Sorry about the title. Rick isn’t killing the sycamores, but the two were a part of our day today.
We arrived in Carcassonne at midday and made our way across the city to it’s castle. This year we have been seeing a lot of castles, yet this is definitely one of the best preserved and most interesting.
We understand that Rick Steves visited here as a child and he enjoyed it so much that it was the inspiration that launched his career in European tourism.
The sycamores, unfortunately, are a much different story. Most of the Canal du Midi is lined with tall gorgeous sycamores. But they are dying. MC’s research indicated that we should hurry to come to the canal, in order to still see them. You can see the devastation in the following photo.
On the left the row of trees end where they have already been cut down. On the distant right bank you can see the ones that are currently dying.
This is going to change the entire experience of the canal forever. These trees have formed a canopy over the canal that protect the boats, cyclists, and hikers from the heat and wind, offering a green passageway that is magical. We feel so fortunate to have gotten here to experience it before it’s too late.
Our travels continue to be challenging, but improving. We left the canal for the first quarter of the day, only to be blasted with headwinds. We remained on the canal from then on, mostly shielded by the sycamores and banks, but still having sections of path that were nothing more than mud and water where we must walk.
But fortunately, more often now we are traveling on something actually resembling a bike path.
We find that Michelin maps of France (and only their French maps), are excellent for finding cycling routes. The maps are accurate in distinguishing gravel and pavement, secondary from primary roads with heavier traffic, and they show bike paths. We have high hopes, because in a few kilometers from today, Michelin indicates that most of the remaining canal ahead has a path along it. Until now, we agree that they have been correct, that there really has been no path.
MC reports that the hotel staff also confirmed that the path behind us is a “technical ride”, not for traveling. It’s tree roots, mud, and pot holes have overly tested our new pannier system, and skills at staying upright together on the tandem. We can appreciate why no one makes a tandem mountain bike!