The Fold Up Bike Trip

Day 5
Wednesday 17.06.09         Revel to Castenaudery      100 miles


Got up at 8.30 am – I’m in no hurry today – Make a cup of tea in get to sorting out my luggage. I’m going to check into a hotel (pre booked) and leave my camping equipment, in a duffle bag, with them. This will leave room in my panniers for Judiths bag when I pick her up from the airport. It sounds complicated, but we have done this twice before and it works for us. We will stay 1 night in Castelnaudery (near Carcassonne) and the travel to the tarn gorges, were we will spend 4 days touring around. Judith will fly home on Monday and I will continue on my journey.

I’m finally happy with my packing and set off for Castelnaudery. Another pleasant ride thru the countryside brings me to Saissac, another Ancient Cite on the top of a hill, with views across the valley to the Pyrenees in the distance.

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I arrive At the Hotel De Canal at lunchtime. A pretty location with views over the Canal Du Midi (V famous French waterway). Castelnaudery is famous for inventing the Cassoulet so I go to investigate. There are numerous restaurants advertising the dish but I opt for something simple – omelette and frites – as I will be going out to a restaurant tonight. I can hear quite a few English voices as I walk around, perhaps they are on the canal boats?

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It’s warming up quite a bit – 27 degrees. I make a stop at the tourist info and get a few ideas for tonight then it’s back to the Hotel to get ready to pick Judith up from the Airport.

I am early at Carcassonne airport so I buy an English newspaper and a can of orange and settle down in the shade for an hour. Next to me is a lorry and trailer loading 8 or 9 BMW’s. The guy in charge calls his company BIKE TO BEACH. They are from Brussels. The people who booked with him started at the western end of the Pyrenees (they flew out from Brussels), Toured across Spain until they reached Nice and then rode to Carcassonne, where they caught there flight back to Brussels. The company then transports the bikes, by road, back home. Not a bad way to spend a spare couple of weeks in June!

Judith arrives at 5.30 pm and we ride back to Castelnaudery. We spend an hour sorting things out and then head out for something to eat. Phew! I can relax now that she is here. All the plans have worked out and the weather has come good. Tomorrow The Tarn Gorges.

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