Along the Rhone

Mon 23rd mar
Set off Ne towards Nimes, not been going 5 mins before dreaded wind
starts. Its a northerly so part side and part headWind. Quickest way
to Nimes is N113 but it's so nerve wracking with the wind and fast
traffic I decide to get off it after about 20km. Branch off onto
lovely rural road at Uchaud and stop for a while for a bite to eat and
watch some camarque white horse. Get to destination at Remoulins and
camp by side of the Gardon river. Really nice sheltered woodland
patch.

Tues 24th
Cloudy, windy and rain in morning but rain stops about 10:00. Take
stroll into Remoulins, nice medieval centre. Walking across bridge
over the Gardon I had to lean sideways and occasionally grab rail to
prevent being blown into road. Visit Pont du Gard in afternoon, very
impressive, an incredible construction for what is essentially a
single file footbridge.

Weds 25th mar
Tent zips have been gradually failing over the months due to strain on
them. With its crude pvc and mesh patches and half open zips the tents
got a goth/punk look I quite like. Hope it holds out till I get back.
Set out for Avignon. Main roads most of the way but pleasant scenery
and first views of snow capped Rhone Alps. Nice view of Avignon on
approach then branch off to campsite which is directly opposite the
famous bridge. Pitch up then stroll into Avignon for quick recce. Tent
overlooks the town so get nice view as sun sets.

Thur 26th mar
Walk into Avignon and make way to tourist info to get a town plan.
Visit main sites, papal palace, st. Benezet's bridge etc. then meander
side streets for a while to get away from all the tourists. Something
of interest at virtually every turn. Find nice quiet square in front
of library to have lunch then walk around city walls for a while
before heading back for a cuppa. Fascinating town with plenty to see
and do. Take afternoon stroll along banks of Rhone before dinner.
Really pleasant and interesting day.

Fri 27th mar
Glorious sunshine so catch up on washing as down to last set of
clothes. Walk into Villenueve lez Avignon, on the other side of the
Rhone, in afternoon. Visit Philippe le Bel tower as they have abstract
photography exhibition on. The tower originally controlled access to
other side of Avignon bridge. At the time this side belonged to
kingdom of France and the Avignon side was the border of the Holy
Roman Empire. Good views from top of the tower. Walk through historic
centre to fort St. Andre. Apparently this town has more historic
monuments per square metre than any other in Europe. Wonderfully
intriguing place, whereas Avignon has a sombre grandeur this place is
brighter, more human and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Sat 28th mar
Cloudy day. Take another walk into Avignon to take audio tour of
bridge history and visit Rocher de Doms, the site of the original
neolithic settlement and now 'english' gardens. Manage to get back
just before rain starts in afternoon. Rains all afternoon so do very
little.

ito france

Tues 10th mar
Lovely sunny day. Pack up and pay, 5 euros, cheapest site i've had in
spain. Leave guidebook at reception and clip last remaining page from
road atlas to bike. The route looks like something the map maker has
scribbled out rather than a road, it should be interesting. Not been
going long when notice what looked like a map by the roadside. Stop
and go back to look. It's a virtually brand new road map of France,
just what I need for general route planning. Long hard climbs and
descents with barely a straight bit of road anywhere. Fantastic views
of mountains and coast. Final climb up to the Col de Belitres at 165m
and i'm at the border. More twisty hilly roads follow. 36km of road to
travel 16km as crow flies. After a long slog out of Banyuls sur Mer I
stop to admire the views. A frenchman strolls over for a chat then
walks back to his car and returns with two large cans of beer. Shortly
after a frenchwoman rolls up accompanied by a Syrian calligrapher.
Spend the next hour drinking beer and chatting in Franglais. Long,
fast (and slightly unsteady) descent into Argeles-Plage to find
tourist info and enquire about campsites. Plenty of them but only two
open this time of year. First one I try is just closing due to
sanitation problems so have to cycle inland to the other site. Hard
work but another excellent day.

Weds 11th mar
Strong winds blew up during the night and i'd left my earplugs in the
panniers. 02:30 I give in, put on some clothes and get them. Wind
seems to settle down in morning so head north. Once on coast road wind
picks up. Head down and bottom gear again. Its difficult to keep bike
on the road. Stop to buy guidebook and more detailed map of region
then carry on. Notice sign for municipal campsite at Ste Marie-Plage,
it's not in my guidebook but i've had enough so take a gamble.
Fortunately it opened a few days ago. Spend afternoon planning journey
through France, many sites not open until April but should be OK. Wind
persists into the night. I wonder if this is the Mistral i'd been
warned about.

Thur 12th mar
Nice day so decide to chill out. Stroll into Ste Marie Plage but most
places are closed and many shops are empty. Walk into Ste Marie
village a few km away, typical small french village, quite attractive
but little life.

Fri 13th mar
Quite a nice site and i've a pleasant pitch so decide to stay a few days.
Follow cycle route into Perpignan, about 13k. Not a particularly
attractive place, a bit scrappy I thought, but nice model of how it
was centuries ago.

Sat 14th mar
Try walking into next town, Canet Plage. Get totally lost trying to
follow footpaths. Give up and eventually find my way back.

Sun 15th mar
Cycle into Canet-Plage instead. Spend much of the day there as it's
much livelier than Ste Marie. Get slow puncture on way back.

Mon 16th mar
Cycle back into Canet Plage to explore it a little more then head back
and give bike quick overhaul ready for next leg.

Tue 17th mar
Follow minor coast road north to Port Leucate then major road to
detour around a large lake before minor roads into Port la Nouvelle.
Pick up cycle track that goes between 2 large lakes, a bit rough but
worth it for the peace, quiet and scenery. Arrive at campsite at La
Nautique, just S of Narbonne, each pitch has its own posh shower, loo
and washbasin, very nice.

wed 18th mar
Cycle into Narbonne for a look round. Not a lot to say about it
really, a french city.

Thur 19th mar
Steering seemed odd on bike yesterday and back brake hardly working so
try re-adjusting them. Steerings better but brake not much improved.
Good enough for a while though.

Fri 20th mar
Set off for Beziers. Only sensible option is main roads all the way.
Didn't see a great deal of city but seemed pleasant enough. Follow
canal du midi SE then tiny potholed country roads to campsite at Vias
Plage. Very dead place, hardly anyone there. Pitch so i'm sheltered
from wind that had picked up. Within a few hours wind had veered round
almost 180 degrees and grown very strong, really battering the tent
around, had to hold on to it. Quick pack and emergecy evacuation to
another pitch. I really am getting fed up of this wind.

Sat 21st mar
Wake up to cold drips of water on head. Inside of tent coated with ice
that's melting and dripping onto sleeping bag and me. Not a nice way
to wake up.
Long journey today to other side of Montpellier. Pleasant scenery,
mainly open fields, hills in distance, low rolling hills. Called in to
view Gallo-Roman villa near Loupian but it was shut. Montpellier nice
city, one of those vibrant places, seriously pedestrianised which
makes it nice to walk round. Due to one way system and no town plan it
took me a while to find way out. Don't think i'd have managed it
without my compass. Head to Castries. Castries supposed to have really
good chateau but it was covered in polythene for renovation so all I
saw was pointy tower tops, nice aquaduct though with old houses part
built into it. Find campsite just beyond Castries, some 15km NE of
Montpellier centre. Well out the way but fairly full with lots of
Nederlanders, some club I should think.

Sun 22nd mar
Apart from usual dogs barking during the night this is a pleasant and
peaceful woodland site. All the nederlanders disappear. Decide to stay
another night. Cycle the 1.5km into Castries to explore. Aquaduct more
impressive than first thought, official ranking jumps from nice to
very nice. Almost 7km long including underground channels, with a drop
of about 3m, it was built in 17th century to supply water to the
Marquis of Castries chateau gardens. All undergoing renovation at the
mo.
Castries itself very pleasant with tiny twisty alleys and interesting
old stone houses. Nice way to spend a sunny sunday morning.
Notice sign as entering campsite. Seems this area, Domaine de
Fondespierre, is a large recreation area. Various walks and picnic
areas, Its also the start of a 400km long mountain bike trail. Take an
afternoon walk along woodland footpaths back to aquaduct to take a few
snaps.

tarragona

Sun 22nd feb
Sleepless night, lots of noise. Nice sunny day so decide to move on.
75km journey today. Have another chat with Julie before leaving. She
asks me to contact her brother at the shop when I return so he can let
her know i've got back safely. Shake hands and say goodbye, it really
was a pleasure meeting her. Busy road again but less developed with
mountains to left and sea to right. The different layers of rock
dictate whether shrubs grow and gives the mountains bold horizontal
green stripes. Slight climb inland before view opens out onto huge
Delta de L'Ebre. Absolutely flat, it seems to float on the sea. Along
edge of delta to Amposta to get cash. Due to bridge I wanted being
closed I also get lost. Ask couple on scooter who tell me to follow
them. Dirt roads, little alleys and riverside tracks later we arrive
at the main bridge. "caution, national road, very fast lorries" he
says. They wait as I make my way onto bridge then wave and go. Long
climb against brisk headwind to El Perello. Windsocks and road signs
warn against strong winds. Relieved when I reach top only to find I
have slow puncture. Pump up tyre, only 7-8km to go, it can wait. Reach
L'Ametlla de Mar and after several short but very steep hills, the
campsite. Wind really picking up now. Very tired, will fix puncture
tomorrow.

Mon 23rd feb.
Although sheltered on 3 sides a strong gusty wind visciously slapped
the tent around all night. It even blew under the flysheet, into the
tent and tugged at sleeping bag and hair. In the morning everything
was covered in a fine dust. Still very windy, i'm not duelling with
lorries today. Invited over for coffee by Chris, a swede, who's in
next pitch. Sit in motorcaravan rocked by wind wondering if i'll be
seasick. Repair puncture and give bike overhaul. Wind starts to abate
in evening.

Tues 24th feb
Good nights sleep and good weather. Only 35km to do today. Take time
packing and have longer chat with Chris. He asks me whether i've tried
woofing. I take a few steps back and ask what he means. Apparently
it's working on organic farms. They provide food and accommodation in
return for work. Set off Cambrils. Stop for a break and find loads of
Rosemary bushes, can't help dreaming of roast chicken dinner. More
prostitutes by side of road. They just sit there on plastic chairs
with a bottle of water, waiting. Shortly after, see empty chair and
bottle of water. No signs of activity though. Find broad headed tack
in tyre, another puncture. A slow one again so pump it up every so
often until I reach campsite. This one's close enough to allow me some
time to explore Tarragona. Say hello to a bloke as he walks by.
"english?" he asks. He looks at my 20" wheel folding bike and asks
jokingly "you cycled all the way from England on that?". Nice to see
his face drop when I told him.

Weds 25th feb
Change inner tube then head off through Cambrils and on to Tarragona.
Unpleasant and dissappointing start as cycle through acres of smelly
industry. Eventually find signs for historic centre. Built on a
clifftop there are views right to big commercial port, beaches in
front and, off slightly to the left, an aerial view of the roman
amphitheatre. Nice. Follow interesting old city walls pierced
occasionally with flower decked windows, through gate into centre.
Tiny streets and tall houses lead to large cathedral complex. jumbled
patchwork of different historical periods give very atmospheric feel.
Explore old centre on foot for a while then head out to find campsite
some 16km away. One I wanted was closed despite the camping guide I
have saying otherwise. Find another in next village, Arc de Barra,
named after large roman archway standing in middle of traffic island.
Campsite right by side of railway. Make sure i've got my earplugs.

Thurs 26th feb
Pretty restless night. Nice day so set out for Sitges, again not far
but hopefully handy for tackling Barcelona. Managed to get off N340
for most of the trip which was a big relief, all those lorries were
getting me down. Cycle alongside kilometres of beautifully sandy
beaches, all totally empty. Reach campsite just before Sitges, pitch
up then repair puncture. Because of the terrain and distance I plan to
take train into Barcelona. If I can't, i'll have a challenging ride
ahead. Take stroll into Sitges to get proper english teabags and check
out railway station.

Fri 27th feb
Decide to risk it and cycle into Barcelona tomorrow. What's life
without a challenge.Today I chill out. Walk into Sitges again to get
supplies. Back at camp i find WI-FI fault lies with PDA. Do hard reset
and all seems fine. Pay and connect to WI-FI then send blog and
emails. Email prog doesn't seem to like it but bypass prog and do it
directly through Google. (sorry, if that doesn't make sense).

Sat 28th feb
Set off early for Barcelona in cloudy but warm weather. The stretch of
main road I was concerned about, between Sitges and Castelldefels
turned into one of the most exciting roads i've cycled. Climbs that
tired just enough to recover on the fast sweeping descents and hairpin
turns before hitting the next climb. Streams of lycra clad racing
cyclists and motorbikes all competing with cars on narrow twisty roads
like one big video game. Stopping at the top of a climb to see
motorway emerge from a tunnel one side of valley and vanish into a
tunnel on the other side whilst main road snaked down around and up.
Packed with tiny cars like one huge model set. Two of Gaudi's houses
at Garraf, far better in my opinion than his better known stuff in
Barcelona. Then finally down to Castelldefels where road finally
levels out. One huge buzz, brilliant.
Life entering Barcelona becomes uncomfortable as 3 lanes of traffic on
the right join the four i'm on. Stuck in the middle, it's a nervous
few minutes as I make my way across to the relative safety of the hard
shoulder. Into the centre of Barcelona to wander round the maze of
narrow streets and fascinating shops between La Rambla and the
cathedral. Street musicians playing classical music around the
cathedral walls and steps . The absurdly ostentatious Palau de la
Musica Catalana. Fantastic stuff. Then the dreadfull journey out
trying to avoid crowded major roads and interchanges. Pannier mount
breaks as I hit unseen obstacle avoiding a speeding ambulance. Quick
jury rig with bungee hook and carry on. Eventually reach campsite at
El Masnou and go hunting for food. With everything that happened i'd
forgotten all about it. Even taking into account the bad bits it was a
superb day. Glad I didn't take the train.

Sun 1st mar
Head NE to Calella. Road busy and unpleasant so occasionally use cycle
path. This is separated from the road by the railway so you have to
stay on one or the other until a suitable crossing. No scenery worth
commenting on. Campsite very hilly but town 10 mins walk away which is
handy.

Mon 2nd -weds 4th march
Bad weather keeps me here so use opportunity to put photos on blog and
send a few emails.

Thu 5th mar
Weather ok so set off for Sant Feliu de Guixols. On the map the road
looks like something off a seismograph so am expecting weary legs by
end of day. Road into Lloret de Mar pretty easy then things get hilly
and twisty. Hard work but scenery superb with rugged inlets, secluded
coves and a turqoise sea. Stopping at one of the many viewpoints I
notice 2 other brits so say hello. End up chatting for quite a while
with Tony and his father, Robert. As they're stopping at a hotel for
19 euros a night all inclusive they're shocked when I tell them how
much I have to pay. They drive off and I carry on pedalling. A while
later they drive back and wave me down. Having just received
confirmation of a permanent mooring near Swanage in Dorset they came
back to tell me I could camp there if ever I was down that way rather
than pay exorbitant campsite prices. Exchange emails and set off
again. Reaching Sant Feliu after a good ride I call at tourist info to
find out where campsite I want is. They tell me it's been turned into
apartments. So much for my guidebook. Standing outside searching for
nearby alternatives a voice asks if I speak english. Looking up there
is a bloke on bike with panniers. Andrew from Australia had spent
christmas in France with family and was now spending 6 months touring
France and Spain by bike. Eventually tourist info search internet and
tell us of a campsite about 10k away. Both set off, find site, pitch
then go for stroll into town. As we are both touring lightweight (18kg
kit , 12-13kg bikes) it's interesting to compare the different ways
we've approached it. Find out, having just run in the Barcelona
marathon (his first) he's now cycling to Paris to run the marathon
there at beginning of April. Spend evening comparing kit and travel
experiences.

Fri 6th mar
Sunny but strong winds. Decide to stay put and do washing as running
out of clothes and sleeping bag liner beginning to crawl around tent
on its own. Andrew decides to carry on north. Exchange email and blog
details. Get washing done and lashed to washing line as wind is so
strong its flying horizontal. Dries in next to no time. Only have to
chase one pair of underpants across campsite. Walk into town to try
and find barber but no luck.

Sat 7th mar
Sunny but strong winds persist. Decide to go anyway. Into Palamos then
onto main C31 to Palafrugell. Headwind so strong i'm rarely out of
bottom 2 gears, head down struggling to pedal, wind roaring in my
ears. At times strong gusts punch me to a dead stop and leave me
grasping for balance until I can get moving again. On towards Pals.
Several times i'm blown off the road orinto it, fortunately without
damage. Reach Pals where there is a campsite and decide to bail out
as things are getting dangerous. They apologetically tell me they
can't charge less than 17 euros and insist on searching the internet
for a cheaper site. I try telling them I regard my life worth at least
17 euros but they won't have it and hand me details of another site.
As the suggested site is not in the direction I want to go I continue
on to my original destination. Eventually reach Montgo after one of
the most physically and mentally demanding journeys i've evermade. 6
hours of battling with headwinds to cover 50km. Find Andrew there.
He'd had exactly the same experience yesterday, also decided to bail
out at Pals but complained about paying 17 euros which is why they
assumed I wouldn't want to stay.

Sun 8th mar
Beautiful sunny day, no wind. Andrew decides to push on, I decide to
visit the ruins at Empuries 8km away. Walk into L'Escala, through the
old town then along coastal paths. It's sunday and everybody and their
dog are out enjoying the sunshine. The ruins are extensive, consisting
of an ancient greek port later taken over by the romans and extended
inland. Anyone with an interest in ancient history could spend several
hours here easily even though only 25% has been excavated so far. Well
worth the 3 euros entrance fee.

Mon 9th mar
Cloudy and warm. Set off for Llanca through fairly flat terrain.
Before long the mountains are on all three sides and wind picking up.
Past a grim looking monastery perched on a rocky outcrop then a long
descent into Llanca; I had not realised how high i'd climbed. Find
campsite at El Port de Llanca, pitch up and explore. Lots of folk
speaking french rather than spanish. The border is only 14km away.

some snapshots