13th august to 20th August

Ok so much to say and so little time. Has to be summed up briefly really as Montpellier gorgeous city on 13th. 14th realisation lost passport for Natalie which after chat with British consulate looked ok for return on the 20th without it so continued to near grand motte for two nights wild camping.1st one ok and fun second one woken by men clearing beach following lots of walking around  trying to find appropriate place to sleep and fireworks set off near tent.

off to saint maries de la mer where i lost the will to wild camp again so headed to campsite 9km away which ended up as mosquito hell!!!!

next day birthday breakfast enjoyed though bitten to death, and headed to the sanest night in lovely hotels with day at pool then birthday meal in the very picturesque hispanic capital of the Camargue, saint maries. Dave managed two paintings in time there and then we headed to Arles on continuation of Van Goghs footsteps.

Arles a lovely place, lovely colliseum and fab buildings, ok campsite. Dave painted in the morning with two sales of the Saint maries paintings.

Off to Nimes to lovely Youth hostel to camp at, very relaxing prior to Natalie and Harry's journey back. relaxed evening  then up early for bus to train, missed bus but next bus got there, a bit tense but then both safely on train to Lille. Phone call from Lille though at 12.00 looking bad for natalie to return without form for travel, tense wait for all concerned, though harry sensibly got on allocated train on order to meet his leeds festival commitments. A relieved natalie then contacted is to say that British passport control guy came good and on way 2.30hrs late from lille, to London. Holiday to remember and be laughed about in the future!!!!!!!!! will follow with pictures soon. Having can of beer now xxxxxxx

montpellierr

wild camping

birthday evening

birthday sunbathing

wild horses of camargue behind hotel

saintes maries

bbq

sign of camargue

bbq

August 12th Les enfants arrivaint!!!!! Somewhere on a beach near sete to Montpellier 55km

Woke early and got off ok. Lucky so early as ride a lot longer than envisioned. Arrived at Montpellier campsite in time for quick dip then off on great tram system into really lovely city of Montpellier. very grand buildings and centre pedestrianised and really spacious. Found station easily and then they arrived :) natalie, Harry and his bag for life.

Back on tram then shop in the biggest shop ever (too big couldn't find everything) then beers and wine with barbir. Too much of the former from my perspective. Not too successful Skype to my mum and brother then too bed. Ground pretty hard and no sleep mats brought :/

August 11th Agde to somewhere along the beach to Sete 17km

Slept till 9.15. That's a 1st for the trip. Off to work out plan for tonight!

Cycle out along beaches between Agde and Sete, all the while reconnoitring for the optimum wild camp experience. Spotted place between campsites and the toilets/showers required then went on to settle for the day on the beach a bit further on. Lovely beach and clear and cool Mediterranean. Suddenly realised we have cycled from the channel, via the Atlantic to the Med in 5 weeks and 4 days, not bad for a couple of not really youngies!!! :)

Dave assumed his now natural position, crouched over his easel while i assumed a more relaxed pose, horizontal on my sarong. Bizarrely every time I nod off on the beach, along comes a potential buyer. Luckily no French required (on a previous occasion I was woken by Dave sort of grunting at me to talk to a women, straight away, difficult, not at that stage yet!!!). Lovely Austrian chap with perfect English interested.  As Dave showed him the full collection he just got confused as to which one to buy. Then off he went to shower and get his wife, oh no I thought will he return. But he did, unable to find his wife he collared a passing French man to help him decide, went for one of Dave's Vendee collection, Notre Dame de Mont.

Sale secured we then loitered for a while, Dave pursuing a new avenue of small canvases to increase the repertoire, to suit all pockets. As dusk approached we headed back to our spot, made tea and then WILD CAMPED. I have to assure all concerned parties at home that a full risk assessment was performed by the health and safety executive who appears to have come on this trip with me!!!!!!!! (you can take the man out of a SWE but you can't take the SWE out of the man) So with the sound of the Med lapping (sounded more like crashing!) we settled for the night.

August 10th Salleles to Agde 70km

Again pretty much stuck to the small roads along the Canal route. Lunch at Capestang on the canal side and then headed up and down to Vias where we planned to camp. Everything full!!!!!! Desperate attempts by the women in the tourist office located us an inland site but we decided instead to continue to Agde, thinking perhaps the first wild camp could be in order.

Got to Agde, really pretty harbour town and thought just to enquire at a 2 star hotel. 54 euros which we felt was pretty good when we have paid 46 for a dorm. Going to cook in the grounds and Dave maybe do a painting. Wild camp may be on the cards tomorrow when a bit more organised, peut-etre?! Good job we are organised for the first 2 nights, Monday and Tuesday when Natalie and Harry get here. Might be interesting for the other 5 nights!!!!

Dave decided to do a painting, so we both went down onto the river side and I cooked pasta sitting on a bench! must have looked a comical pair. Painted till 9pm then back to hotel. Quiet Saturday night in. Will check out historical town centre in the morning.

9th August Trebes to Salleles de 'Aude 55km

Slow start as bikes needed cleaning up and a look in the Office de Tourisme which had some great, reasonably priced paintings by a Mireille Rochefort. Quite Chegalesque, very bright and excellent depictions of France and French life. Dave was so taken he bought a book of her poetry in order to improve his French, so he will be talking in descriptive rhyme if nothing else :) A good shop needed at inter marche where dave got a roast chicken which was yummy!!! Yes have to come out of the meat-eating closet. I have partaken of this vital source of protein a few times, a woman cannot cycle 60-70km a day on a tin of chick peas, sorry to the cousins in Morecambe, Eve the honourary cousin and of course Natalie, who will be looking at me in a disapproving manner within a few days :/

Then on the road. decided to get off the Canal du Midi as the going was so rough yesterday, our bodies and bikes need a smoother ride. Fab days cycling. Great countryside, the Montagne Noir on one side of the valley and the lower Pyrenees on the other. Dave had missed the little villages and spotting the church spires, which in this area have become more tower like.

Afternoon tea break at Homps, pretty little place and then back on the little roads till we spotted a municipal campsite at Salleles. Popped into office de tourisme and the absolutely delightful lady there restored my faith in this service :) Left armed with lots of info about the Cathars, inquisitions and the crusades. Great little site, very peaceful and a nice Friday glass (well beaker) of wine to settle for the night.

8th August Castelnaudary to trebes via Carcassone 68km

Up early, rain clearing, bit cool though, three layers on!!! Forecast to brighten. Off we set on the canal. At times really hard going with quite deep pot holes and muddy with the rain of the past two days. really should be mountain bikes on it. Coffee stop at lovely L'ecluse restaurant/pottery shop. Handmade by the lady of the couple. really sweet place, so made a little purchase as impressed with the whole set up. Then back on the road to Carcassone. 

Have to be careful here, because it is amazing structure of mediaeval brilliance. Free in which am not sure it would be in England, but then it is a bit of a mediaeval Trafford centre with every single building being a shop, restaurant, cafe or hotel. And absolutely mobbed with people. So a bit difficult

 to really take it in. Also, after an exemplary record, both the office de tourism's we went into had the most off-hand staff we have come  across!!! Goes in hand with excessive tourism I suppose.

Dave decided then best plan to paint it from outside, which has me sitting presently on the banks of the river, typing. Talk soon when day completed....

Reached Trebes with yet another detourish route!!!!!! 18km instead of 12km (my fault oops) Ate and went to bed really. Shattered.

7th August Toulouse to Castelnaudary 71km (some 9km of that getting out of Toulouse)

Found the canal midi eventually in Toulouse then headed off. Nice cycling along. Shortly out of Toulouse popped into lovely barge which is a Salon du The. Co-operatively run, with volunteers doing a week at a time. lovely couple chatted to us, guiding my French and chatting in English too, so dave didn't feel left out. Had a real feel of the Gregson in Lancaster. Unfortunately they didn't do coffee so popped onto main road to cafe and saw signs for a Bricolage. The cooker by this time was a bit of a touchy subject as dave hadn't enjoyed the previous days experience of traipsing round shops in vain. however careful negotiation (lunch to fill the 45mins to opening time) allowed us to at last purchase the ultimate transportable on a bike cooker. With a bag  and everything!!!!! Seeing as this is our kitchen a needed purchase.

A more relaxed couple then continued along the Canal. All paved until Labastide D'Anjou and then it becomes more dirt track, so be warned future canal Midi cyclists, it is not voires verts all the way. Potentially this to the coast :/ Still managed to get to our destination, just in time. booked into Municipal campsite 9.50 euro (my kind of price). She warned us of impending rain so toute suite we got tent up, super fast cup of tea and mackerel pasta as we could see rain clouds heading our way. Kindly shelter was offered too, in the information room.

L'orage approached and actually not too strong but the wind was mental!!! We watched nervously as all the ropes were stretched and the side battered, but our petit tent withstood the attack. The wind only lasted about 15mins, then calm, really odd. Then with rain set in for evening, off to bed.

Need to apologise to Vicky and Dave, looking at blog its as if we just stayed in gite with the girls, no photos of them!!!! Send some to us guys and we will add to blog!!!

Gregson on the water

catalogue girl modelling latest in camping cuisine musts!!!

lessons in meteorology