Boog's Blog

A lovely ride out of town on a good path and lovely canal views. The terrain and the tourists are changing as I approach the camargue. Signs about looking at and respecting the wildlife, many many joggers and cyclists. The cyclists here are unloaded. Full spandex riders. Picture of maybe not so wild horses.

Detour to the sea. Very long beach here and not as crowded as further south.

Just wandered up the coast using my natural navigational instincts. Got to Agde on the river Aude. Another old riverside city steeped in much history. Much to see on today's route.

Up and down and into the many beaches. Eventually to Marseille Plage and the seaside cycle route to Sete. Have been looking forward to this section and it lived up to expectations.

After a wonderful ride along the sea and dunes, as well as the Plage at sete the old city appears. Another city built on the water, another city bisected. Lively and crowded.

One of the best riding days.

Festival day in sete. School kids dress up in uniform and parade on the canal- in special boats.

Le vieux port is clearly, by sight and smell, a fishing port. Lined with small places to eat the produce. Lots of places have grilled sardines,bourrides of monkfish,soupe de poisson, bouillbeise,etc. I decided to try a local dish with a spicy tomato sauce, la marmite du pêcheur. Wonderful!

Anticipating the question I asked about the preparation. The marms are lightly salted and then sauteed in olive oil and a little butter. After they have been reduced two large pieces of monkfish are added. The tomatoes and spices folded in and then the large shrimps, clams, scallops, mussels and garniture. All of this over a little bit of pasta.

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Beziers starts with a cascade of nine locks, one of the main tourist and cyclist attractions. The tourist office is located at the top of the locks. Many boats lined up for the crossing which is open just à few times per day in each direction. they allot two hours for the passage of the queue.

Gazpacho andoulu for lunch. Another nice presentation. this time two scoops of a simple lemon sorbet. Very refreshing.

Two other big attractions here. The she of the city and, of course, the cathedral.

Locally they claim 2000 years of existence. Celts, Greeks and Romans for sure. Lots of evidence for the later three. 1209 massacre by the crusaders said to have killed 20000 and the natural decline of an old city. Wine and wool in the 19-20 centuries have restored some of the city.

St. Nazaire, beheaded, sainted cathedral at the high point of the city. Good view. Another short nave but with very different frontispiece. Tall imposing and as planned designed to awe. The organ was playing and sounds improve as well, sat a while.

Dinner, fruit des mers, without the little grey tiny shrimps or the miniscule snails. Even though Bobby disagrees the oysters are tasty with lemon and the shallot-vinegar.

The ritual of kissing. Seems to have changed, I have been observing carefully. Either two or a handshake. Have not seen one or three.

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A tourist day before I get back on the road.

A dilemma. Must be solved soon and probably without guidance. Found what looks like an outstanding tapas place. Many items as per the photos. But……they have fiduea. Have not had it done Barcelona. Looks good too. But a wide tapas choice. Leave in the morning so cannot do both. Such are the difficulties of travel, especially alone.

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Left on a most excellent path called a Greenway. 15 km of perfect road lined with bamboo to cut the wind. A good use of the live plant.

Lots of bike paths and just off one found a farm stand. They cut up a good trance of watermelon for me,I added plums and nectarines. Total was two euro twenty. And, so good in the heat. Very apropos to NYT article on eating a rainbow assortment of fruit.

Decent hotel, Mecure chain, right in center city. Notice the spelling in the picture: Vila.

Lunch: tapas of course.

The style, apparently called southern Gothic,of the cathedral, via the pictures, will be immediately recognizable to anyone who followed our Camino trip.

Dinner: picnic from Monoprix

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Early morning start into a brutally brought morning sun. Southwest to the sea and then down the cost.

Narbonne plage is a typical long seaside town. Wednesday is market day. Al most a km long, walked through, with everything from chickens on a spit to cosmetics.

Now at the edge of the hills before the Pyrenees and courbiers. The plages are, of course, by the sea and connected in some cases only by D roads, now will talk hills. Not hard as wind is mercifully light. Lunch at the beautiful Leucate Plage.

Today a ride of diverse surfaces and environs. Rocks, ridge, rives des arbres along the canal. Roads through the Plage towns, cycle paths between the towns, hills, small fine forest.

Could have made it to Perpignan but as I am a day or two ahead of plan I decided to stay in a beach town and enter, that is take a plunge in the water,the Mediterranean,been a long time.

Water is a perfect temperature though a bit salty. Drops fast. Thousands we similarly plunging. Then the usual Plage activities, look at the resort wear shops, check out the menus for the evening, have some ice cream at a table and watch those on holiday pass by.

The hotel, a very good two star this time, is right on the beach. Photo from room.

By the time I came down for dinner, washing up after my plunge, a full market has been set up. Marché de la nuit. Poof it is in place. Maybe a
Hundred vendors.

Dinner. They sure know how to make soupe de Poisson here. In addition to the rouille, red the way I like it, and cheese they included raw garlic to run on the toasts. Perfect broth.

Oysters. No need to say more than that they were fresh. I think they were best with both the red vinegar and fresh lemon.

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Monuments museums of very old stuff, archeology of the area. Situated in a palace, now city hall, that the archbishop used in his right to collect tolls and tariffs. All the comforts of the XII-XIII century.

Moules: rarely see tunnel in a tomatoes and pepper sauce. This area calls it moules à la Narbonnaise. We first encountered them 40 years ago in Figueres. But that is another story.

The sauce of local herbs, tomatoes, garlic ( is there ever enough garlic) was excellent as were the plumb and juicy moules; everyone opened.

Were they as good as Figueres? Memory is an inconsistent voyager but I think only very close. I remember spicier.

Morosité: Sitting next to me was a French couple from Paris. Surprisingly they offered me some cold water as service for my bottle was slow. We struck up a conversation, they put up with my French as they spoke no English. Claimed to understand what I was saying. I asked them about how the tourism was doing on France as some areas were empty but busy in the south.

This year pretty good. But, next year we are not so confident, could be bad.

They taught me two new words: cheaper and globism referring to language change.

Went back to marvel at the height and construction of the cathedral. See the picture of the stonework and now imagine cutting each stone by hand and then, for those approaching the ceiling, hauling them up without a crane. There are a lot of stones in a cathedral.

Final dinner at Flo. Soup Dee Poisson again, it was so good, and a salad with some lobster.

Back on the road tomorrow, I can almost smell the sea.

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Today is a detour from the main canal to la Robinette, runs to Narbonne. Will have to get back to the canal either retracing or another route tbd.

Took a nice short break from the ruts and rocks to ride through the vineyards of Minervois. Had a half bottle last evening of the rosé. Excellent.

Le Someil,a port town just before the junction. Lovely bridge and small tower.

The mornings are just so nice to bike. Plus the air in this patt of France is luminous (for the meaning ask QB).

The hotel. The best one on the trip so far. New place open less than a year with a long story about getting approval. The owner told me how, as they are from another city many roadblocks. They have put 7M euro into the place. Took them seven years. This is a special place with an apparently famous restaurant brasserie flo, well known in Paris.

First the gazpacho pictured. Notice the presentation and the multiple textures.

Luckily arrived during organ practice at the great Gothic cathedral in Narbonne. Started 1272. Excellent flying buttresses. The nave is surprisingly short but the ceiling seems especially tall. Naturally the sound resonates well. Visit to the cloister.

The city is bisected by la canal de la robine which ruins to the sea at Porte de la Narbonne.

Dinner on the canal. Soup de Poisson and sausage a la Toulouse, duck. Might have Suze (no definite article) on the table.

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Lovely morning to ride. Staircase of four locks passed. The path is very heavily littered with branches from the wind storms. French TV covered the storms, TGV closure out of Paris, lost electricity. Much like CNN type coverage, incessant and repetitive.

Trebes, first town to stop for breakfast. My first croque monsieur.

Stopped at a local flea type market along the way. Asked to buy a rag to clean my chain. The proprietor went to her car and got me one, de rein for cost. The woman with the melons smelled each one before picking a few.

Foothills to the south. Suspect we have crossed then in the past.

Homps. Never heard of it? Not surprising. Nothing here. Only reason I stayed here is the book canal du midi recommended this and the Auberge as good stopover places. Suspect he never stopped out stayed here. Auberge is barely a one star. Only point in its favor is it has a good shower.

Homps along the canal is lively with many restaurants to service the 100+ boats here. mostly a port destination.

No Wi-Fi here. Will use one of my toys uploading only a few pictures. The others tomorrow from Narbonne.

Discussed canal boat renting with an English family, one of many who spend a short holiday on the canal. The winds were a big problem both for steering and using the types in the locks. The kids had the false idea that this would be fun, not hard work.

Gazpacho, green for dinner. Chicken as well.

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Checked on the pronunciation of centre ville. Vee la. More pronounced letter l.

Wandered the markets. Les Halles meat and fish. All the other items are outside in the main square. Vendors were holding down their eggs from flying away.

Saturday crowds large in La cité. Great business in ice cream and cold drinks. Many families, with snoozing on benches.

Had my first crepe, plain and perfect. Prices vary from shop to shop. Lowest one euro with highest two fifty. Shops are close together. All the crepes look the same.

Gazpacho without the interesting glacé. Still good. About 90% pureed. Not as good as castlenaudry.

Forty years ago when Sharon and came down the canal we had neither the money not the desire (my fault) to see the great cities. We mostly skirted Toulouse Narbonne and Perpignan crossing the Pyrenees ending in Figueres and then down to Barcelona. The Camino trip took us north of Toulouse. Sorry QB is missing these great cities.

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