. Pierre and Marie were from Toulouse and just taking the weekend to have a trip.  I think we must look rather queer because people keep wanting to take photos of us, perhaps its the lights on the front of our helmets which make them look like miners helmets.  They also seem to find it rather extraordinary that we started our journey in Munich, a 10 day trip seems about as long as the people we have met are taking.  In Montech there was a wonderful little market, not one of those huge overwhelming ones and not an article of cheap clothing in sight. There was just beautiful fresh produce.  The whole little village was out in force and Zimmer frames were certainly to the for.

Goodbye Montauban
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Back on the canal
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To irrigate crops farmers suck water out of the canal, in this case using a tractor
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Here is where the water comes from
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We wonder what the industry was
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A lovely little market. I wish the one at Pokeno was like this
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Another view of the market
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And another
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Leaving Montech, once we managed to find our way out of the boat yard, we just dawdled  along enjoying the country around us, there was no hurry we didn’t have to beat the heat.  Today we saw three ocean going yachts, they had their masts down to get under bridges and were using the canal to get from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, a different journey for them if they are some of those brave people who sail in small boats around the world

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This strange gadget used to lift boats up a slope but now two more locks have been put in at the side so it is redundant
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He takes his dog for a swim not a walk - a very fit dog
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This ecluse house is lived in
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A lovely old ocean going boat now abandoned
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Just before reaching Moissac there is a long bridge which takes the canal over the Tarn River.  These always fascinate me, it must have been a tremendous engineering feat to build them.  Into Moissac and it was easy to find our lovely hotel. Check in wasn’t until 3pm so we dropped our baggage and bikes and went off.  The restaurants were in the old part of the town by the abbey.  Ken had a Marine Salad and I had a Gourmant Salad, this seemed to include every different part of a duck except the feathers.  Ken is saying he felt that at the moment we a living the healthiest possible life style we could.  I intend to agree apart from one thing I think there is too much wine involved - K says we need the fluid!

A view of the canal bridge built between 1842 and 1846 (just in time for the railways to take over! )
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A view of it showing the canal going over it
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A great little family
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Next to the hotel a huge flea market was in progress. It looked as if you could sell stolen bikes there
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A sad looking teddy for sale - I hope someone bought him
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They certainly found what they wanted
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About 16 years ago when we were a walking from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostella  we stayed in a convent and the beauty of the Abbey we remember well.  A Benedictine and Cluniac Monastry it had a very difficult early history being subject to Moorish raids.  The present building seem to date from about the 10th century. Beautiful inside the most outstanding feature however is the Romanesque sculpture around the entrance.  We loved to see it again

We had lunch here with the Abbey entrance in sight
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The Little Library in Moissac
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Our hotel. La Moulin de Moissac
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The view from our room - most unusual we usually get a view of the garbage collection area
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Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 1,706 km (1,059 miles)

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Kathleen ClassenKen is absolutely right. Of course you need the fluids. You must stay hydrated! You made me laugh out loud. How I wish we could beam ourselves in for a few days. We are doing a few days away on the bikes here to soothe my bike touring longing. We are really enjoying your journal.
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4 years ago
Tricia GrahamTo Kathleen ClassenDon’t give him encouragement!
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4 years ago