Le Casque

We stocked up for lunch at a small charcuterie in Aigues-Mortes then followed the canal to the sea. The road led to La Grand-Motte which was a town built in the 1960s on sand dunes. It now has an architecture award for its innovative design, but we do not really like the buildings. However architecture is a bit like art. It comes down to personal taste. The beach is white, clean, and runs for a very long way. Regular access ways help protect the remaining dunes.

We followed a cycle way along side the dunes for about 12 kms before heading into inland to Montpellier. It is an absolute dog of a route for cyclists. Do not go there on bikes!

For example there was a 150 m length of footpath/cycleway that started level at one end and became steps 150 metres later. Which meant there was an ever so slightly increasing lip which I had not spotted. I leaned the bike to get back on track but the wheel hit the lip and went in the other direction. This time I landed without being able to break my fall. One very bloodied knee and a couple of bruises later I picked my self up off the deck with the help of some passers-by. I noticed that the lip was black with tyre marks so I was not the first person to get caught in this trap. I was rather shaken and Sally suggested a coffee break to settle the nerves. But I decided it was better to get straight back on the horse as I could see that if I stopped I was going nowhere for a very long time.
5 minutes later we found ourselves behind an old couple who were walking between barriers along side the tram tracks. As I followed them through the barriers they decided to stop. I swerved to miss them but just clipped the barrier and ended up in the ground for a second time. Yet again a bunch of people came to help me up.

I love my skid-lid !

Later we found our way to the Tourist Office which was atop a flight of about 100 steps so we had to find an alternative route to the top. Once there we found ourselves in a huge park which was full of people enjoying the afternoon sun. The place was buzzing and the streets were pretty much closed off to traffic. At the tourist office I asked for a good route out of town and the lady I was talking to told me of a good friend of hers who had settled in the Coromandels. We wandered the streets, got lost, and stopped for lunch at another park overlooking an old aqueduct.

Montpellier is a great place to visit on foot or public transport. Just not on bikes.

At 6 pm we headed out of town for the 5 km trip to Valerie, our host for the night. Once again it was a nightmare cycling through Montpellier and the route suggested by the tourist office did not actually exist. So 80 minutes later after many detours and rush hour traffic, we sent a txt to our host letting her know we would be rather late.
As it turned out she had had to leave anyway to sort out a problem with her car, but just as we arrived at her house her brother arrived and let us in. We got to cook some of our Carmargue rice which was superb and after a very quick chat to our host ( who got home rather late) we set off for bed.