Canal du Midi - day 2

Day 2 Canal du Midi.

Off to a good start after communal breakfast at the Formule. As usual in France I am searching for camping gas.

After a day and a half walking there has been nowhere to buy anything.

Walking on the canal is mainly on a Tarmac cycle path with occasional possibilities of walking on alternative cinder track or traditional compacted earth. The views are similar all the way, but it is something, including the Tarmac, that I am happy with (not for Gayle I think).

I met a guy setting up his café around 10:00 am - he doesn't open till midday, but he told me about an Intermarché and a Brico about five kilometres onwards involving crossing the canal and doubling back half a km. I did this. The supermarket did not sell gas and the Brico was closed for the sacred French lunch until 2:00 - far too long to wait. I pressed on after buying and eating a grim sandwich from the supermarket having wasted petrhaps an hour and walking in all a couple of extra km's.

A bit further on I met a couple coming the other way two and a half months out from Rome walking the Compestella thing. They were Belgians and advised of a. SuperU and chambre d'hôtes 11 km's further on. It was bit far for me to walk on top of my kilometerage up till then, but they offered to phone ahead for me and book in so I accepted. Walking on this canal is about 95 per cent in the shade with the endless lines of famous plain trees. But for that, with present heat I would have no chance of continuing with this walk. The final mile and a half up a busy main road, and visiting the SuperU was at my absolute limits. I flopped in a chair at SuperU and slept for quarter of an hour soaking up the air conditioning.

At the digs I had a catalogue of good and bad news.

Yes there was a nearby "restaurant" - pizzeria - (bad)
It was closed ( perhaps fortunate)
But there was another (good)
But I it was a créperie (bad)
But there was another next door which was ok (good)

Mine hoste rang and booked me a table, although I had doubts whether I was too exhausted to eat, but I girded up my loins.

When I arrived it was Thai, but I had a good meal with lots of water and Thai beer.

The waiter served my plat principal and said " pour un homme sportif".

Sent from my iPad


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad