| Distance | 118.32 kms | 73.32 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 496 meters | 1,627 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 5.36 | - |
| Avg speed | 22 kph | - |
| Distance | 575.78 kms | 357.91 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 2,440 meters | 8,005 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 29.90 | - |
Tuesday, December 11th, 2018
Another sopping wet tent to wrap up and stuff into the bag this morning. The thought of coffee and a warm croissant keeps me motivated while I shiver in this pre-dawn fog.
I'm crushed to find out that the bakery in Avignonet is closed on Wednesdays... I suspect I have a long ride ahead of me before I find one that's open. At least I'm being treated to a beautiful sunrise through the fog as I make my way east on the départementale towards Castelnaudary. The canal path is too muddy to tackle today; it will have to be pure pavement all the way to Narbonne if I want to stay relatively clean.
The chain is skipping on the cassette. A cursory inspection doesn't reveal anything obviously wrong, I'm in too much of a hurry to get home to spend the time to figure it out. I'll deal with it tomorrow.
I finally get my coffee and croissant in Castelnaudary about 50km into my day. A couple of junkies are causing a ruckus at the bakery. I keep a close eye on my luggage.
After Castelnaudary I put my head down and ride hard. The towns march by: Bram, Villseuquelande, Carcassonne, Trebes... I've done this ride so many times I'm just cruising on autopilot. The Tramontane (northwest wind) isn't blowing hard today, but it's strong enough to give me a helpful push in the back.
I roll into Narbonne in the late afternoon. The bike gets left fully loaded in the kitchen. I hop in the shower, make dinner, and jump into my nice warm bed. There will time for sorting out the gear tomorrow.
