Much better day today. Smoother tracks and between Agde and Sete I saw a smudge on the horizon that turned into the Med. That was a very good moment. I followed the coast through sand dunes, along cliff tops and beside marshes. White flamingos with pink bottoms added a lovely splash of colour. The French long distance cycle paths are brilliant. Bikes are separated from other traffic and everybody's happy (apart from the bloke I called 'Le Knob' for cutting me up). I have arrived in Montpellier and here I shall end this tour I think. Time to go home.
I've cycled for 18 days and covered 1,562 km (976 miles) from the English Channel to the Atlantic Ocean and then to the Mediterranean Sea. The last time I cycled this sort of distance I was 12 years younger and it took me four days less (Land's End to John O'Groats). So I'm 19% older and 28% slower. Oh dear. I think my assault on the round the world record might be in danger of becoming a permanent pipe dream. I need another tour to plan. I hear Rwanda's nice.
On the plus side I have burnt about 19,000 extra calories. That's about 200 bananas or one Big Mac with medium fries (hold the shake). I have, of course aimed for calorific balance and in seeking that goal I am now on the outside of a pint of cold Ciney. A beer sharing the name of my Grandparents' retirement bungalow. I think I'll have another one to toast their memory (and address this awful calorific deficit).
En route today (I am sooooh French) a guy passed me with the biggest load I have seen so far. He had four panniers, a bar bag, a rack pack and a trailer with a huge duffle bag. The one thing I have learned about these trips is to take the absolute minimum. There's less to lose, find, go wrong, pack, unpack, break and carry. He had a thousand yard stare and the look of a man who has overdone it on the emergency dried apricots. Good luck mate.
I can sense your anticipation for the Bridge of the Ride Award. Well, take a look at this bad boy. A contender surely. Multi-arched and running alongside an aqueduct. Cobbled path though and we all know that means less points. And what do less points mean.....
I must announce that there was a late entry today in the sub-category of traffic bearing, concrete construction (ornate metal railings permitted), Brutalist architecture, 18m to 25m span, 1959 to 1969, closed for repair, completely unusable and a waste of space. I didn't allow it to be entered. Call me a stickler for the rules if you must but it was seen at 16:01 so clearly well outside of the permitted time window........... I think it's definitely time to go home.
The last challenge is to get home. Isn't it wonderfully reassuring that the current cause of travel problems is the French air traffic controllers' strike (a national pasttime) and not a global pandemic. I will sort a train journey tomorrow.
Oh, yes. You're right. I forgot to update you on my bum. Well, let's put it this way. When I get home, I shall sit down to my breakfast porridge in my dressing gown and sand the kitchen chair at the same time.
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