Final section – Occitanie

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A good few days have past since our bike tour came to an end, and it’s hard to believe that we covered so much distance in so little time. In total, we biked over 1120 km (almost 700 miles) in 10 days.

After we spent a night in Gallician, Cédric and I got back on the Rhône bike trail and headed towards the Mediterranean coast. We spent our morning biking down a picturesque trail, where we felt the cool sea breeze push us along the way. Once we got to Aigues-Mortes, the salty sea water was in sight. Like many other villages in France, Aigues-Mortes is a wonderfully preserved citadel with high towers and walls… It lets one easily image what France was like 200 years ago. As we neared the coast, the villages became more touristic and many other bikers accompanied us between the cities. The city La Grande-Motte was a tribute to mid-century architecture and tourism, with many Jetsons-like buildings. After lunch, Cédric and I followed the coast between Sete and Agde, enjoying looking out onto the beach and Mediterranean. Our day ended near Béziers, where we managed to find a nice Spanish dinner before a huge thunderstorm rolled in.

The next day, easily one of our hardest days, Cédric and I spent the day without a bike path and in the rain. After the thunderstorm passed, we had hopes that the weather would turn for the better… But it didn’t. In total, Cédric and I spent a good 4 hours biking in the rain and drizzle this day, only stopping for a warm lunch in Homps. Just as the weather started to clear and clothes began to dry, we reached our hotel in Carcassonne. Our night was spent warming up with Cassoulet (a French bean and sausage stew) and hot showers.

After Carcassonne, only one more day stood before us. The morning was sunny, but significantly cooler than before – it was as if summer was rushed out with the storms. The morning was spent biking on small country roads adjacent to both the highway and Canal-du-Midi, both headed towards Toulouse. Once we reached our halfway point, the beginning of the bike path on the Canal-du-Midi, we knew the end was near. After lunch, we followed the Sycamore-lined canal into the outer parts of Toulouse, where houseboats lined the banks. Upon approaching the downtown area, the bike path became a running, rollerblading, and strolling path too- now our biggest challenge was not running into anyone. Once we arrived at Cédric’s grandparents’ house, we were greeted with cake and juice, a perfect treat for completing our trip.

Cheers,
Cassie and Cédric