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A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu

Orléans to Roses

My third year of cycling through France, this trip started in Orléans, followed the Loire to Nevers, then switched rivers to follow the Allier, went through the Massif Central, down to the Med and then back inland before going over the Pyrenees and to Roses (pronounced RosAs by the way).  1121km not including 50 or 60 not counted along the way.

The second part of the trip, from the Massif to Spain was largely the route I'd done two years ago and had enjoyed so much.  I'd started in Orléans largely because the dates that European Bike Express offered allowed me to arrive in Allègre to coincide with the Human Powered Vehicle Festival (VPH) held there every year.

Date of event: 7/8/2011

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Laurier Rose, Oleander
<p>I took this photo because oleander was grown a lot in France, apparently it requires little care and little water. &nbsp;Here it seems to be growing wild just by the side of the road and it smells wonderful.</p><p>Somewhere around here I have to cross the A75 and two years ago I'd not followed the route in Benjaminse but this year I did, which was a mistake. &nbsp;I think that since Benjaminse wrote his book the road has changed slightly. &nbsp;It now involves going on a very busy road over a bridge that crosses the A75, then along a carriageway with lots of pinch points, then up and over a hill before going down into Nebian. &nbsp;The other way I took two years ago misses all of that out and is better.</p>
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Laurier Rose, Oleander

I took this photo because oleander was grown a lot in France, apparently it requires little care and little water.  Here it seems to be growing wild just by the side of the road and it smells wonderful.

Somewhere around here I have to cross the A75 and two years ago I'd not followed the route in Benjaminse but this year I did, which was a mistake.  I think that since Benjaminse wrote his book the road has changed slightly.  It now involves going on a very busy road over a bridge that crosses the A75, then along a carriageway with lots of pinch points, then up and over a hill before going down into Nebian.  The other way I took two years ago misses all of that out and is better.

 

Adissan
<p>As you can see from the bent flag pole it's still very windy, though this time the wind is from the side and sometimes even from behind, which makes a very nice change. &nbsp;There's nothing quite so depressing as fighting a headwind. &nbsp;It's worse than going uphill since at least uphill there's an end, there's a view, and there's a downhill. &nbsp;Wind is just an invisible hand holding you back.</p><p>Once I got past Nizas and up the hill just after it, the road, just about where the small airfield is, started to go downhill. &nbsp;It was largely downhill all the way to P&eacute;zenas, the wind was at my back and the tarmac was excellent so, 67km/hr top speed for the day going downhill and cruising comfortably at 40km/hr. &nbsp;Perfect.</p>
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Adissan

As you can see from the bent flag pole it's still very windy, though this time the wind is from the side and sometimes even from behind, which makes a very nice change.  There's nothing quite so depressing as fighting a headwind.  It's worse than going uphill since at least uphill there's an end, there's a view, and there's a downhill.  Wind is just an invisible hand holding you back.

Once I got past Nizas and up the hill just after it, the road, just about where the small airfield is, started to go downhill.  It was largely downhill all the way to Pézenas, the wind was at my back and the tarmac was excellent so, 67km/hr top speed for the day going downhill and cruising comfortably at 40km/hr.  Perfect.

Pézenas campsite
<p>It's a municipal site and very nice, though only about 30 places. &nbsp;There was no guardian but a sign on the door said to just set up, which I did. &nbsp;I showered and did my washing and got that out to dry too. &nbsp;It was very warm so I set up my campseat (made from my thermarest) and started to read my book.</p><p>Just then a car arrived with a couple and a child from Paris who said they'd reserved that place after phoning the site. &nbsp;I was definitely not wanting to move. &nbsp;How, if there's no guardian on the site, no sign indicating a reservation can that possible be? &nbsp;A sy'stem of secret reservations? &nbsp;So, selfishly perhaps, I just stayed put, though I did offer to share the pitch, and after a while the couple went off somewhere else.</p><p>The guardian, who arrived at 6.00, remembered me from two years ago, happily charged my bits and pieces, gps and powermonkey that is to say, while I went off to buy some olives and odds and ends for dinner.</p><p>In order to spead the load I'd left my phone on charge with an english couple in a caravan who kindly gave me a beer to have with my olives, cold too. &nbsp;I tried to reciprocate by offering olives but they didn't like olives apparently.</p><p>Met quite a few other people too, a dutch guy whose electric window was broken and needed to know how to say that in french, and the couple next to me who had done some cycling in the past and wanted to know about the recumbent. &nbsp;All in all a very friendly site.</p>
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Pézenas campsite

Pézenas to Bizanet
<p><strong>Fri, 22nd July. &nbsp;93km, avg 15.3km/hr, max 36.8km/hr, 6 hrs riding but 9.5hrs total</strong></p><p>A lovely ride to the coast. &nbsp;Early morning, sun, no traffic, just a delight.</p>
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Pézenas to Bizanet

Fri, 22nd July.  93km, avg 15.3km/hr, max 36.8km/hr, 6 hrs riding but 9.5hrs total

A lovely ride to the coast.  Early morning, sun, no traffic, just a delight.

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It's a municipal site and very nice, though only about 30 places.  There was no guardian but a sign on the door said to just set up, which I did.  I showered and did my washing and got that out to dry too.  It was very warm so I set up my campseat (made from my thermarest) and started to read my book.

Just then a car arrived with a couple and a child from Paris who said they'd reserved that place after phoning the site.  I was definitely not wanting to move.  How, if there's no guardian on the site, no sign indicating a reservation can that possible be?  A sy'stem of secret reservations?  So, selfishly perhaps, I just stayed put, though I did offer to share the pitch, and after a while the couple went off somewhere else.

The guardian, who arrived at 6.00, remembered me from two years ago, happily charged my bits and pieces, gps and powermonkey that is to say, while I went off to buy some olives and odds and ends for dinner.

In order to spead the load I'd left my phone on charge with an english couple in a caravan who kindly gave me a beer to have with my olives, cold too.  I tried to reciprocate by offering olives but they didn't like olives apparently.

Met quite a few other people too, a dutch guy whose electric window was broken and needed to know how to say that in french, and the couple next to me who had done some cycling in the past and wanted to know about the recumbent.  All in all a very friendly site.