Camping Le Moulin de Bidounet, Moissac

The party in the park music event carried on late until just after eleven. In England, when Christmas items appear in the shops we say, 'the countdown to Maria has begun'. As many of you will know, Maria Carey's song 'All I want for Christmas' is a very popular Christmas song. Just before eleven, Angela couldn't believe her ears. Maria blasting out what she wanted for Christmas. So everybody, the Christmas season has officially begun in France. Despite a very warm day yesterday, the temperature dipped during the night, and for an hour first thing this morning we wore our down jackets. By the time we set off the heat was once again building. At lunchtime 31c. We are now cycling a section of the Le canal des 2 mers. It links Sete on the Mediterranean to Royan, just above Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast. We've cycled most of it before, so it's nice to be revisiting campsites and towns we've visited before. 

Montech was our lunch stop. Here you cycle pass le machine, a vehicle made from two railway carriages that moves barges up an incline of 250 metres. Thus not needing a ladder lock. Today we have cycled around forty miles in intense heat. Angela's knee hurt, her wrist hurt, her head hurt and her throat was sore. But we had a tailwind, suddenly our bikes felt electrified and all was good. We are now at Moissac.

A cycle into town for food and to revisit the striking church before settling down for the evening. There is a young girl here from Mexico, she's been cycling for two months. We saw her at the lunch stop, and she'll probably be on the same campsite as us tomorrow evening. Suddenly we feel we are once again part of a cycling community, which is great.

Camping Le Rupe, Toulouse

This morning we were up by seven despite a disturbed night. Loud bassy music carried on the wind from the marina area and fireworks exploded into the night sky above us in the early hours. The mood on the campsite was sombre. A sad day for the French who had been on site all summer. Keen to be in good time for our train we were away by eight-thirty which gave us time for a coffee stop at the cafe a stones throw from the station.

The train was delayed shortening our time at Narbonne to connect with the Toulouse train, but we had plenty of room and didn't have to hang our bikes, a real bonus.

At Narbonne once again, as at Agde, pannier bags had to be removed and John had to carry the bicycles up and down flights of stairs. We were on the correct platform in good time but did not expect the train to be so busy. Passengers occupied the seats below the bike hooks and refused to move. How on earth six bikes squeezed on heaven knows. We were wedged between the two entry exit doors with other standing passengers and their large suitcases. The air con was off, Angela felt sick. She'd had a headache since yesterday lunchtime and now also had a sore throat. We talked with a young Australian man who coincidentally was in the printing business. Working for vista print of all people. Just before Carcassonne Angela felt so nauseous she took a travel sickness pill. After nearly two hours of standing we were relieved to reach Toulouse. As the other passengers spewed onto the platform Angela could believe she'd not thrown up all over them. The intense heat that met us as we exited the station surprised us. It was even hotter than the coast. Being a Sunday the town was quiet and after a hastily eaten baguette outside the station we rode of in search of a nearby shop that was open all day Sunday.

Outside two couples arrived on cargo bikes, complete with a cat in a carrier. The cat must have been really uncomfortable in the stifling heat. A man eying we had a box of four ice creams asked if we could spare him one. Of course. We've been to Toulouse before and seen how many people live alongside the canal in tents. Some under bridges have little more luxurious accomodations. Sleeping platforms made from old pallets. When we think of Toulouse our memory is always of these people and also the hundreds of Dutch barges that line the canals. As you may know the rugby world cup is being hosted by France. As yet we've not found ourselves caught up in the crowds. Tomorrow we will cycle further alongside the canal Garonne. Our next large town will be Bordeaux in a few days time. We love Bordeaux and will probably stay a few days. 

Camping la Mer, Cap d'Agde (day 2)

What a fantastic campsite Camping la Mer is. Friendly, very clean, shady and near to the beach.

We're not really beach people. We like to walk along them, but have no inclination to stretch out a towel and strip off. Unlike the locals. 'She's built for comfort not speed'. ' Speedos, more like slow mo". 'Let it all hang out love'. One older very thin lady, whom we called Magde, was as brown and crisp as a cooked chicken wing. Obviously not heard of skin cancer.

Across the sea Spain. The lower mountains of the Pyrenees  visible in the heat haze. At the beginning of this trip we used to tell people we were heading to Barcelona. Obviously events have changed that. Perhaps next year. 

 The supermarket in town was running down it's stock, as the holiday season is well and truly over here. By lunchtime, the temperature 33c we returned to the campsite and spent the afternoon reading and relaxing. Angela tired took a nap, awoken by John's mobile phone ringing. It was Saga insurance checking on Angela progress. Would we be staying in France or did we want bringing home? All's good at the moment so I think we'll stay. The lady who phoned seemed to think Saga would pay for our time in 'le coconut'. Here's hoping.

This evening we watched the sun go down from the beach. The coast of Spain turning pink. We hope in years to come we will be able to remember all these special moments. Our time in the med is coming to an end. Forced to leave because the season ends here tomorrow and campsites will close. We are taking an early train to Narbonne, then changing to another for Toulouse where we will stay on a campsite alongside the canal Gironde. From here we will cycle along the canal to the Atlantic coast and Bordeaux. The area is familiar to us, we were here earlier in the year. We need to be back in Cherbourg in two weeks time, so there's no rush.

Camping la Mer, Cap d'Agde

This morning the first sign of autumn. A light mist danced amongst the trees on the campsite. Once the sun rose it soon dissipated, revealing the river cruise boats over on the far side of the river.

We didn't mind the weather, we would rather leave Avingon having seen it at its best. Angela nervous as hell, was cross with herself that she'd lost her confidence since her accident. She's cycled thousands of miles in France, and it's only been in the last year she's fallen off her bike. Her knee, still healing wasn't happy with the exercise, but we were only going a very short distance to the railway station. Arriving in good time, we sat in the garden by the church where we met a young American man riding a Jones LWB in titanium. He'd arrived a couple of days ago in France, sailing from Poole, wild camping near Wareham the night before. What were the chances of meeting someone from our home area. Being younger and more adventurous he was heading to the Alps, then the Italian Dolomites before cycling to Slovenia. As you do.

Our two hour train journey passed quickly. Just before Sete all eyes were on the lagoons to the right. There they were, hundreds of salmon pink flamingos. Angela felt quite emotional. Even though we've seen these fascinating birds before, Angela thought her chances of seeing them on this trip was unlikely a week ago. So here we now are in the south of France. It is hot, very hot. And we are finally at the Mediterranean! 

We cycled out this evening to the nearby marina and people watched.

A welcome video call from home before we cycled back in the twilight. Just after nine, and we're sat out in shorts and t-shirts. This is the life. Just one problem. The campsites in the area close on Sunday. Tomorrow we  must make plans. We may need to jump on a train and move to Narbonne or Toulouse. We've landed on our feet tonight though. On chairs lent to us from the restaurant we are sat in the light of the sanitaires opposite. Free light, no head torch needed. The Germans next to us seem a little shocked at our chosen seating area. Not half as shocked as we were when the man stripped off behind his VW transporter pop top campervan. Do all owners of pop tops behave like this we wondered?

Camping Bagatelle, Avignon (the return day 6)

So much world, so little time. The words rang in our ears. Whilst staying at Avignon we have discussed travelling using our Brompton bicycles. A modification could be done to make them more suitable for touring and certainly easier to take on a train. It would allow us to move from area to area without always cycling, thus saving time. Today was our last full day here. A visit to the station where Caroline in the ticket office renewed our Advantage Senior discount cards for us. What with her grasp of English and ours of French the whole process was carried out with much hilarity. We are now booked onto a train at eleven-thirty tomorrow morning which will take us to Agde on the Mediterranean coast. Before we leave though, we wanted to walk the rest of the old streets.

The buildings there, some dating back to the medieval times. Leaning back at such an angle we wondered how long before they might collapse. There'd certainly be no chance of being given a mortgage on one in the U.K. Time passed quickly and we took the navette, free boat ride back across the river.

The evening was tinged with a little sadness. Once again we ate pizza whilst watching the moon rise over the town. The view was beautiful. We shall cherish our stay here. Angela is recovering well now, but has been very nervous about walking on the uneven pavements here without holding John's hand. She's frightened of falling on her healing knee. The same applies to cycling, but we will cycle less than ten miles tomorrow so all should be good. Tomorrow we must rise early to check out of 'Le Coconut'. The last twelve days have been eventful to say the least. In two weeks time we need to be in northern France where undoubtly it will feel much colder. The temperature here tomorrow 33c! We think we'll stick around a while in the med. We've a whole winter to feel cold.

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