La Route

DAY 5 - LAST AFTERNOON

....Villebrumier bound- all togged up for Tornado and rain!
Sally's v pro' footwear protection may catch on eventually as might my rather special supermarket bag as bike bag cover and of course the trusty 'shower cap' for mini bag on front of bike 🚲 We are sooo pro 😂
The rain & wind duly arrived; people and activities along the canal disappeared- except for fishermen and ducks and the odd strange looking cyclist packed upto the gills and dressed for deep sea trawler fishing- wonder if they know something we don't?
V heavy,nay let's be honest...torrential rain subsided after a v long time? dried off as belting along now as wine o'clock drawing closer.
Off the canal ( thank the lord as hoo ha in serious trouble 😉)
Ali: 'only 20 km to do just over this hill - the last hill!'..... and what a mother of a hill to finish on. Not sure what to compare it to?? Something on the Tour de France perhaps?.....not that it's a competition or anything but the results were as follows:
Fran- Gold🥇
Helen-Silver 🥈
Ali- Bronze 🥉
Judith- copper (v happy with that 😁)
Anne Sally & Cath- Oxygen tanks 😅....
All did amazingly to get to top 🎉🛏🏆
After regaining consciousness & standing up 😜Race to the finish- the sight of the beautiful blue bridge and knowing the warm welcome that awaited us made pedalling up the little 'brew'
a little easier !!!!
But where was Glenn?
Alison eventually roused him (so to speak- a little tricky thru the garage door 😉cheeky!) Tea was made, bottles were opened, the kitchen abounded with hysteria and madness then we went to bed.
The End
.... well not quite- we had an amazing supper, lots of collapso, all v pleased with selves.... then we went to bed 🛌😴😴😴😴😴😴😴 THE END X

DAY 5- LAST DAY...

....Do you recognise this woman? Helen up to her eyes in chain oil after fixing 'our Anne's' bike- so only 68miles to go, via Toulouse.
First 18km through beautiful country- a few hills then down to Canal du Midi for 89km of flatness to somewhere close to Villebrumier 😊
Lovely Coffee stop
Weather improving - various strip off points- really quite warm with bouts of gusty wind- so gusty at one point that Sally was blown off the the path heading towards a Vineyard ( home from home!!)....
Insect attack on Judith - in addition to 'herpes labia!' Sting on upper lip to add to general attractiveness and sense of well-being!😥 still Canal towpath was spectacular.
Arrive Toulouse
Sat down for lunch and heavens opened! This was forecast but hope it passes and that the tornado (also forecas) doesn't appear 🤞
Another v nice luncheon en la Place....


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DAY 5-LAST DAY 🤪

Ohhhh nooooo GRAVELLLL

Our Anne came to a gravelly screeching halt- brilliant we can use our first aid kit!!
Fran- Sudocreme
Sally- anti septic wipes
Judith- Ibuprofen
Undeterred in true 'our Anne' fashion she pedalled off in to the hill side....
And we did literally meet a nasty 'mother' of a hill...😢😨😰😥 OMG We made it 😜
Hellooo nice flat canal
Hellooo scenic side of Castelnaudary
Hellooo closed hotel!!
Hellooo bar and G&T 😍
Hellooo hotel- yesss it's opened!
Hellooo delicious pudding 😋😋
Good prep for tomorrow last day 🤪

Carcassonne

Gorgeous ride to stopping at v tasteful but only ' 'on du The' slightly run down on the outside but serving restorative coffee ☕️ The purple table cloths and sunshine yellow walls a little acid for our v discerning tastes.
Quick pop into pharmacy as Judith's cold sore flaring as a result of hay fever. You may like to know the French for 'cold sore' is
' Herpes Labia' - something inappropriate in the translation here 😳 je pense??? Make of it what you will but I will not telling anyone I have 'herpes labia' on my face!!!!😂
..... wind getting up
Lunch and off we go for the afternoon stint 🚵‍♀️🚵‍♀️🚵‍♀️🚵‍♀️🚵‍♀️

Tuesday Day 4

Depart Ginestas to Castelnaudary-
Leaving the unusual flying rabbit behind ( what Cath saw without her specs- just clarify for others that might be visually challenged it is a 'Cherub') 😂 very funny at the time.....

Return to the Chateau....

In the Sunshine & The CHATEAU DIY crew have been filming here today- sadly we didn't make the cut but sure they would have included us had we been there!!
Such a lovely Chateau definitely stay there again.
One more dinner here then start of journey home which is how we are thinking of Chez Helen et Alison 😋
Also v v good wine here all local. No probs polishing off the rose🌹

Return loop...

From the seaside...
Fab corner shop (on the boat on the Canal) @ Le Somail- so pretty and v Southwoldy selling a bit of everything. Thought of you Gill 😘
Judith seems to have grown another nipple en route 😳 must be all the pollen- shocking hay fever attack today- H & J really suffering...
Ophthalmic Dr Cath administers to the needy patient & later 2 more are awaiting her expertise with the dropper 👀🚿
Team leader Ali waits for us all to shut up 🤐😔

More....

Gorgeous girls by the seaside 😊
Cath & her off piste 'curried moules' 😳

Day 3

THE SEASIDE!!! 😀😍
Beautiful day- wishing our missing girlies were here 😚

Day 3

From the vineyards of the Chateau at Ginesta to the 7 locks of Béziers.
Le ciel est bleu et le soleil brille est nous sommes happy 😊
A bit of cross country by the canal & we are nearly @ the seaside 🚵‍♀️😜 X