Bordeaux to Nimes on a bicycle Day 8 - Carcassonne to Le Somail

Day 8 Carcassonne to Le Somail - 70 km

Looking back towards the Citadel

Had a good nose around Carcassonne before the tourists arrived and then headed back towards my canal to resume the journey South.

On the way, I bumped into the nice Swiss couple from Berne who had blanched the previous day when I had brought up the subject of the recent defeat of Young Boys by the mighty Spurs - he-he!

The breakfast at the hostel was good but my route through town took me past yesterday's Patisserie and it would have been rude not to stop in and buy a little something for a morning break. Suitably armed I headed for the canal, took the left bank, wrong! The track petered out after a couple of kms.  I had to go in reverse back to the Gare and set off again this time on the right bank. I wasn't concerned in the least though, it was a lovely sunny day, the track was smooth, any wind was behind and it was downhill all the way.  
 

The canal was quite busy and there were a few cyclists going south, didn't recognise any though. The tree roots returned after a bit and then badly rutted sections. Bought my lunch by the bridge at a lovely Patisserie in Trebes. This was the first place I came across boaters tying up their boats to the trees. So the mooring ropes were right across my path. They should have tied up to stakes, lazy blighters. This meant cyclists and walkers having to weave through a gigantic cobweb of rope. Someone give me my sword!



Ecluse des Aiguilles

Had my lunch by a lock with lots of eccentric art-work – Ecluse des Aiguilles. Spoke to one British boating couple who live on their boat all year. They had just come down the Rhine from Strasbourg. Last year they wintered in Dijon with no heating and it got down to minus 12! They froze. This year they are wintering in Toulouse, did not envy them. Nothing wrong with Toulouse City but surely its going to be damp and cold and the canal area was not too hospitable.

Bit further on I stopped at a little shop in a small town to buy some water. Not knowing quite where I was I asked the lady the name of the town. She cleared her throat and said nothing. I asked again in a different way and she did the same again. It was only on the third attempt that it dawned on me that I was in 'Homps' with a silent H. Not sure why they picked such a boring name for the town, it didn't look too bad. Maybe someone had a frog in their throat and it just stuck? Most French towns and villages have brilliant long names.

Sluice and towpath

Sluice that allows excess water to flow
from the canal into the river below

The good ship Jacqueline

Took a few detours today, away from the canal and into small villages where the wine harvest is in full swing. There is a lovely all pervading smell around the Caves as they ‘tread’ the grapes. Stayed the night in Le Somail, a quiet little place. My B&B was quite a grand house built in 1836. The door bell was one of those pull jobbies, like an organ stop. I rang the bell, the door opened and quite an elegant Lady appeared. She looked me up and down. I could have said, ‘haven’t you ever seen a man in a silly helmet and shorts before’ She let me stay but she asked me to pay on arrival; she wasn't French. My room was on the first floor and bathroom on the ground. I didn't count them but there must have been at least 39 steps of a stone spiral staircase twixt room and shower/toilet. Nice comfortable room though. I ate at the restaurant over the road, Le Comptoir Nature, which was excellent. I had the lamb. The people at the next table were locals out on a treat at their favourite restaurant in the area. Back at my house, all was quiet.