Day 8 Castelnauday to Toulouse 39 miles  Running total 187

Here is todays route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42290441

We both awoke early. The downside of having windows wide open to dry washing is not noticing the bottle bank down below. At 6 a.m., the secret drinkers started filling it with their empties. The good news is that the washing is dry and the weather forecast promises sun all day.

We have an early breakfast, carry the bikes from the bowels of the restaurant opposite, and shop for lunch while still getting away before 9am. It is a longer cycling day today, but we were told the cycleway will improve as it enters the Toulouse region.

About 10 miles into the day, the towpath deteriates again as they have been removing tree stumps. My compatriot spots a cycle route sign on a small road that we follow. There are no further signs, and we end up on a major road. Once again, Garmin takes us a short way down this road before guiding us back along smaller roads to re-join the canal tow-path where the cycleway is excellent.

The canal follows the line of a national motorway, and at one point, we can walk into a rest area with toilets, but sadly, there is no cafe. While having a break and sitting on a canalside bench, what must be someone’s floating home passes by. It is propelled by electricity and is completely covered in solar panels, very eco!

Hurrah, at 16 miles, we come across a cafe that is open for coffee, which Google had predicted would be closed. Who can you believe nowadays?

One of todays bonuses, in addition to the good cycleway surface, is that the wind is either coming from behind us or from the side, and the canal has started to go downhill towards Toulouse. I could say I had planned all of this for our first long day, but it might be a pack of lies.

We continue on, and with the excellent cycleway surface, we make good progress. At 26 miles, we see a canalside bench and stop for lunch. Bread, cheese, and tomatoes are becoming our French lunchtime favourite, washed down with wine drunk from last night’s hotels disposable tooth mug! We know how to live, but we still don’t understand why we don’t lose weight on these trips.

The ride into the centre of Toulouse is along the canalside, and we are completely separated from traffic. From the city boundary, many boats are moored, just like in UK cities but a bit more photogenic.

Despite the distance travelled today, we have made such good progress that we are too early for the hotel check-in. We decided to sit in a local roadside cafe with a cool beer in the sunshine until we can check in.

At check in is where my knowledge of French lets me down. My compatriot is outside the hotel with the bikes, and I go in to see where they are to be stored overnight. I am handed a picture of a door to an underground carpark, a remote control device, and a key. I am given instructions in French. Turn left, then right, and look on the left. Go through the automatic door as per the picture. Go down ramp and look for a garage with the hotel name on it. Be sure to lock the door! Or at least it was something like that.

My compatriot and I off load the panniers into the hotel lobby and walk the bikes round the roads to find a door like the one in the picture. So far, so good. Down we go into the underground carpark, we locate an open garage with the hotel name on it. Put the bikes and padlock them together. A problem! I can’t lock the door. I then tried the key in other closed doors and also went down another floor to try even more doors. Suddenly the lights go out. Fortunately, I have my phone and switch the torch on to make my way back to my compatriot, who is standing exactly where I left her left her but now in the pitch dark. We make our way out of the carpark and back to the hotel. In trying to keep up and understand the instructions, I had missed an important element, the number of the garage door. The receptionist raises an eyebrow and redirects us back to the garage no 10. We retreave the bikes from the wrong garage and lock them in the right one. Who would have thought this simple task could be so difficult?

We have a quick shower, and we set off to start exploring Toulouse on foot. It is hot, and my compatriot sees that there is a sightseeing land train from the Place du Capitole. We make our way there and get on board for a welcome rest while being taken to the main sites of the city. This is followed by a large ice cream and discussions on where to eat. The highly recommended “Le Velo Sentimental restaurant” seems the place for us.

This is part bike hire & repairs and part restaurant only frequented by locals. The babel french course comes in useful with the menu, although some of what we eat is still a surprise!