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Toulose France

So after spending a day hitting the modern city of Madrid. Sorry not impressed. Not that im not impressed its just that they have totally torn down the old and replaced with all new. Really neat old monasteries that are now new. Kind of sad really but the history of this part of the country is kind of a trendy modern thing so I guess I get it. Boy was it hot! Damn

Sunday morning flight out of Madrid to Toulouse. I flew Ryan Air for $48! Yes 48$. SO do I take a 9 hour train for 122 or a flight for 48.. Bike did not arrive in Toulouse but within an hour it was there so all was good.

Put the bike together and start roling out of airport. No map no idea of direction besides southeast so I left the airport and first thing I see is a bike path sign towards Toulouse, good start. I followed the path for about 20 minutes and ended up at a nice market. I went in got an expresso and then an orange and then had a great conversation with a butcher who specializes in Lamb meat, then he directed me to the next booth that only did certain cuts of beef, and so on. They were all incredibly nice and I even got to sample some meat cuts (cooked) and a few cured items in the market. Pretty awesome. I left the market, picked up some more fruit and started looking for the Canal Du Midi which is my destimation trail of choice.

So what is the Canal du Midi. It has been in concept since the times of the Romans. In 1667 someone finaly came up with a plan to connect the Mediterranean to the atlantic across France. The idea was to move products, goods, wine, grain and whatever else could be moved. In a 20 year period most of it was built including almost 84 locks. The canal du Garonne portion from Bordeaux area was completed sometime later connecting the top and bottom of the canal. IT was used for some years and there were issues with pirates slow travel and other things so it never became the profitable venture everyone thought it would be (then again had it been built 100 years earlier I think it might have been the best time as things were rapidly changing in Europe from the 1600s to the 1900s). Sometime in the past 40 plus years people began to realize the canal could have a tourism purpose so it was updated and now has canal boats for tourists all over it. It is a destination unto itself. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and the canal du midi itself extends for 241km. So it is quite a few days by boat and the many locks (84 total) to traverse on a trip down or up the canal.

The canal has a service road all along for all of the canal. In Toulouse it was paved for the first 30k out of town. Then it becomes a gravel trail then a dirt trail and in some spots a singletrack trail that is used by hikers and mountain bikers. As you get to the different villages along the path it gets better then as you leave it goes back down to singletrack. Quite amazing and beautiful. Lined with the “Canal Sentries” which are basically sycamore trees planted about 150 years ago to help with erosion and create an incredibly cool line for as long as you can see. The sad fact is the sycamores are being removed and replanted due to a disease outbreak and it is very sad to see empty stretches where they have been cut down (once diseased they remove so as not to get to others and I believe all will be replaced in the next 20 to 30 years. It is believed the fungal disease came from the ammo boxes during WWII as they had the fungus on the wood the boxes were made of so people would use the boxes to store ropes and other items and then boaters would tie off to trees thus introducing the fungus to the trees.

I rode from Toulouse to Castelnaudary which is a cute little village on the canal. I think it gets all of its business from the canal to be honest. The village sits in the middle of wine fields, grain fields, olive trees, peaches and other fruit trees. Pretty amazing place and there is a harbor in the middle of town with boats lined up along the canal. I found an affordable hotel (hotel canal du midi) which was clean and had ac which is becoming a bigger deal in the hot French sun.

Dinner was at an outdoor restaurant where a canal boat was the kitchen. It was great, simple salad, a steak and fries and dessert was a grape flavored sorbet with grape liquor which was fantastic.

The canal boats range from rental boats that look like bumper boats to ancient canal boats that are over 100 years old. The old ones are incredible and you see ones that have not been restored yet and some in restoration and others that are rough barges.

From Castelnaudary I rode to carcasonne which I had planned 3 days instead of 2 but 2 works well and gives me a recovery day which will be nice. 70-80k a day is not bad, actually good miles but with 40lbs of gear is pretty hard to ride at much more of a pace than 10mph.

Day off, I needed a ride so I went to O vineyards, which advertises hours from 12-2 and will take walk ins. Its owned by Americans so I figured good choice. Closed! The owners wife even met me and said no tours no tasting were closed we have already done a tour for the day but she directed me to a village about 5k away that had a chateau that serves lunch so to the village I went.

Pinnetiere is the village and the chateau was in the middle of town. Lunch was incredible with a set menu choices (3) I took the rack of lamb, gazpacho, and chocolate cake with raspberry whipped cream it was awesome.

The ride back was through the village vineyards and narrow roads so I was a bit surprised to have my elbow hit by a black citroen. The driver caught my elbow and hand on the passenger side mirror which promptly busted when it hit but thankfully the mirror was designed to be pulled in so it took the impact slamming against the car and less from my hand and elbow. The driver kept going and when he stopped and saw me high tailing his way so he got in and drove off. Good for him as I would have probably lost it had I caught him. No injury besides a numb hand and bruising. His car lost a mirror and probably had a dent from the mirror hitting the door (at least I hope that occurred).

I made it back to my hotel with time to clean up and walk into town and catch Carcasonne. IT is a modern city with narrow streets and kind of busy and normal. Outside of town is the castle and old city which is also a UNESCO heritage site and quite beautiful overlooking the town. I planned on making a visit the next day.

Wednesday.

So, today i am riding with my friend Kathy who found this great Cancer support ride. The charity is called CSF, cancer support france which helps english speaking people deal with cancer while in france. IT is a great group and i have connected so well with many of the people who have similar stories of cancer treatments and loss. It has been pretty cool to meet this eclectic group of english speaking people in france (english, american and french and canadians). The ride starts is carcasonne and goes to Sete France on the coast.

Day one ride with the CSF ride. WE met in the town square. It was nice, a market going on so I got some fresh fruit, coffee, and lots of bikes. Very nice. I ended up riding with Bruce (His wife denise drove Kathy around and with the dog Emile who is a very scrappy small guy but very friendly and energetic). They have a company that does bike tours and they are assisting with the ride. We left carcasonne and got on the trail with a coffee stop and then a lunch stop. The lunch stop was a tent with a guy making meals.

The meal choices were quesidillas or BBQ sandwiches. I have to say, this guy had Lexington NC bbq down pat. Vinegar and spices in the sauce, it was like being at home. Fantastic meal with doritos and a salad and a cold beverage. Dessert was lemon sorbet (in a frozen lemon ) or coconut ice cream (in a coconut shell) which were homemade and amazing. The chef had a friend present from Durham NC who was wearing a shirt for the restaurant so he must have some connection. Great food!!!!

The rest of the ride was nice with a stop for a drink and the ride into the village of Maison du Palmier was pleasant. WE stayed in a B&B which was owned by an English couple name Matt and Jemma who were pretty cool. We had to be quiet going into the B&B because the grandson was asleep but it was this 150 plus year old house with great big rooms. Very nice! The garden had olive trees and had a med tropical feel which was colorful and nice.

We had a dinner at the bar at Le Toumaille (cant spell it). Olives, then pork and mackerel which was cerviche’d with the local fruits. Pretty great. Local wine and Sylvie and Christophe owned this bar (in business 17 days) and very popular place.

Christophe is a wine maker. NO white wine available (already sold out this season, rock on man) and the reds were incredible. Another great dinner experience.

The next morning we got to witness the cats running around and have a great French breakfast which was very health but excellent. The ride was again super nice with lunch at a local restaurant with a mussel special (Very good) and ending in Narbonne which is a bigger city.

Clean up and going to dinner. Great few days. I need to give some shoutouts now.

Citadel class of 95 did a buy Joey a beer promotion and I must thanks a few people like TJ pomian for putting it together and Michael Nix and Julie Cotty for being my first supporters. Thanks for following my experience and the support. It tis awesome!! I will send a few toasts out for your support. As many know, i started this ride to do a few things and one big part is to reconnect with my mind on a few things get some things done that i felt like Susan would have wanted. SO a toast to all of you who have supported this endeavor. I will be taking some of Susans ashes to the french mediteranean coast at the end of the week which i think she would love. Thanks again.