The last week

Sete is deservingly known as little Venice. There's fresh seafood to eat and a huge market. 

 We watch kids learning the art of boat jousting

Our tired muscles are pummelled at this amazing spa

Paris is full of beautiful buildings and monuments

Canal du Midi 5-13June, 300km

This half of our trip is a lot more scenic, but also a lot rougher...

We go from wide smooth tracks to skinny, rutted ones with waist high grass, and a couple of days head for quiet roads past villages and vineyards instead

 

But it's a whole lot more scenic

and with more cafés and gardens at the many locks. 

We think we'd like to hitch a ride on a canal boat one day, but they go so slowly we prefer to ride. 

Unfortunately a lot of plane trees have been removed after a moth infestation, but after 2 years of a planned revegetation program, things look much better 

It's hot, and we are all very happy to reach the Mediterranean for a swim on the last 2 days. The canal is polluted from all the boats' waste... 

The last 20km are on a beautiful path by the ocean

Yay, we made it 😀

Canal de Garonne 31 May - 5 June

Week one with Torquay friends Cheryl and Joe, from Bordeaux to Toulouse, about 300km

Generally the path is straight and shaded, with lots of grass for siesta

Yes the canal crosses the road, unfortunately we didn't get to see a boat on it like this…

We start with rain, but the weather fines up except for one day when we see black clouds coming, and head for shelter. It's a huge, restored sewerage pumping station, and is now a very quirky bike cafe and workshop

As always, the best part of travelling is the people we meet, including one lovely man who took Cheryl and I for a spin on his Gold Wing

There's blood on the last day, but nothing that a few band aids can't fix