6 Oct 2018: Deyme to Carcassonne: 62miles; 482 total

John got a call this morning from Anna asking if anyone had the keys to their B & B. John had them both and has been puzzling how Anna managed to find and call him. Anna and Didier might have some tracking skills. We will reroute a few miles this morning to post the keys.

Today would have been fairly easy if:

• We lacked the head wind, perhaps 20-30 mph. A weather front is approaching.
• The Midi Canal bike path was paved. Beginning about 15 miles from our start in Deyme, the surface was gravel or rutted clay. Fortunately, we were not riding in post-rain. Lots of ruts, rocks, and tree roots.
• Crews were not working on the canal or trimming trees. We had to back-track several times.

The sounds of the day comprised wind, often howling, auto traffic on a parallel motorway, and acorns popping under our bike tires. The closer to Carcassonne, the worse the trail. We finally resorted to riding on busy highways, fighting the head wind. Robin was the hero for our last 10 miles into Carcassonne, dragging in Michael and me. Then John's maps.me took us through Carcassonne's busy streets to our apartment directly below the citadel walls.

We were all pretty tired, so we opted to stay another day to sight see and rest. Carcassonne is an amazing place.

Lots of dogs today, but no photos during the ride. We did pass a couple on pilgrimage. The husband & wife team was traveling with a small cart, about 3 feet wide, 4 feet long, and perhaps 4 feet high. She was pulling and he pushing. Three dogs were riding in or on the cart, clearly quite comfortable with the situation. Unfortunately, I was so surprised to see them that I missed the photo.

Deyme Departure

Robin is the only one of us with the discipline to stretch every morning.

Airbus Employee? This nose section seemed to be set up for camping. Note the stovepipe/vent. The frame behind it looked to have been covered in hot weather.

Bikes Mark the Path

Shades of the Cadillac Graveyard. All at the same, Midi Canal-side location.

This trail surface seemed to be packed pea gravel, set in clay.

Coffee Stop #1.

Rent a Cruiser. In addition to a wide assortment of boats and barges, many were clearly rentals, common manufacturers but often puzzled crews.

Midi Canal Surface. Mostly rock and rutted clay.

Narrowing Path. The path increasingly became suitable for mountain bikes, not touring bikes, especially those with narrow 20" wheels and 12" trailer tires. Amazingly, my AirBook has operated flawlessly. I found on an earlier trip that just putting it in Sleep mode leads to odd behaviors.

Our Apartment View. Our apartment has 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bath with a clothes washer, living room with hide-a-bed, and separate toilet. This is the living room view. We are perhaps 3 blocks from the double-walled citadel.

Dog of the Day. Two dogs in my bedroom.