This morning we're unusually excited to pull on our bike duds after yesterday's trip in travel pants and stinky shirts. Another pleasure - granola for breakfast. I've overdone the bacon and pastries at the hotel breakfasts over the last two weeks and am glad to get back to our usual groove.
This is the first day since the shakedown ride last month that we've traveled with everything on the bike. Good to see that all the gear still fits somewhere. We head down to the harbor and on to the Promenade by the sea.
Barry's gotten used to wearing his daypack over the last couple weeks. It's not very full so he hardly notices.
On the Promenade we start off in the lane with cars until a cyclist coming the other way on the bike path motions us over. Thanks for the tip buddy. From the road the path looked like a sidewalk up on the curb but it's plenty wide enough for bikes and people.
In Agde we stop to buy a sandwich for lunch later, then ride along the Herault river in the old town. Turning away from the Mediterranean, we ride series of bike paths and lonely roads that take us to the Canal du Midi, which we'll follow the rest of the way to Beziers.
The French will stick "erie" on to the end of anything. I'm on the lookout for winerie and chocolaterie.
Rich FrasierLooks like a Marie Blachard. They're all over France, and a really reliable option for sandwiches, bread, and pastries. Even though they're a chain, they're pretty good! Reply to this comment 7 months ago
One of the great engineering works of the 17th Century, the Canal du Midi runs 150 miles from the Mediterranean to the Canal de la Garonne in Toulouse. From there one can reach the Garonne River and continue to Bordeaux on the Atlantic. We live on Garonne Drive near St. Louis and made it a point to ride along La Garonne in Bordeaux last year. Its fun to ride the other end of this waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic.
Tour boats run up and down the canal, many with bikes strapped to the bow.
We're staying at the Hotel des Poetes at the top of the hill by the garden. It's the only hill on the ride today and I can't manage it. I waited too long to drop into the granny gear, dropped the chain and couldn't get going again.
After a shower and nap we walk out for dinner along the Allées Paul Riquet, the promenade that connects the Plateau des Poetes to the Municipal Theater. Looking forward to exploring the garden and the city more tomorrow.
