DAY 1: Direction Toulouse

Monday 6/7/2020

After our little Champagne trip, we spent 1 week home and we are already back on the bike for the next trip. 

Start from Brussels on Monday morning. Idea is to reach Toulouse which is approx 1.000 km from Belgium on small and smallest roads. Will take us probably 2 or 3 days depending on our endurance.

After Toulouse, next destination will be the road along the "Canal du Midi" via Castelnaudary and Carcassonne before we hit the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Collioure & Banyuls, close to the Spanish border. Crossing the Pyrenees towards the Atlantic ocean with a little detour into the Gascogne could be the next part of our adventure.

Via Charleroi and Chimay, our route brings us back to the Champagne region where we have lunch at an old washing house with a nice view on the vineyards.

540 km later, a little camping in Dun-sur-Auron welcomes us for the night. That was a good distance for one day and we have made 50% of the distance to Toulouse. Can't feel my arms and angles any more ...

DAY 2: Going through the Massif Central

Tuesday 7/7/2020

Definition of holiday (for me) is having a café crème and a croissant at the village bar. Having a chat with the bar (wo)man and enjoy breakfast on the terrasse  with early sun warming my face. Simple and easy.

Deep valleys and curvy roads are announcing Central France hilly landscape. There are 1.000.000 bents waiting for us between fields, cows and villages.

Lunch with a view on a castle near Brives-la-Gaillarde. Roads are narrow, we are mostly in 3rd gear. Great drive. Nicolas close to throwing up :-) Very courageous to sit in that sidecar.

Coffee break in medieval Argentat-sur-Dordogne - been there already a few years ago on another bike trip in the Cevennes. Fantastic roofs ...

At the frontdoor of Toulouse, we stay the night in another little camping in Puygaillard-de-Quercy. Nobody there. Where are all the tourists ? Free choice of pitching place.

Temperature is back in the 30°C. Time to get some drinks and a little swim.

Tomorrow, we'll do the 50 km to Toulouse and visit Aeroscopia.

DAY 3: Aeroscopia, Canal du Midi and Cité de Carcassonne

Wednesday 8/7/2020

Aeroscopia Toulouse visit early in the morning. 

2 Concordes on display. What a fine machine and what a shame that this fantastic aircraft is not flying any more. So we grab the chance to touch this holy piece of aluminium.

Badass tail. 4 engines. Still can remember the noise of these turbines when I had the chance to do a roundtrip Paris - NY - Paris in 2003, just after refitting of the new fuel tanks.

No aircraft will ever match the elegance of that bird.

Next to one of these massive A 400 props.

And finally a A380 parked on the tarmac open for visits. Much less spectacular except for its size. 

When leaving Aeroscopia the front axle that holds the engine breaks into 2 pieces. I had the same problem already 2 weeks ago on our Champagne trip. There is some redesigning to do ...

We get a few good old fashioned M10 bolts, screws and washers at the Castorama DIY shop down the road. Engine is back locked to the frame as it should and we continue our ride along the Canal du Midi.

Beautiful riding through the "Allées de Platanes" on the road along the canal.

Stop at one of the many typical locks. Peaceful and beautiful places to observe the houseboats going by.

We are heading further south passing Castelnaudary and finally Carcassonne. You can already see the Pyrenées mountains at the horizon ...

100 km from Toulouse, arrival at Carcassonne camping next to the Old Cité. We've been there already 10 years ago and the Cité is still as impressive. Big size version of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Survived many attacks over time. Saying goes that one of the intelligent ways to defend the city was throwing a well-fed pig over the walls to make the invaders believe the city has still food for a long time. In reality they sacrificed their last pig before starving themselves .. good bluff (mostly) pays off.

We let the heat wave (33°C) calm down and walk up the Cité for dinner in a small restaurant. Regional cassoulet for me and steak for Nicolas. (Half) a bottle rosé wine goes very well with that ... Loved the food.

Recipe for the homemade version once we are back to Belgium.

 

Day 4: Lagrasse and Peyrepertuse

Thursday 9/7/2020

Starting from Carcassonne, we go further south direction Perpignan on beautiful roads. It's bikers paradise.

A few off-road sections are included and show us what heat and a cigarette can do to the forest.

After that, we are seriously dusted.

Arrival in Lagrasse, small charming village with an abbey located somewhere in a lost valley.

Swim in the Orbieu river cools us down.

Lunch break: regional sausages with hot piment d'espelette and baguette.

Afternoon activity: visit of chateau de Peyrepertuse on the top of a hill surveying the whole region.

Camping in Rivesalte, close to Perpignan, with baked beans and fresh melon.