October 17, 2010Saint-Maries-de-la-Mer 31kmWe keep stumbling into towns that are in the middle of big events. Today is a big pilgrimage day for the town. Apparently Roma come from all around the world to visit the remains of two St. Maries and their dark skinned servant Sarah. Sarah is the patron saint of the Roma. Just after arriving we were able to join and watch ... Read More
Montpellier - Aigues-Mortes 36km all on flat beautiful bike paths with a pain free back!!It's 5:18 and we are sitting on a bench on the road where they are running the bulls at 5:30. Hopefully things run late because everyone is on the wrong side of the barricades. Ok security is making us move and I am following their orders. See mom I'm always careful! ... Read More
Montpellier - to the Mediterranean, Maguelone Cathedral, and then back 30kmFantastic day today!I was feeling good this morning so we headed out on the cycle path to the sea. We rolled along the canal until we reached several estuaries full of flamingos. I've never seen them in the wild before, it was wonderful. Then a kilometer or two further and we were at the beach! ... Read More
Montpellier, FranceHotel EtuveYesterday Gord and I made the difficult decision to leave the Camino. Although my back is getting better, the demands of the daily rides are just too much for me. I am actually feeling relieved about the decision, I have been pretty anxious about not getting better.We rode back to Auch and right into the biggest general strike day yet. The train station ... Read More
Auch-L'Isle-de-Noe 21kmMon amie Maud a demande quand est-ce que j'ecrite mon blog en Francais? Mais ca c'est tres dificile sans des accents sur mon iPod. Donc, ce blog sera tres court. Aujourd'hui, après mon reunion avec l'osteopath, Gordon et moi avons recommence le chemin encore. Pour notre dernier repas a l'hotel de Paris a Auch la famille Baumier nous ont servi leurs meilleur diner. C'etait ... Read More
Le Matin: There is nothing more French than an open air market. I didn't need any directions; I just followed the nicely dressed ladies with their baskets hooked on their arms. It looked as if the socializing was at least as important as the shopping. Ladies were chatting and blocking aisles as they stopped to talk. I just wandered slowly by each table admiring the ... Read More
Hotel de Paris, Auch. Gord and I are settling into stillness for a bit. I am going to rest and recover until Monday, as ordered by my new favorite medical practitioner and then we will see. We will stay put in Auch for the time being. We love our hotel. It has all the right ingredients: affordable, friendly( run by the same family for the ... Read More
Gimont -Auch 30 kmHotel de Paris, AuchThe weather was truly nasty today. It rained and the 30km/hour head wind whipped us pretty hard. My back also decided to spasm and complain, so all and all a pretty crapy day. We are going to rest here for two nights and I'm going to try my luck with an Osteopath tomorrow Maybe the problem is that I haven't ... Read More
L'isle Jourdain-Gimont 24kmToday was a great ride up down and around on beautiful tiny roads. It feels like we are back on the camino, although we haven't seen another pilgrim yet. We had the municipal gite all to ourselves last night, which would have been wonderful except there was no hot water!!!!! The note claimed it was just a recent thing, but the complaints in ... Read More
Gord chatting with a gentleman on a Roman bridge.Toulouse-L'Isle Jourdain 45kmRight now I am sitting in the sun in a square drinking Pernod and thinking about how much I love France. I love it enough to even turn a blind eye on the cultural practice of not cleaning up dog poop. The French get so many things right. Like windows, for example as my sister ... Read More