Cornebarrieu

(mid-June)

One of the drawbacks of enjoyable cycle touring is that you don’t actually know that you’re absolutely whacked until you stop. We had intended to stay with Anne and Dudley for at least a couple of days but when we stopped we realized that it would take longer than a day or two to get back to whatever normal is for us at present. We arrived on a Wednesday night and left the following Wednesday morning!

We had a wonderful time with these lovely people and the day at Bonrepos was a highlight of our trip. Both are tremendously knowledgeable people, in different spheres, and we enjoyed very much the conversations we had, covering many interests. Special times, especially sitting out in the garden with a beer in hand to beat the heat.

Cornebarrieu, where Anne and Dudley have lived for many years (- Dudley worked on the designs of the Concorde way back then) is very close to Blagnac airport and we were lucky enough to catch the A380 overhead a couple of times, once when we went to the supermarket, which is on the edge of the airport and another as we were biking along a country road. The village has a very calm atmosphere, and has nearly everything you need close at hand, including a Saturday market and a restaurant. 

My passion for Riquet’s work on the Canal du Midi has led me many places, but the least expected would be the Château de Bonrepos, where Riquet lived and experimented with water flow. In 2007 I followed the waters from the initial source at Alzeau to where the waters join the canal at Narouze. At the end of the same year the commune of Bonrepos-Riquet bought the Château with the aim of restoring it and at least part of the extensive grounds and opening it to the public.

As luck would have it, both Anne and Dudley are involved with the association of volunteers who want to see this happen, and, as luck would have it again, the weekend of 15-16 June, the very weekend we were there, was a fundraiser weekend, with activities at the château both days. (Yes, bought the T-shirt.). Many people dressed up in costume, there was music and dance, food and drink, books and shirts for sale, walks of ‘discovery’ in the grounds and to top it off,  Anne made a cameo appearance at a window, to illustrate a line from a poem…

 I spoke about fine weather – but there was a wonderful storm as well, with hailstones bigger than marbles, and a flooded garden in a very short time.

 We managed a day in Toulouse, for old-times sake. The Garonne was pretty high with areas of the bank totally flooded.

 

But the memories will always be of Anne, Dudley and Riquet. Thanks guys!