The canal is nothing like I remember it. Much better for cycling. Maybe not as good for eating.

Forty years ago Sharon and I biked the canal. Rode mostly on roads with traffic and many routiers as eating places,they were wonderful.

Today the path is paved,off road, easy to follow, almost devoid of places to eat, has toilets,water,and is still beautiful.

Much of the old tow path, we rode some of it, is still extant and is a good walking and jogging path.

Porte Laurigais is the first good, commercial, place for a break. Nice setting.

And then paving ended. According to the map has ended got this trip.

In addition to some cycle tourists they are many spandex clad riders.

The path becomes single track and rocky. Minor problem compared to the wind. By late morning it started and grew. By the time I got to castlenaudry I could go downhill at barely six miles an hour, working hard. Like the outer banks off north Carolina.

Notice the picture of the temperature. Maybe teen degrees cooler in the shade, maybe.

Had to take my hat off to walk about town.

Standard French two star. Nice people, minimal comforts but decent WiFi and even CNN.

gazpacho ( the garlic almost knocked me over with pleasure) on the dinner menu, clearly in SW of France. The glob in the middle of the gazpacho is a sorbet of vinegar and balsamic. About 80% pureed. One of the best I have had.

Seeing Spanish influence. Very nice olives with the Richard. The French spoken here sounds quite different. Harsher with possibly more letters enunciated.

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