Day 6 Homps to Carcassonne   29 Miles  Running total 119 miles.

Here is todays route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42290218

This morning, we awoke to church bells at 6am boo! And sunshine hurrah! The weather forecast predicts that today will be changeable, so we set off just after breakfast. The surface is reasonable but hard going with type 1 chippings (for any builders reading this) and a very strong headwind.

Last night, we were told that the wind is not unusual, which might explain why all the guide books start the Canal du Midi trip from Bordeaux to Sete rather than the direction we are travelling. I won’t mention this to my compatriot, though. An hour into the ride, and we are sheltering from a rain shower for 30 mins under a tree.

We were also told that following Covid, almost all cycle holiday companies dropped the Canal du Midi tour from the trips they offered due to the condition of the towpath. The authorities had another problem, which was disease in the Plain Trees that are all along the canal and in all the historic pictures. These have to be felled, the roots dug out, and all burned on site.

They are killing two birds with one stone by felling the trees and replanting new indigenous species to create cycleways, but because each region is responsible for its own bit, conditions are variable and causes diversions.

It is Labour Day and a Bank Holiday, so almost everything is closed, including the canal because the lock keepers are not operating the locks. The bonus of this diversion was that the village it went through had a Boulangerie selling coffee and Kitkats.

We later realised all the cafes were closed but spotted a sign for an Epiciere, which we followed, and 5 mins before the shop closed we got a picnic lunch to eat in the sun.

After the picnic we decided to press on to our accommodation so we could explore Carcassonne.

The hotel was well placed below the castle walls.

Carcassonne is the third most visited place in France and we are not disappointed. With a walk round the fortified town, cathedral and castle, we finish with a ride.

I am not sure whether it is the cycleway surfaces and wind, or old age, but we are more tired than usual after todays distance. I don’t want my compatriot to know I have used the sore bum repair cream for two nights running.

A beer or two in the sunshine and a typical French meal in a local restaurant ensures all is well in our world.