Bordeaux to Nimes on a bicycle Day 6 Toulouse to Castelnaudary

Toulouse to Castelnaudary 66km

Toulouse in the morning

Had a wander in Toulouse in the morning and picked up a new map from the Tourist Information Office – Carte Touristique Voie Verte & Chemins – Toulouse – Sete a Velo. Monday mornings are wonderful when you are on a bike tour! 

A pleasant shady ride out of town on what started, and finished, as a lovely bright day. Quite a bit of industry near the city, Aerospace I suppose. Not many obvious food stops on the way but Stephen, who had done this stretch before, promised we would come to an excellent hostelry very soon. Around the next corner maybe? I wouldn't have been too hungry but expectancy got the digestive juices flowing. This was our Brigadoon moment. On and on we travelled. In the end we went to an Autoroute Service Station, albeit a nice one at Labastide-d’Anjou, just across the canal. I could have eaten a horse and Stuart probably did. I had chicken although it could have been rabbit. After our meal we returned to our canal-side and immediately spotted a cyclist picking figs from a tree, so that was dessert sorted!

Around the next bend we came across the Maillot Jaune squad, it was good to see them again and we exchanged pleasantries before heading off for the bumps!

Our beautiful Tarmac track came to an end as we moved from the Haut Garonne Region to the Aude Region. The track was still cyclable, even on my touring bike, but much harder work. Concentration on the surface had to be stepped up as we tried to avoid the tree roots and rocks. But hey, the wind was still behind and we were now heading downhill for the very first time.

Our original and planned lunch stop, Le Relais de Riquet, also loomed up so we just had to have a beering halt. Monsieur Riquet was the chap who planned the route and designed the waterworks that feed the canal. He also organised and directed construction but ran up huge debts and died before the Canal was completed. Anyway, cheers Monsieur Riquet, good job!

Very pleasant area, definitely more of a southern feel to proceedings now.



Suitably refreshed we sped off for Castelnaudary, home of that French staple – Cassoulet - sausage and beans.

Many of the canal boaters start and finish their holidays in Castelnaudary.

The friendly lock-keeper

The first lock to the north is where the novice 'canal dog' has their initiation into boat-handling. We were privileged to watch one couple make there first foray into Lock navigation.
The locks are not automatic on the Canal du Midi and a friendly lady was the lock-keeper. Our novices entered the lock OK but the 'crew' didn't seem to realise that her job at each lock was to control the front rope. They were doing fine until the sluices opened and the water surged in like a mighty Tsunami. With help from our Lock-keeper they at least were not washed into the gates behind them and they rose up the lock to the higher level as the lock filled. The gates opened but the 'crew' at the front needed to release her rope.  She didn't do that so hubby, now grumpy and in a panic, left his station to do it for her. That done our flustered captain returned to his wheel and gunned the engine, quite forgetting that the rear rope was still on the bollard. So instead of a graceful cruise out of the lock he came careering across to where the three of us, and the lock-keeper, were giggling. We stopped him hitting the side and he then went into reverse and hit the other side.  When his ordeal was at an end we all gave the Captain a rousing salute and a cheerful bon voyage. His wife, rather mutinously, joined in the laughter. Bet he was wishing the earth would swallow him up - and it almost did!

By the way, good job he did not go South on the canal as there is a cluster of about 5 locks to escape through.

Beering Halt at the Relais de Riquet

We found our b&b in Castelnaudary without too much of a problem. Totally unfairly, I thought there was something creepy about the place. I think it was the way the owner said, 'Mother they have arrived'. It put the film Psycho into my mind.

It was something of a relief when we saw Mother and Son together. Anyway, after a shower (without the shower curtain) the Musketeers headed into town. After a wander around we found a very popular restaurant up a side street and made our reservation for later on, or as soon as possible anyway. We knew instinctively it was going to be a good meal. The restaurant, Le Petit Gazoullis, was packed and the customer service was excellent. I had the Cassoulet which was piping hot beans with sausage and duck, lovely. Apparently Cassoulet was invented when the inhabitants, under siege from the English, threw whatever edible items they could find into a pot and cooked it all up. Certainly filled me up anyway. My kind of cooking.

So back to the b&b where I had my own room but without private facilities. Incidentally, the shared toilet down the corridor had an array of six air fresheners which, though unusual, must be on account of the local bean diet?