Tuesday 6th May - Moissac to Outskirts of Toulouse

A little cloud and the wind returned today; at times in the morning it was like riding into an on-coming falling snow of horse-chestnut blossom. Eyes dusted and teeth gritted we pushed on through the wind until things began to ease and the sun made efforts to force its way through the clouds.

Today seemed to have the least inspiring stretch of the canal and things were pretty quiet and uneventful until a Gendarme shakedown at our lunch stop (nothing to declare). After lunch we bowled along merrily until hit by yet another puncture c.5km from our planned camp stop at Camping de Rupe on the outskirts of Toulouse.

'De Rupe' . . . wouldn't have offered them deux rupees! Possibly the worst 3 star campsite we've seen but easily rating 3 Squeals on the Hillbilly Rating. Perhaps we should have been reassured by the presence of the police helicopter overhead in the evening and the following morning ;-)

Our plan had been to stay for two nights and take another city break from here into Toulouse but, we didn't feel comfortable with the idea of abandoning all possessions for a day while heading into the city on the metro. Bit the bullet that evening and booked a two night stop in the city for the following days. Surely the Rose City of Toulouse could beat its northern outskirts for charm?! 

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Monday 5th May - Moissac - Tout Calme au Cloitre

Over 50th birthday patisseries last evening we revised plans a little in the light of a fixed hotel booking we have coming soon for a break in Carcassonne. So today turned into our most relaxed day so far.

No ‘alarming cockerel’, the passage of morning time beyond inner condensation, dismissive glances at unpacked panniers and raspberry ‘jaffa’ cakes for petit dejeuner ;-)

Strolled into Moissac across the Pont de Napolean over the Tarn and headed for a very leisurely lunch in the square by the Abbey. Excellent food, local beer and a chilled and very rosy pichet of rose.

Moissac appears to be something of a confluence for a number of French trails heading for the Camino on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. One of the focal points here is the abbey cloister. Cool, tranquil and calming, intricate carving and wonderful peace.

Back at camp, a quick visit to the piscine and a little more of the fabulous ‘Confederacy of Dunces’!

Sunday 4th May - Boe to Moissac - Saga horizons open to all!

The second birthday morning of the week was greeted by clear blue skies and another wash which didn’t reach the scale of needing a towel! Just a few cards and presents had made it on the trip and were gratefully received as the travellers hit a combined 101.

A beautiful stretch of the canal awaited us and most of the planned miles would be knocked off by lunchtime so that the birthday could be celebrated at a more leisurely pace. Mid morning coffee came up at Valence d’Agen where we unexpectedly wound up in a bric-a-brac market - none of our tat was sold but, temptations for a purchase ran high until we were certain that the Edith Piaf tribute act in the square wasn’t actually for sale.

The campsite at Moissac turned out to be a superb one so, we managed to pitch early before heading into town for a relaxed afternoon. An earlier birthday text had advised that memory loss can kick in pretty quickly in the 50s so, I’d better record here (lest I don’t recall or believe it later) that I actively chose to handwash my socks and pants as a birthday treat (for others, if not for me).

Into Moissac for the afternoon, definitely another place to add to the list for a return visit. A beautiful small old town with a majestic abbey church and cloisters. A number of birthday drinks were taken while the hitherto 'Snack Monitor' made a pitch and submitted forms for a re-grading to 'Chef de Mission' - an ambitious Macaroni Cheese was to be the test case and her hopes were high for an entry in Le Guide (Monsieur Pamplemousse to report in a later installment).

A fantastic birthday to rank with the best of them! Thanks to all for the best wishes.
Bonne Nuit

Saturday 3rd May - Meilhan to Boe - 2nd Annual Gevrey-Chambertain Day

A great day's riding, almost entirely along the Canal de Garonne; set a good pace from early morning and were well over 50km by lunchtime - today the cuckoo didn't finally call :-(

Has the fisherman gene yet been determined? I feel a thesis coming on; sour faced, lip muscle failure and, unlike Monsieur Marche de Langon, justifiably solitary in their passion, having mysteriously hooked up with an otherwise sound minded woman.

Calling ahead today left us with a blank on the camping front so, we took a small detour into Agen for a tourism and cafe stop. The tourist office appeared to come up trumps with certainty that, if we had our own tent (?) we could camp at a Base Nautic on the canal (managed by a friend of hers but currently closed for wider service provision). We found the spot ok but, out of season it was basically a patch of grass next to a residential play area, with an adjacent composting loo - by now we had no other plan . . .

 . . . as the cyclists and joggers passed by we discretely cooked and later pitched the tent.

Our humble meal was superiorly supported by a fine bottle of Gevrey-Chambertain in memory on this day of Jane's dad; his death a year ago today was in part the catalyst for this whole adventure . . . to David.

Friday 2nd May - Fragues to Meilhan sur Garonne - Hitting the Hundred!

Today we hit the combined one hundred (yet one of us remains under 50).

We started with a great rural route of Langon (which may one day be part of the Voie Verte Entre Deux Mers). Leaving the town we were caught up in the local market and more communing with the locals ensued . . .

 . . . while Jane bought bread from a stall I was engaged by an accent laden old boy.

It turns out that I'm very lucky to have a wife who shares my passions (because his doesn't!). Now a number of assumptions were clearly made in our conversation; we were both wise men, comfortable that there would be nothing unreasonable about the others' passions (without the need to divulge the details) - we parted friends but without having swopped  wives!

Picking up the Canal de Garonne we had a great easy ride for a shorter birthday day to the sleepy village of Meilhan sur Garonne. I've waited for wine in church before but not the two hours of today while the village slept for its lengthy lunch. Anyway, life returned to its bustling commerce around 3.30pm and birthday foods were finally purchased before heading to the seemingly free Municipal Camping.

Georges and Myrtle had their first wash while we washed down some other handy liquid consumables! 

The early evening amusement was  provided in the form of Jane's singing birthday card from Claire, Kay and Teresa (Thank you).

Thursday 1st May - Bordeaux to Fargues - Left turn to the east!

Loaded up in the hotel lobby and hit the road east along the Garonne; easy riding alongside the river through to the city outskirts and then the countryside of the Graves and Sauternes (The French just love a Bank Holiday and, for us this meant quiet versions of roads which some guides may steer you away from).

We had been meaning to mention cuckoos ages ago as on every day in France so far they have been all around; saying we  should have done as we rode east this morning, it struck us that nothing had been heard. Over 30km into the day one appeared and so the stalking continues ;-) 

It turned out to be a good day for communing with the locals; had a chat with an old lady about a recently moved pedestrian crossing, got mixed up in a village half marathon (apparently, despite our weight handicap, we were disqualified and will one day have to return the trophy) and, were flagged down by perambulating grand dames desperate to know from where we hailed and where we were headed.

With camping light on the horizon of the day's choices, we headed for a hoedown on Camping a la Ferme for the first time.