Day 28
Catching up with friends is always good but leaves a sour taste when it comes time to say goodbye. This occasion was no different. So after a few days rest and relaxation I headed North on the C14 from Reus and made for the Pyrenees.
Riding a bike in the Pyrenees in the summer is a great experience, well surfaced twisty roads, great views and lots of great coffee stops.
After lots of energetic cornering and one or two more coffees I reached the border with Andora. As it is a duty free enclave I used my time there to stock up on cigars but definitely not on petrol, at 1.75 Euros per litre it was some of the most expensive that I had seen. Once stocked up on contraband I left Andora and within minutes I was at the French border.
After crossing the border from Andora I headed in the general direction of Carcassonne, I have been there many times before and although it is a very interesting city it has become quite touristy and so I decided in advance to bypass it on this occasion. However, I did enjoy the scenery on the N120 on the way there
including a spectacular hilltop castle.
As I reached the outskirts of Carcassonne I did however find a picturesque spot on the North of the city by a canal to stop and have a break.
Descending the foothills of the Pyrenees the road I took wound through lots of towns an villages that were full of old buildings and spectacular views. My destination for that day was Montpellier and as I had been invited to stay overnight with a friend, I had plenty of time to take in the sights and stop for the odd coffee or two en route.
Whist riding in that part of France I hit a section of an old Route National that had huge trees lining each side of the roadway, this was the norm when I first visited France in the 1980’s but sadly now sections of road like this are now few and far between.
A few miles along this road I found a bike graveyard that I just had to stop and photograph.
For me it was sad to see so many bikes discarded and apparently not being worked on, I continued to ride West until I arrived in Montpellier where I met up with my friend and set thereafter out to explore the city. I had passed it by a few times but I had never explore Montpellier before and I found it to be a lovely city to walk around in.
