Postcards from Provence and beyond

Whereas yesterday left us feeling exhausted and just a bit weary, tonight we are sitting watching the boats on the Canal, at Frontignan, in a much more celebratory mood.

Today has been a momentous day, on two fronts. We have now pedalled 1042km, since leaving East Devon, and have crossed France from the Coast of Brittany, to the Mediterranean. I still find it hard to believe that we are now only 2 days from home.

After yesterday afternoon’s campsite disaster, we spent the night in a beautifully cool, comfortable apartment in Capestang, and woke a bit more refreshed today,

We packed everything up, loaded the bikes and popped to a local epicerie to buy some bits for breakfast, picking up 2 honey-soaked almond and date pastries, made by the owner , for our mid morning snack.

We sat by the Canal, watching the swallows drinking, looking forward to the day’s ride, and just hoping that the weather was a little cooler than yesterday, which was brutally hot, and really windy too.

As we watched the boats, we could see a bank of mist starting to roll in, so at least we knew the start of the day would be cooler.

By the time we pedalled out, Capestang was still in sunlight, but the road ahead was cloaked with heavy mist, and as we left the town behind, the sun turned milky, veiled by the thin clouds.

It was bizarrely warm, and there was no rain, but we got incredibly wet. The water from the fog settled on our skin, soaking our clothes and dripped from our helmets too. I couldn’t even see through my glasses, and ended up riding with them perched, low on my nose, looking over the top of them to see the road and to squint at the map too.

It almost felt as if it was in for the day, yet as we left a little village, the sky opened up, and the mist seemed to be sucked into the distance, leaving us pedalling in warm sunshine, with a fresh breeze, quickly drying us, as we rode along.

The route we had chosen today, would cut us across country,  to Alignan du Vent, and on into Pezenas, before making our way down to Mèze, to meet the cycle path and to follow that to Frontignan, where we had found a little cabin for the night.

After yesterday, and a couple of other campsite experiences that have not been great, we have decided to throw in the towel, leave the tent in the pannier and book little places for the last 2 nights.

It was a delightful ride through, visiting some places that we hadn’t seen before, passing stunning buildings

pottering through pretty villages,

And stopping to watch the harvesting machines busy at work in the vineyards…

We cycled along roads that were sticky with juice, making every turn of the pedal seem a little bit harder, the tyres making a sucking noise, as we rode along.

The local wine co-operatives and Domaines were busy with vehicles and the heady smell of fermenting fruit was in the air.

The kilometres slipped easily past, and we stopped for a coffee in a little village square, at Lieuran-les- Beziers, which has become a bit of a fixture, during our rides across this area. I think this is the third time we’ve stopped there, now.

And then on into Pezenas, which is such a beautiful town. I never tire of visiting it, although today, it was just a fleeting visit, for an early lunch, sitting on a bench, in the main street.

From Pezenas, I had found a different route to Mèze, where we would join the cycle path. In the past, we have been along quite significant roads, ploughing our way up hills, with lorries and cars passing us, at speed. It’s not something we have enjoyed.

This time, I had found a little rural road, which wingled its way up through vineyards and woodland. It was a bit rough in places, but it was incredibly quiet, and the views were stunning.

We had left the scent of the wineries behind, and it had been replaced by the smell of warm earth, mingled with pine and cedar. It smelt divine, and with every deep breath we took, making our way up the hills, we felt a little calmer.

As we crested the hill, and turned a corner, we caught our first glimpse of the Etang de Thau, the instantly recognisable hill at Sete, and the distant glitter of the Mediterranean. We had the coast in our sights, and with it came the first touch of freshness in the breeze, with a hint of the tang of salt too.

We whizzed down the hills, hardly even noticing the last few little ramps that we had to climb, before we joined the cycle path, and started pedalling towards the pretty fishing village of Bouzigues.

Once we had a good view of the oyster beds in the Etang, we stopped to take in the sight, and Andy asked me how I felt. Just being asked made the tears rise, an emotional response to something that always catches me out. You can watch my response In today’s little video, here

It was the realisation that 2 weeks ago, we were watching thunderstorms off the coast in Brittany, and now we were looking out, to the Mediterranean. We had pedalled across France.

It’s not the first time I’ve done it, but each time still feels like a new experience, and each time (before we set off), I believe that this is the time I won’t be able to do it, or something will prevent us getting to the end.

Yet here we were, standing on a cycle path, having pedalled just over 1000km, in the last 2 weeks, and the sea was glittering in front of us.

The tears were most definitely tears of joy!

Pulling myself together, we pedalled on into Bouzigues,

stopping on the beach, where we went for a little paddle.

It was so incredibly warm that I was tempted to follow the example of the Women at the end of their Tour de France, in Nice, and just go for a swim in my full kit!

But we still had about 15km to pedal, so the idea of pedalling in soggy cycle shorts put me off taking that little step further – cycling with a soggy gusset is not something, I’m keen to try!

From Bouzigues, we were on high-quality cycle paths, all the way to tonight’s stay at Frontignan. Since we first rode this route, 3 years ago, it has been considerably improved, with a new section having been opened through an old railway cutting.

It was the first time that we have cycled it, without me taking a wrong turning!

Tonight, we have rented a simple fisherman’s cabin by the Canal, and have spent the evening watching people potter about in boats, and the new recruits to the local ‘gig-rowing’ club, having taster sessions to see how they get on.

It’s been a momentous day, and I still pinch myself that we can do these little adventures, and enjoy them as much as we do.

We’re tired in the evenings, but that’s understandable, as we’re generally pedalling 80+ kilometres each day, but every day brings something new to enjoy.

It’s hard to believe that in 2 days time, we’ll be at home in Provence.