Along the canal

12 Days to go
Distance travlled: 70.8 miles
Time in saddle: 6hrs 33 mins
Overall distance travelled: 4469.7 miles
A I woke this morning I could hear the rain. It actually woke me up a couple of times through the night along with some very load club music that was coming from down the valley. I spent half the night subconsciously dancing to it....it was knackered in the morning.
I went to wash and use the toilet first thing...there wasn't any, not as I recognise it. The two toilets were side by side with a gap under and over the top of each. they were mixed toilets...yes men and women together. No I am not a prude but I cannot have a poo knowing that there is a woman in the next cubicle, which was not fully enclosed. I'd be appologising every time I broke wind, which would obviously be a lots of "I'm so sorry".
There wasn't even anywhere to sit down. I like to embrace the culture of the countries I visit, but this is Europe for gods sake....Civilised people sit and have a poo....how do you read the paper?.....or eat your sandwiches....OK I just threw that one in. Two foot holes and a hole for the 'stuff' to go down. I worked out that you were supposed to squat like a Russian weight lifter waiting to do the 'jerk'....now now. I could imagine two people next to each other both waiting for the buzzer to go before they started....obviously not weightlifting but with the same expression of concentration on their faces. I'm sorry but I couldn't do it...I waited until an opportunity arose later that morning.
It was raining very heavily as I started of. I didn't mind, it reminded me of home.Once you get so wet it doesn't matter and that's how it was for a couple of hours. I passed some beautiful fields full of sunflowers. What was even more amazing was that some fields had the sunflowers with their heads up and some with them down. It was as if they communicated with each other....I know they can't....but I grew up with Bill and Ben and Weed so you never know....they even had their own TV show.
I asked a guy for directions and he suggested a lovely cycle path along a canal. It went all the way to Toulouse. I eventually found it and he was right it was beautiful. I bumped into a girl called Julie, but she said it in the French way...beautiful language. She was travelling to Toulouse too, we decided to ride together for a while. She was a fitness teacher from Corsica and spoke English very well. I told her the only French sentence I knew, from classes at Orford Secondary Modern forty years ago...The cat is on the wall (I'm not trying to write it in French) She complimented me on my pronunciation. Mr Rigg (French teacher) you did me proud.
We parted at Toulouse after a cup of coffee and appreciated each others company. I decided to travel on a bit along the canal...it goes all the way to Bordeaux. I met a couple, the guy was from Tangiers originally but lived with is wife in Bordeaux. He was the spitting image of my uncle Albert who passed away years ago...amazing. I actually thought someone had sent him to help me, funny what you think isn't it?
It looked like it was going to rain again and I had done about 65ish miles so I asked a family where there might be a hotel....they were lovely and directed me to where I am now. If I didn't have to recharge my batteries and do my blog it would be very easy to camp by the side of the canal. If I don't do my blog I get worried phone calls asking me if I am OK, bless you all. The couple who own the hotel are really nice...different again from some of the people I have met in many of the hotels. Even though they don't speak English and my Spanish is limited to 'the cat is on the wall'....still not seen one, we sorted out a room, a garage for my bike, some wine and something to eat...not bad really, and had a laugh doing it.
I'm drying out my tent....may use it again. Sorting out my kit and having a lovely shower....a good end to a good day.