Cavaliere to Carcassonne

9.7   Cavaliere
  
Took a 3 hour walk to the top of the hill overlooking Cavaliere.  A fantastic panorama but hot work in the midday sun.
Treated ourselves to a frozen slushy drink once back to sea level.

After sunset beers and no frites as they didn’t arrive!! We were hanging out for them!

 10.7



Last day at Cavaliere so Pam went to the Monday market (Bikini no 3!) and we hit the beach for last swims.


                                    
 11.7

Off early and took our first ‘peage’ route through Toulon and Marseille (about 8 euros including the tunnels) to avoid the big cities.  We followed the Grand Rhone towards Arles and the Camargue.  After Marseille the route was quite industrialised but gave way to a beautifuly quiet road  through the wet lands, passing fields of sunflowers, marshes and rice fields.  A totally new vista which we enjoyed!  Through the Parc Naturel Regional De Carmargue with it’s small white horses and varied bird life to the seaside resort of Saintes- Maries-de la Mer. 

A Spanish like town with narrow streets and white washed buildings, it’s many restaurants offering large pans of seafood paella.  It’s here that the Gypsy festival is held every May, dancing, music in the streets, flamenco and bull fighting.  We plan to catch it next year.  A great  relaxed feel to the town and not over crowded considering the numbers.  It’s also ‘campervan heaven’ as there is an ‘Aires’ on the beach running for 3kms (9.80 Euros per night)  It was packed!

We had a swim on one of the small, rock walled, sandy beaches and then decided to continue on.  We finally stopped at Carnon Plage, a 3km surf beach with sandhills and free overnight parking the whole length.  Heaps of kite surfers here!

We parked and were immediately joined by two other French campervans who decided to stay as long as we did!


12.7

A mixed drive this morning passing long sandy beaches and heavy retail areas.  Through Frontignan, Sete, Agde, and Beziers.  Sete looked an interesting town with it’s ‘Venice’ like waterways.

Once passed Beziers we were back into the rural aspect with vineyards and sunflower fields.  A good drive to Trebes where we camped at a great Camp,  ‘La Commanderie’ (20euros) 15kms from Carcassonne.

On our bikes for a ride along the Canal du Midi to Carcassonne and it’s fairy-tale castle.
The Canal du Midi is a 240 kms man made waterway built in 1666 over a 15 year period. It runs between Toulouse and Sete and forms part of the system allowing boats uninterrupted passage between the Med and the Atlantic.


The first canal boat we passed was flying a NZ flag and a Silver Fern!  When they return home they will tell tales of two mad French cyclists waving and yelling at them “ Allez les All Blacks” and “Go Kiwis”!!!

A fantastic ride along the canal all the way to Carcassonne where we parked the bikes.  We walked through the lower town (Ville Basse) and onto ‘La Cite,’ the old walled medieval castle and  it’s inner city filled with cafes and restaurants.  They are  gearing up for Bastille Day on the 14^th for a spectacular firework display over the castle.  Had to leave before we were ready as it was getting late and we had the 15kms return leg.  Back to camp for beer and frites!!