The canal of the two seas

“The ways of the world were created billions of years ago. They are not creation of man. They were created long before the humans arrived on the planet and conquer all, even the ways. Under the theory of evolution, applicable to everything, humans modify the ways. First stone … then with asphalt. But man’s ambition has no limits Why can only travel by land vehicles with wheels? Why boats can not travel across the continent? and so, under the ultimate ambition of man, he was born a new kind of way. They called canal and with it the dream of a ship sailing across the continent came true…”

La Rochelle I leave that day. The road to Bordeaux was complicated, basically, it was ruled by the highway so I could not move there. I decided to follow the advice of the woman in the tourist office: Velodyssey follows until Royan, crossing the strait with a ferry and reach Bordeaux from the south side. And that’s what I did.

_DSC5340.ARWAt first it seemed easy. The Velodyssey, in theory, is the European highway cycling. It must be as flat as possible and the best preserved roads and many traveling with road bikes and some with big luggage … but from theory to practice that is another step. It is understandable that interception sections in which you ride with other vehicles … but the roads are full of stones and bumpy… I could no longer bear, my poor Pupas. Knew what condition my beloved horse was suffering and for every bump and stone that had to be overcome. A broken radio and bearings completely fucked direction. But I must admit one thing, my anger at the way came from the suffering of Pupas because… I was enjoying as a little boy!

The Velodyssey gave me a good thing to know Gili and his family. I have met many cyclist on the world but he has a great family. Obviously I will not put your photo out of respect for children, but say that the smallest of seven years is capable of doing 50/60 kilometers a day … the greatest of all my respect, you will do a great things. But leave them in Royan, I would have loved to chat a while longer but on this part of the journey’m in a hurry.

Hurry is a bad thing for any trip, makes you lose things, important things. But a message from my father told me to be as close to the weekend a good opportunity so that they’ll can see me!_DSC5334.ARW

I knew I needed to stop and repair at least the spoke. But I also know that if the road is not too bad the same wheel as it was could hold the whole trip. So, without considering any other, I decided to continue to see what could happen. That and the fact that when I decided to stop in Lesparre to see the mechanic, thanks to Jos advice, did not have the spare parts needed to Pupas.

Arrive at Bordeaux, and went in search of information in the tourism office. It was something a woman told me some time ago on the ferry that carried me to Holland, “there is a canal, which crosses France and you can go by boat from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. It is the canal du midi. “Well, explain a little history and the names of” canals “, as it is not a canal, it was two.

“The Canal du Midi (Canal du Midi in French, Miègjorn canal in Occitan) is a waterway France linking the Garonne River in Toulouse with the Mediterranean Sea. Way along the side channel of the Garonne (Toulouse and Bordeaux linking) the call canal that connects the two seas by waterway Atlantic to the Mediterranean. “Text taken from Wikipedia.

Canal du Midi was created by Baron Pierre-Paul Riquet that convinced the French king Louis XIV in the need to connect the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. He got designing two channels with opposite slopes that would connect in Toulouse. The Canal du Midi was the first and was inaugurated in the distant 1681dc … certainly an odyssey for the time.

Garonne Canal or canal lateral de la Garona  is an extension of the famous Canal du Midi from Toulouse to Bordeaux (flows about 54km before reaching the city). His late construction (XIX century) saw made soon overtaken by his great rival: the railroad. Currently its 193 kilometers serve to pleasure boats.

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Information gained, I left Bordeaux in search the canal … well, the track cyclist have been recreated to follow the canal. I was excited to see it, nothing to do with the Velodyssey. Asphalt and 2.5m wide track. Pupas was also glad of the new route. If yes, do not think bad Pupas has its own personality, if she does not like the way she complains, and if she does not like anything is broken and decides not to continue. So to see the “voie verte” around the canal that runs I knew immediately it would go a lot faster. The trouble, so to say, is that this super-bike trail ends at Toulouse spend some becoming “the canal of the two seas” in what are really two different canals.

_DSC5410.ARWSo meeting with my parents to see us on Sunday in Toulouse, really important at this stage of the journey . I visited the city with them quietly. We visited the Capitol, the Basilica of St. Semin and the Cathedral of St. Elienne among other things. But the day went wrong while we were repairing the seat broke yesterday. Well, who says repair is replace . It started to rain as it has not rained on the whole trip. It quickly became the universal flood and we were forced to take refuge in a bar. Seeing the hours pass and the rain does not stop, I decided it was better to start looking for somewhere to sleep, obviously outside the city where let me put the tent.

Back to solitude, this city that marks the change of canal, Canal pass Garonne to Canal du Midi, also had the total and radical change of luck. While Garonne canal just broke the saddle (and you can understand that the saddle broke after me ten thousand kilometers and more than a year sleeping on the street) I had no more problems than simple adjustments to the brakes. The Canal du Midi was just the opposite. The time change. The road passing 2.5m wide asphalt road to muddy and bumpy ground sometimes a foot of typical walking path.

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They host me in Castelnaudary where I felt like one family. But a bad decision made on the ladder broke the second spoke of the rear wheel. I did 41 kilometers to reach the Decathlon Carcassonne and to repair the wheel thanks to Stephen who lent me the necessary tools.

Once the wheel repaired, put a screw in the rear carrier and congratulated my mother for her birthday turned to the “official” route. And again be in poor condition. Pupas constantly shaking but I, for my love of the mountains, I have a great time … maybe I should have been more careful … but fate has its things and support bent in one place at the hand of God. It was late, and I decided it was best to find a place to spend the night and to reparation to Pupas … again.

Fate is capricious and I got to meet Michelle and her friends who spend _DSC5484.ARWthe summer in Fonz. After passing one of the best days, I returned to the road, but this time by road. Only few kilometers to Narbonne and did not want for anything in the world continue to have more problems.

I met a French was making a tour of France. It is curious to see how the trip unifies people although not understand, he joined me for a few hours until our paths separated. Just as happened to Paul on the road before Castelnaudary, meet people who share the same hobby leads to have a great friendship during the time that your roads meet. And even if you know how hard it is for you to find the back at the time of separation, become important figures in the history of travel. Characters that for a moment made your trip was not alone.

And just again, reaches Narbonne. Beautiful city with its castle and old town. But late and a city is never the best place to put your tent. So I leave in the moment I arrive … a shame but necessary choice.

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This was my experience in the mythical canal of the two seas. A canal even though he does not change, the paths accompanying yes they do. Different ways, like night and day … like the Garonne and the Midi.

Thank you all for reading! The next delivery will last of this Prologue around.blue.

Greetings friends !!

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3 Replies to “The canal of the two seas”

  1. flo

    Sa ma fait plaisir d’avoir partagé un morceau de route avec toi ! Je te souhaite beaucoup de chance, de courage, des rencontres magnifiques et de beau paysages!

    Reply
  2. magdalena

    Hola Manel por fin te puedo escribir, ya estaba mas liada que un gato en un garaje. Ahora no estoy,muy espirada , pues sigo perdida . solo te dire que eres nuestro orgullo

    Reply

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