Around Agde and beyond
The track wasn't actually straight the whole way - it wound around loads of grapevines, planted practically beside the sea, behind a protective barrier of, maybe, stakes. It passed beside what seemed like kilometres of camping ground - not grassy ones, but full of cheek-by-jowl 'mobile homes' (we would probably call them cabins), which are so buffeted by the wind that a couple we met staying there needed to get out each morning asap. No doubt there are days the wind is from another direction, but this wind could teach Wellington a thing or two! And also of interest, a boat-out-of- water 'parking' area!
There's a ferris wheel almost visible in one of the photos, which turned out to be important. That was where we would have turned right, when the cycle track went straight on, if there had been, for example, a sign. One of our guide books kindly explained (when we later checked), to 'turn right at the amusement park'. It didn't exactly look like an amusement park, but in fact there were a number of amusement parks springing up along our route, in readiness for the season, one of which opened the very next day.
To continue, having missed the turn-off, when the cycle path petered out, we had no choice but to cycle along the main road into a head wind. Eventually the main road offered an alternative track, which we gladly took, and finally reached a holiday resort town unlike any of our own, with compounds of holiday resorts which included their own restaurants, a spa or two, plus a naturist holiday resort. Great cycle tracks but almost no shops. The weary overland travellers did manage to find a couple of coffees and never was anything so welcome. We then had to get out of the maze of streets and roundabouts, journey along a main road with traffic whizzing by at speed and then negotiate crossing a largish town at rushhour. At last we arrived at the river and, now running much later than intended, were ready to find a camping ground and blob, to join the canal next morning.
Alas, this was day 1 and there was still much learning to do. All the camping grounds involved going in the wrong direction. In addition they were all beachy upmarket places we didn't want to go near or pay the price for. It was still light. More camping grounds were marked on our map. Allons-y!
About 5km to Vias. Arrive 6.10pm. It is starting to rain. We are tired. We want a cabin to keep us dry. Sorry, the lady who can do this left at 6pm. There are more campsites on the west side; this is the east side.
2 km on - West side: they are all down at the beach and are the same holiday camp sort of places. We don't even try. We pass another amusement park almost all set up for the next weekend's opening. We meet some English people who are renting a large boat and yarn for a while. They tell us there is a camping ground near where they rented their boat from. We look over one of the technical marvels of the Canal du Midi (Les ouvrages du Lubron) but the rain increases and we move on.
3km on: We find the spot. Yes, there is a camping ground. One of the posh type. We're okay about that now. But they only rent out cabins for a minimum of 2 nights. We are in the middle of nowhere. It's still raining. We move on.
8km on: There's been a piece of nice track for the last little while, a good omen. It's practically dark, we're tired. We leave the canal path and find the camping ground. No, they really only rent cabins out for a minimum of 2 nights. We are very tired, we've ridden over 55km today, it is dark and we are exhausted...madame relents and agrees to give us a cottage for one night. Do the paperwork tomorrow. There is a restaurant attached to the camping ground where we can eat until 9.30pm.
Much restored (delicious meal!) some time later, we realise that this would be the best place to stay the next night anyway, and we could visit Béziers properly, since there is a good pathway the 6km distance. We slept well.
The track wasn't actually straight the whole way - it wound around loads of grapevines, planted practically beside the sea, behind a protective barrier of, maybe, stakes. It passed beside what seemed like kilometres of camping ground - not grassy ones, but full of cheek-by-jowl 'mobile homes' (we would probably call them cabins), which are so buffeted by the wind that a couple we met staying there needed to get out each morning asap. No doubt there are days the wind is from another direction, but this wind could teach Wellington a thing or two! And also of interest, a boat-out-of- water 'parking' area!
There's a ferris wheel almost visible in one of the photos, which turned out to be important. That was where we would have turned right, when the cycle track went straight on, if there had been, for example, a sign. One of our guide books kindly explained (when we later checked), to 'turn right at the amusement park'. It didn't exactly look like an amusement park, but in fact there were a number of amusement parks springing up along our route, in readiness for the season, one of which opened the very next day.
To continue, having missed the turn-off, when the cycle path petered out, we had no choice but to cycle along the main road into a head wind. Eventually the main road offered an alternative track, which we gladly took, and finally reached a holiday resort town unlike any of our own, with compounds of holiday resorts which included their own restaurants, a spa or two, plus a naturist holiday resort. Great cycle tracks but almost no shops. The weary overland travellers did manage to find a couple of coffees and never was anything so welcome. We then had to get out of the maze of streets and roundabouts, journey along a main road with traffic whizzing by at speed and then negotiate crossing a largish town at rushhour. At last we arrived at the river and, now running much later than intended, were ready to find a camping ground and blob, to join the canal next morning.Alas, this was day 1 and there was still much learning to do. All the camping grounds involved going in the wrong direction. In addition they were all beachy upmarket places we didn't want to go near or pay the price for. It was still light. More camping grounds were marked on our map. Allons-y!
About 5km to Vias. Arrive 6.10pm. It is starting to rain. We are tired. We want a cabin to keep us dry. Sorry, the lady who can do this left at 6pm. There are more campsites on the west side; this is the east side.
2 km on - West side: they are all down at the beach and are the same holiday camp sort of places. We don't even try. We pass another amusement park almost all set up for the next weekend's opening. We meet some English people who are renting a large boat and yarn for a while. They tell us there is a camping ground near where they rented their boat from. We look over one of the technical marvels of the Canal du Midi (Les ouvrages du Lubron) but the rain increases and we move on.
3km on: We find the spot. Yes, there is a camping ground. One of the posh type. We're okay about that now. But they only rent out cabins for a minimum of 2 nights. We are in the middle of nowhere. It's still raining. We move on.
8km on: There's been a piece of nice track for the last little while, a good omen. It's practically dark, we're tired. We leave the canal path and find the camping ground. No, they really only rent cabins out for a minimum of 2 nights. We are very tired, we've ridden over 55km today, it is dark and we are exhausted...madame relents and agrees to give us a cottage for one night. Do the paperwork tomorrow. There is a restaurant attached to the camping ground where we can eat until 9.30pm.
Much restored (delicious meal!) some time later, we realise that this would be the best place to stay the next night anyway, and we could visit Béziers properly, since there is a good pathway the 6km distance. We slept well.
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