Montpellier to Pezenas: Oh no, more rain!

November 8, 2011

WEATHER: rainy morning, just cloudy after lunch

When we looked out the window in the morning our hearts sank: rain again! Just when our cycling shoes had finally dried. It rained harder while we ate breakfast and was still going strong when we loaded up the bikes. We started off in steady rain and cycled uphill with a good view of the oldest botanical garden in France founded in 1593, then past the city's triumphal arch and downhill into a busy shopping area to the west of the 18th century aqueduct. Our route was blocked by major roadworks, and we had to ask passers-by for directions several times.

We looked up as we rode by two statues that flank the entrance to the Chateau d'Eau. The sculptor signed the works in 1883.

We left Montpellier going west past the Chateau d'Eau and the old Saint Clements aqueduct that was inspired by Roman design, but came much later.

As we left, we also passed the triumphal arch (Porte du Peyrou) erected in 1715.

Montpellier sprawls a long way west, and after another few kilometres, on the western edge of the conurbation, we were temporarily confused about the route and had to go up and down a hill twice before getting straightened out. After that point there were a good fifteen kilometres of bicycle paths through nondescript suburbs until we reached Montbazin,where we had planned to stop for lunch. Al was told in the boulangerie that there was no restaurant in town and we would have to go on another five kilometres to Poussan, a bit out of our way to the south. It rained harder than ever as we stopped under the shelter of a highway overpass to have a necessary snack. By this time Eva was feeling decidedly grumpy, and both of us were tired of cycling in the wet.

We reached the tiny village of Poussan and searched for a place to eat. We were beginning to despair as we passed a bar which didn't serve food, and almost overlooked a low door with a small sign that said 'Pizza'. Inside was a lovely little stone-walled room with a toasty wood fire burning in the pizza oven and a few tables set for lunch. We were greeted by the charming young waitress who invited us to spread our wet clothes out to dry and asked if she could practice her English with us. We shared a delicious scallop and creme fraiche pizza and large salad, chatted with the waitress, and soon felt completely restored. Not only that, the rain stopped while we ate lunch!

Our afternoon ride was a lovely gentle climb up through high vineyards in order to rejoin our original route, and then continued with a long downhill run through meadows into Villeveyrac. Then we went uphill past the Abbaye de Valmange and through rolling terrain with lots of vineyards. We were up high enough that we could have seen the Pyrenees had the clouds lifted. Eva was impressed with how much her mood had changed for the better since the morning. Cycle-touring encourages one to live in the moment, and sometimes little things make a big difference. The pleasant lunch and the cessation of the rain had greatly lightened her outlook!

Just before we reached Pezenas, we went through a low-lying area that had obviously been under water a day or two before because the vineyards were completely covered in mud and the ground was still very wet.

We cycled through the picturesque town of Pezenas to our chambre d'hote, Villa Juliette, and were welcomed by our host. Our room was up a spiral staircase with a view of a large formal park. Downstairs was the breakfast area and a beautiful kitchen with a stone sink and counter tops. We learned that the proprietors of Villa Juliette were artisan winemakers and the owners of an organic winery, Villa Tempora, with six hectares of vineyards scattered in the area and several prizewinning wines to their credit. Once again we find interesting people running a B&B, and we were glad to learn more about small-scale organic wine production in France.

In the evening we walked into the old town centre to look for dinner. Many of the restaurants were only open for lunch, and we ended up eating a very bad Chinese meal. We had broken our own rule about sticking to French food in France, and the only good part of the dinner was the half bottle of Picpoul de Pinet, a white grape variety grown only around Pezenas.

Today's ride: 58 km (36 miles)
Total: 835 km (519 miles)

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