23 - 24 Sept: Carcassonne - Sigean (69.5 km - 450 altimeters ) - Perpignan (59.5 km - 470 altimeters)
Friday had a fairly long drive on my agenda. Halfway through Carcassonne - Perpignan I had not found lodging anywhere.
The campsites in that region were already closed and all but one - which was felled by COVID - there were also no Warmshowers host families. The only one within cycling distance was Arnaud at Sigean, 20 km south of Narbonne.
As I set off eastwards, I also turned out to have a headwind of force 4. Several hours of heavy 'stoempen' (heavy pedalling) waiting.
Until the village 'Moux', where I discovered a statue of male piss, I followed the busy D-road to Narbonne. Mind zero and balancing on the white marker line. From Moux the route swung south and the headwind eased slightly and the scenery and road became much more pleasant. For miles and miles at a stretch I traversed hilly vineyards and passed a dozen or so châteaux. A hill had suffered from a forest fire.
Then the landscape became rougher with rocky outcrops and higher hills. Some parts of the track even resembled a canyon. Fortunately, the road was mostly flat as it followed a riverbed, which was not too bad as the last kilometres always weigh a bit heavier. Shortly after this beautiful stretch, I reached Sigean, nicely in time to have something to eat first before heading to my Warmshowers host Arnaud pulled.
On Saturday, for the first time this bike ride, I saw the sea in the distance, near the village La Palme, which lies behind a salt lake.
A little further on, past Leucate, I followed the Eurovelo 8 on a narrow strip of land between the sea and a salt lake. About in the middle of the Leucate-Salses salt lake were a whole series of shellfish boats (conchilyculteurs) with restaurant shacks where the catch could be tasted immediately. Lots of ambiance and local colour.
To the south behind the mountains, the sky was beginning to turn jet black. That did not bode well. As the first drops fell, I changed footwear: barefoot in sandals, then staying with a drache (pouring rain) my trainers and socks dry. In the end, I only got a light shower along the way.
After driving along the beach, I followed the voie verte de l'Agly about the Eurovelo V81. From there, except for 5 km along a D-road, all the way to Perpignan was on clear cycle paths.
At Perpignan it had apparently rained heavily because there were big puddles on the road there. And when I was under roof for half an hour, it started pouring again. How lucky I have been with the rain already. How long will that last?
26-27 Sept: Perpignan - Le Boulou (28.9 km - 240 altimeters) – Spanish border at Le Perthus (8km - 300 altimeters)
26 Sept: The ride of Perpignan to Le Boulou was pure relaxation. I had tailwind, the slopes were very mild and the route was beautiful.
First I passed the beautiful Lac de Villeneuve-de-la-Raho, where I sat on a bench for a while enjoying the beautiful view. It then continued through vineyards and along the Eurovelo 8 cycle path, which runs almost literally in the shadow of the Pyrenees.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
