France by Bicycle | PART 15: CANAL DE GARONNE

Waking up in Castets et Castillon, we quickly find our route for the next several days: the Canal du Garonne. This is the westernmost point of the Canal des Deux Mers, which stretches from here where the River Garonne is reliably navigable, along the Canal du Garonne to Toulouse and then via the Canal du Midi to Agde, Sète, and the Mediterranean, some 450 km away. We ride along what has to be the most pristine bike path either of us have experienced, with miles of riding along tree-lined canals and through quiet French villages. After an overnight in Damazan, we continue on this gem of a trail, through fruit-growing regions and of course, more vineyards, to the Pont-canal d’Agen, a 1768 foot long aqueduct and a spectacular feat of engineering, one of many on this route. Then through the city of Agen, and on to the village of Valence d’Agen, where we take a well-deserved rest day in the rain, and meet the lovely owner of an outstanding restaurant who shares her story. An absolutely fabulous stretch of bicycle touring!
Music:
Accordion and Glockenspiel Comedy - JK Productions
Pond Five
081716572-accordion-and-glockenspiel-com
a href="www.pond5.com/royalty-free-mu..."Stock Music/a provided by JK_Production, from a href=“www.pond5.com/"Pond5/a
Like Any Other Day - Kikoru
Epidemic Sound
Inconvenient Truth - Kikoru
Epidemic Sound
Sona - Valente
Epidemic Sound
Rainy Birthday - Aluvio
Epidemic Sound
Say It Again - Chris Shards
Epidemic Sound
Les Champs Elysées - Trabant 33
Epidemic Sound
Parc De Parade - Trabant 33
Epidemic Sound

[@michelesauret7779]

A very good moment with you, merci. ❤

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Great to have you along, Michèle!

[@eff6582]

Bonjour Beautiful people in this beautiful south west. Watching your videos, I felt a motivation. Next week, I'm going with three friends, to ride of Loire! We are cycling due to health problems and it needed a challenge and a few days of vacation to do it! Merci, happy trails !!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

That is fabulous news! Can't wait to hear how it goes. The Loire is perfect for such a ride. Enjoy!

[@juliannahenley4921]

Ride safely and of course...Happy Trails

[@geezers10]

Everything is fine, what a lovely name for a restaurant. When I lived in Bourges, France the couple that owned the restaurant around the corner from my apartment "adopted" me and took it upon themselves to improve my French. The countryside is the heart of France.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

You know, I never translated that. Nice! Yes, the countryside really capture the essence. For all its sophistication France is very pastoral. What a lovely country to say that you've lived in!

[@Biking360]

I swear all cycling should be like this!!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yes indeed, Jay. If every ride could be so amazing.

[@richardstoner866]

A super video…thanks….im cycling this same part of your route next week….it looks great! 👍

[@colinwellman9480]

Another lovely episode of your journey. Imagine how many times you've turned those pedals so a little tiredness is a given. For me although I dislike steep hills I do find that paths alongside canals or rail trails are very taxing. No let, up, if you want to make progress then you have to keep pedalling. The sad fact is that in much of rural France boulangeries and bars have closed due to lack of trade. Bread is cheaper in the supermarket so much of the trade has been lost and drink driving laws have had an affect . I've always got on well with people from Paris but many of our French friends say they are arrogant and impatient. I guess it's the difference between the bustle of a city and a rural town. Thanks once again for taking the time to film and edit this.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much, Colin. You're right, hills give you rest, but there is no rest when your route is flat.(I still love these trails, just wouldn't want to ride ONLY rail trails or canals) That is sorry to hear about the boulangeries, I also sense that Covid has done in many small businesses all over. The tension between rural and urban is not unique to France, in our tour of the US that separation was impossible to miss, and seems to be key to our (America's) current political dysfunction.

[@vanderwielen]

Another outstanding series and video. Good presentation Roland and Julianne.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much Rick!

[@alethearobinson8132]

What a beautiful trail. And thanks for taking the time to share the history. Such a marvelous trip. Maybe consider a final episode covering shipping your bikes, overall trail conditions. How the new bike worked out. Time of year that you were riding. Cost staying in rooms etc. Thanks again for sharing

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Alethea! So glad you are enjoying these!

[@ReimaginedAdventures]

Rainy day in Pennsylvania, Binge watching your videos, headed to the Katy trail next month thanks for putting these videos up !

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Snowy here in Colorado! Spring is coming slowly. Hope you see our videos on the KATY, an absolutely lovely trail that we rode on our cross country trip.

[@HackHunter1835]

This Chapter just has that WOW feel to it. I wouldnt ride fast thru those trails either. Just spectacular!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you! Yes, we fell in love with this part of the trail!

[@angelaeinkaufen4566]

Lovely! I really enjoyed this one

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Awesome! Yes, an absolutely lovely stretch of trail.

[@e-BikeLife]

Oh my... Oh my... That first part along the canal just made my heart ache. The beauty of the light through Plane trees was so beautiful. Thanks for another great episode!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

It really is the kind of experience to come to France for, so beautiful! We felt so fortunate!

[@JaqueParisien]

Wonderful! Your trip so far is what dreams are made of. That ride on the canal was exquisite. You are very lucky to be able to enjoy and take in so much of the French culture. Thanks for sharing as usual and happy trails.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much Jaque! We are so incredibly lucky to be able to do this. We're grateful for our health, for the people who created these stunning trails, and for the French for their beautiful cultural contribution to the world. Lucky indeed!

[@klasjansson5814]

As always a very nice video!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks so much, Klas!

[@tomm8660]

Dreamy segment - beautiful trail - wonderful people.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yup. This is why we ride! Thanks Tom!

[@dennispiciullo8060]

Awesome video again!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Dennis! Always appreciate you.

[@PumpkinVillage]

Taking the time to smell the roses is a perfect travel pace. What a beautiful and scenic trail. Rest days looked well deserved and the food looked so good. Take care, Al

[@TheBicycleTourists]

The more we bike tour, the slower we go. It's not about the miles, it's about the experience.

[@bwilsonduncan]

20:05 Did you know that this is how they make clouds in Frant's? Ingenious!!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Amazing! I did not know that!

[@atmrtwbike]

Oh, I'm going to love this area! I'd already deliberately planned my own route to go over Pont-canal d’Agen. But what a gem Valence d’Agen is!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yes, you will love it! And to be honest, many of the towns along here are equally appealing!

[@jkelly1701]

Brilliant amazing vlog

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Really appreciate that, Jim!

[@dondonner1095]

The beginning scenery made goosebumps on my arms. The pace was perfect and I would have done the same.Beautiful video once again. Thanks.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Ahh thanks Don. We so appreciate your comments. This really was a beautiful stretch.

[@AdventuresWithDanaJodie]

We are planning this ride in late August, 2023.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Awesome! you will love it! Enjoy!

[@TerrapinCyclist]

R&J Cycling Ambassadors! Another spectacular video Roland, thank you.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank YOU John, and you're welcome!

[@carmenraedelaney2795]

Hello again, It has been awhile since I last watched your France adventures. Once again I love your story telling and the beautiful scenery you captured in your video. I feel like I need to get a map to get the full picture of where you went. I actually thought about the two of you when I was in France this summer for a couple of weeks. Look forward to finishing the series. Carmen from Fargo

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Oh wow, you were just there! How great is that? If you continue to the end, we have a wrap-up video that shows the full route, not in great detail of course, but enough to give you a good idea. Thank you for following along, Carmen.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Bonjour Roland et Julianna, Randomly, for news in English in hotels and R’BnBs without Sat TV, there’s our european channel, ARTE TV in French and in German and also with subtitles in several european languages, including English (our Irish friends are in the EU, if Brits aren’t anymore). @13:43 white building with that industrial architecture looks very much like a flour mill. @16:40, the “factory” could be a silo, the chute would have been used to load grain, mostly wheat, in canal boats down to Sète and then exported across the Mediterranean Sea. Today, it is transported by road, rail to Marseille. Cindy is very diplomatic and chooses her words carefully, about the difficulty to adapt for, used to work hard + long shifts, Parisians, not always welcomed by locals, to a different quieter, slower, lifestyle.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Bonjour Cycliste Froissé ! Good to know about the subtitled TV, we never found that station unfortunately, but I think Julianna loved the challenge of trying to understand what was being communicated. A great way to get a feel for the language! Yes, I felt Cindy was being diplomatic, and I'm sure her challenges were significant. Its rarely easy to transition from urban to rural, no matter what country you live in.

[@juliannahenley4921]

Thank you for the great input and information!

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Bonjour ! Avec plaisir, chère Julianna. ( you shouldn’t have said that you could understand french news,😉) about these closed restaurants (and other small businesses), during C19 lockdown, French Gov launched a generous, taxpayers funded, income support scheme, calculated on business **declared** turn over. Small businesses which cooked their books, Poetic justice, received state compensations proportional to their tax contributions which wasn’t enough to keep them afloat. Young entrepreneurs like Cindy, with no local connections, can’t buy food paid cash, no invoice, no VAT and dish out meals, paid for in cash, the taxman never knows about. She’s still in business, others aren’t anymore...

[@thattravellingguy]

Your videos are amongst the best that I have seen. Can you please share the details of the last town and the restaurant with the hotel’s details. I would love to go there. Also considering that there are protests in France right now, I’ll wait until next year. I wonder if August next year would be a good time to visit. Thank you for such amazing videos. Your choice of music, videography and storytelling are absolutely top notch.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Re : Protests in France. France is at work. Only a minority of rather protected, who benefited of a special status*, and unionized workers protest. * example of special status, refuse collection workers (aka binmen for English), employed by local authorities, like in Paris, retired at 57 ( fifty seven, no typo), they protest against working two extra years and retire aged 59. In towns and cities where refuse collection has been outsourced to the private sector, there’s no strike. These protests put off, with reasons, tourists, this is the last thing young entrepreneurs, like this charming, hard working ex-Parisian, lady need. / end rant.

[@thattravellingguy]

@@cyclistefroisse9267 thanks for sharing your view. As someone who doesn’t stay in the country, the information is based on news channels and social media platforms (most of which are either biased or paid to inform). That is why I prefer to get factual information on the news etc. from someone local. But I’m truly smitten by the beauty of France and its people while watching this series.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much for noticing the details! Le tout va bien is the name of the restaurant in the village of Valence d'Agen. It was fabulous. And I agree with Cycliste Froissé to not wait. The time is now! France needs you! Go be smitten!

[@thattravellingguy]

@@TheBicycleTourists This year from august to September I’m in Canada. Visa tickets all done. So next year it will have to be. I am contemplating the eurovelos, through different countries, but may eventually do just France. France should make you and Julianna the official ambassador for their tourism industry, especially bike tourism. Trust me, I’ve spent hours viewing touring videos, but what you have shown me, I’m sold. I think I’m more sold on your narration, storytelling, simplicity. When your videos pop up I take a break from all my work, and watch it. I especially love the intro to your videos. The music is mesmerising and just draws the viewer into the videos.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

“As someone who doesn’t stay in the country, the information is based on news channels and social media platforms (most of which are either biased or paid to inform). That is why I prefer to get factual information”. 100 troublemakers setting fire to 5 trash containers has been BBC breaking news material for decades, titled Chaos in France. They influence the English speaking world. Factual information, for you, 1995 strikes, GDP impact -0.2%. (over a period of 3 months). 2018 strikes, GDP -0.1%. Some economists argue that strikes GDP impact is even more negligible (if having any effect, at all), since lost activity during several weeks of strikes is compensated within 3 to 4 months.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

The plane trees are dying, for a reason french aren’t likely to discuss with two American tourists. It is believed that the bug which kills the plane trees could have crossed the Atlantic during WW2 in US wooden ammunition boxes and subsequently accidentally released (Please note, the conditional tense and careful wording). AFAIK, French never bothered to clarify this assumption, if it is ever possible, finger pointing is a waste of time, anyway, and solves nothing. Instead, they concentrated their energy in finding a way to eliminate that bug, last time I checked, so far, unsuccessfully.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yes, in an increasingly globalized world, its impossible to stop these viruses at borders, even more so now. I read somewhere that the Plane trees are "newer" plantings, and that other species dominated the canals, when they, too, fell to disease. New plantings are abundant the further east you travel, with a clear intent to replace the dying Planes. It's a sad, but probably inevitable, transition.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

I beg to differ Roland, there’s a lot, us, Europeans, could learn from Australians and.... Americans. Aussies protect mercilessly their environment against the accidental introduction of invasive species. Likewise, there is at least, one (possibly more ?) Internal “bio-security” border in the US, between California and rest of the US, likewise meant to prevent the accidental introduction of pest, bugs, parasites and whatnot that could endanger California flora. French have a similar border between France (Europe) and French Guyana. Pallets from French Guyana are quarantined, anything suspicious is mercilessly destroyed by french Customs Officers and Phyto-sanitary Stds compliance inspectors in airports and ports of entry. If bikepacking-biketouring becomes a thing and an increasing number of riders cycle exotic destinations, IMHO, it’s only a matter of time before our bicycles are inspected in order to make sure that frame, pedals and tyres are spotless clean (no mud) as it is the case for exported 2sd hand agriculture machinery.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

The name is California Border Protection Stations (CBPS), there’s a Wiki entry. If I were to cross on my bike a Californian border, I’d report myself voluntarily to CBPS having previously cleaned bike, tent stakes and footprint, + shoe soles + rid myself of unpacked food and would seek guidance. In return, I’d ask for an inspection stamp (or seal?) on my framebag. How cool a souvenir, that would be !!

[@thierryflippe6792]

Inspiring! Can you tell who is the manufacturer of Julianna’s helmet surround ?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you! She is wearing a "Da Brim" available online.