The day has come when the training wheels come off and the tour begins for real. Still not sleeping well, we get out of bed with a mix of anticipation and adrenalin. Our timing to leave Toulouse was excellent as today will be the first of a string of warm, sun filled days.
A picture from the balcony of our suite. The building is in a residential area away from any skyline enhancing landmarks. The large white building in the foreground is a sports complex with an indoor swimming pool.
We started the day with breakfast in our room and began to finalize the familiar pre-tour tasks. Making hard decisions on clothes that will just not fit into the panniers is the most difficult. We have found that it is better to make the wardrobe cuts now than to struggle closing the pannier zippers for the next 3-4 weeks. Of course, it means we will wear the same things out to dinner for awhile. It would be so nice to have someone carry your overstuffed panniers to your next hotel for you - which is completely possible if we weren't on an SF tour!
We moved along methodically and were not in a rush. Our ride today was just a straight forward 60km shot to the town of Castelnaudary, almost completely on the Canal du Midi. The Canal du Midi is one of the oldest canals still in operation in Europe running from the Mediterranean to Toulouse. Since 1996, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Long used for the transport of goods, it has now been converted to river tourism.
The fully loaded bikes are a perfect fit in the elevator. A bit of an illusion, I am not in the elevator but in a mirror.
Today`s ride was quite different from yesterday as the route was very busy with cyclists. Many had touring panniers on their bikes and there were a number of families pulling trailers with young children. At times you needed to be very on guard and fully aware of traffic coming from all directions. The path can also be a bit rough for the smaller wheeled Bike Fridays but it is very beautiful. There were no hills to roll down so continuous pedalling is necessary. Still, it was a nice way to ease into the tour.
The shaded pathway along the canal was really appreciated as the day`s temperatures heated up.
The group on the left were about a half dozen families with small children. The group on the right were some young adults that we passed back and forth with all the way to Castelnaudary.
We did leave the Canal du Midi at a rough spot and took this highway. The smooth fresh blacktop was a great change to the bouncy surface along the canal.
Finishing the last few kilometers (and thankfully it was just a few) was on a loose rock surface. We needed to be very cautious as the loose rock was quite deep in places.
Looking across the canal the group of young adults that we have been passing back and forth with all day are now arriving. They were fast riders but took many stops along the way.
Castelnaundary`s history can be traced back to Roman times and has played an important part as a market town having the largest port on the Canal du Midi. The ¨Grand Bassin¨ served as the port for barges travelling between Toulouse and Sète. You need to imagine this area covered with canal barges loaded with grain for the Mediterranean, or for Toulouse our further north along the the Garonne to the Atlantic Ocean!
The main street along the canal is lined with boats and barges. Many people were on board, enjoying the warm afternoon.
We are staying at a wonderful B&B near the canal on the outskirts but within easy walking distance of the main town. Our very welcoming host was ready for us - offering glasses of refreshing lemon water when we arrived. We are staying at Le Close d`Andre.
Castelnaudary is also famous for its specialty of Cassoulet The city proclaims itself the "cassoulet capital of the world". Of course, we had to try this dish for our dinner. It was very good.
6 months ago