France by Bicycle | PART 18: CARCASSONNE

[@maxdugan5319]

New Friday night tradition. Wine and pizza-now Roland and Julianna videos. Excellent start to the weekend!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Max! We love being part of your tradition!

[@williamlee7262]

Just one word AWESOME !!!!!!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks William! France certainly serves it up in huge portions!

[@dariusznowacki4887]

Super brawo jesteście wielcy szczególne pozdrowienia dla julianna chyle czoła jesteś the best!!!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Julianna says Dziękuję jesteś taki uprzejmy!

[@dondonner1095]

This one left me almost speechless. Beautiful and inspiring.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Don! Certainly one of our favorite stretches of our French route!

[@francoismarier-o3x]

love your videos, whatch this one twice in a row!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Aww thanks Francois, appreciate that!

[@RichardWright3450]

Thx again. You folks have a great way of passing the joy you feel on to us. "Some days are diamonds some days are stone" came to mind, the diamonds of joy and the stone of castle. Too bad about those horrible stipes! How could they imagine that was a good idea. Cheers,

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure the French were shocked at this attempt at commemorating Carcassonne. It doesn't need a modern take to impress anyone.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Exceptionally, usually you guess right, but not this time. Filed under « the French were shocked » : That labeled ugly steel scaffolding when built called the Eiffel Tower (should memory serve sold to those who opposed its construction as temporary, to be dismantled after the Exposition Universelle). It is still standing. The Pompidou Art centre nicknamed « the refinery » by its opponents, architects Italian Renato Piano & british Richard Rogers. The Louvres glass pyramid, Ieoh Ming Pei, Chinese-American architect. The wrapping of le Pont Neuf by Bulgarian artist Christo (1985) Jeff Koons « Bouquet of Tulip » ... The list goes on... By medieval standards, da Vinci was a revolutionary modern art artist, who was given free reins in France. That tradition lives on, past an initial moment of resistance, quickly overcome, French like, and even love, modern art much more than they know themselves. In other news backed with figures, the controversy following Swiss artist Felice Varini installation, fueled internationally by English gutter rags ( they can safely be trusted for French bashing and never disappoint) turned out to be most effective *free of charge* advertisement campaign the City of Carcassonne could have dreamt of. Result, ranked #3 most visited place in France (Mt St Michel #1, Arc de Triomphe #2) with 2m+ visitors/ year with atrocious figures during the peak season in the hundred of thousands visitors per day ! Oh, the moss and lichen will grow back and these stripes will disappear. Wanna bet that there’ll be people missing them when they’ll be gone ?

[@westpacificmarketanalytics2384]

Again thank you for another fantastic video! God Bless your weekend you two!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much! And God bless yours as well!

[@garyseckel295]

Such perfect bicycle touring! Perfect narration. Perfect scenery. Relish your videos!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Well thank you so much, Gary! So kind of you!

[@bennetthasty7886]

I love this series so much ❤🎉

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much, Bennett! That makes our day!

[@TerrapinCyclist]

Chapeau Roland, another superb video! Your love for the country and each other keeps shining through.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

thank you John, that's good to hear. We really did fall in love with this country!

[@michlkoch1470]

Great pix, good comments - and a phantastic understanding for land and Folks -and history…

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much!

[@michelesauret7779]

What a wonderful moments with you, Carcassonne is fantastic, the languedoc landscape is marvelous, a great pleasure riding with you in these places so different of my Champagne region. Thank you Julianna & Roland, our so nice french ambassadors 🤩

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Well, it’s not as if there were a North Western (mild and rainy winter) climate, a Continental climate (colder winter-hot summer), an Atlantic Ocean climate, a Mediterranean climate and an Alpine climate in a small country that fits within the boundaries of Texas (with room to spare). Oh, Wait...😉

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Michèle, one of the joys of this kind of travel is to see the changes in the country as you move from day to day. When originally exploring routes we hoped to see Champagne and the whole Burgundy area, someday perhaps we'll do a northern route, including Brittany and Normandy, Alsace, etc. So much to see, so little time!

[@michelesauret7779]

​​​​@@TheBicycleTouristsr choice was the best, your have to come black...Alsace first very beautiful villages and wines, Burgondy so charming old France and wines, Champagne my pretty old town Troyes...Reims, Epernay visit Champagne caves, Brittany gorgeous region. Your next ride...😊

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I know, I know! It all sounds fabulous! But we still have to ride Italy, and Czech Republic, and Lithuania, and Great Britain, and Japan, and...

[@PumpkinVillage]

Beautiful country and the the history is so amazing. Thanks for the brilliant video and take care, Al

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Al! Riding through here I kept thinking what a great place this would be to live. Just endless vistas and culture.

[@belladrayven]

Out of all your vids, I think this one is my fave! The music, the scenes were absolutely spectacular! I love your vlogs soooo much, always very relaxing, inspirational & I love how you both are always sharing your positive outlook on life :)

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much Izabella! Nothing could make us happier!

[@lindahowes5949]

Another beautiful section. The castle was so magical and the artifacts really interesting. Loved the commentary and your choice of music. 💜

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much Linda. Carcassonne is a place I've always wanted to see, it was worth the wait!

[@markclemens3409]

Bienvenue à l'Occitanie! Cypresses, Parasol pines and the spicy smell of the maquis. For any northerner or North American, the sights and smells of the approach to Mediterranean lands is a thrill.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks William! France definitely serves it up in big portions!

[@dennispiciullo8060]

Totally amazing! Love to tour that castle.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yes indeed, Dennis, Carcassonne is truly worthy. LIke we say in the video, we don't generally aim for the touristy stuff, but this was magnifique!

[@dennispiciullo8060]

@@TheBicycleTourists yeah, I see why, but stuff like this, you may never make it there again. I like things that are historical, I'd definitely would have went too. Stuff like, going to Hawaii and doing that luiao ( forget the spelling) dinner, I'd pass on stuff like that. But stuff like Pearl Harbor, I would go. Thanks again, sounds like this adventure us winding down.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I agree, you pick and choose. That sense of history always attracts me as well.

[@colinwellman9480]

Another lovely episode. If you've never done it, it's hard to understand the appeal of pedalling a bike to see a country. I follow a couple of KZbinrs who are doing world tours. The thing that stands out is the generous warm hearted people they meet and the help they freely give. I like your take on life. My Dad died when he was 48 and I was told to live each day as if it was your last. Thanks for sharing the trip, why you haven't got 10000 subscribers beats me.

[@juliannahenley4921]

Yes we have experienced the same generous kindness from local people wherever we happen to be. People are just basically kindhearted and take great pleasure in helping us if we need it. it is my opinion that most people are just generally good and kind hearted inside.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Your dad was wise for his tragically short years. As my future gets smaller and smaller, every day becomes precious. Cycling like this opens your eyes, your heart, your mind like nothing else I've found. And, yeah, I kinda can't believe we're where we're at for subscribers. Probably user error!

[@ofmikeonbike695]

Thank you again for all the effort you put in your videos to inspire me/us. You are truly idols for me and I hope, one day (when I will be retired) I can follow your footsteps (or tyre traces). Best wishes and regards from Switzerland

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Mike! We waited a long time to be able to do this so I get it. Although I'm sure your daily rides are a lot sweeter than OUR daily rides here in Denver Colorado.

[@HackHunter1835]

Your rest days on your last US tour were just that, a day to rest. A rest day in France on this tour is a lifetime of beautiful memories with pictures. You both show pure joy in this chapter. I have to admit, those antient statues were a bit creepy lol I was thinking about you guys last weekend when we rode the Camp Chase and PrairieGrass Trails in Ohio. We stopped at the London trailhead where you did and had lunch. After seeing this tour, i just dont see you guys doing another "rail trail" tour in the States. It would be such a let down compared to France. Roland, when you mentioned NO towels or sheets, i was expecting some of your dry humor with that statement. Glad you were rewarded with a nice room to end your day.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

“Your rest days on your last US tour were just that, a day to rest. A rest day in France on this tour is a lifetime of beautiful memories with pictures”. That’s only because R&J haven’t ridden, yet, the best US tour/route(s). As far as this European knows, there is no equivalent in Europe of Llama Ranch, Helena, Montana or Toaster house, Pie Town, New Mexico. By all accounts, a rest day at any of these places (and many others in between) is very much more than a rest day. That US invented concept aka Trail-Angel has yet to cross the Atlantic.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Cycliste Froissé: The Great Divide Trail is kind of on the bucket list. The Rockies/The American West is an area we're so familiar with, we tend to want to go other places on our trips, see new things. Also, really more mountain bike level, wouldn't want to do it without shocks and a much different setup! But you're right, trail angels everywhere here, but I would counter that we met many in France as well. The spirit of humanity is everywhere.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks HackHunter1835! I love it all, love the diversity. Europe is jam-packed with treasure, but the US is grand and open. I'm sure we will do another rail trail trip someday soon. Your trip on the OTET makes me long for the gentle beauty of Ohio. It's all great!

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

The spirit of humanity is, indeed, everywhere. Yet, you will find “one shot” Trail-Angels (TA) everywhere in Europe but won’t find “full time TAs” like Barbara and John Nye, amongst others. I can think of many reasons, one being, counterintuitively (again !), too many cyclists in Europe. I suspect that, we, Europeans and you, our American friends are having a very different relationship with the concepts of Private Property and trespassing, swedish “Allemansrätten” is a case in point. Worth noting, for would be bike tourists in France, that private property right doesn’t resist legally, “force majeure” should they find themselves in a dangerous situation, e.g. something as mundane as unexpected and sudden thick fog. Anybody turning down a request from a cyclist (or hiker) to wait out a dangerous situation, should an accident happen, would find themselves in deep trouble legally (prosecution for “mise en danger de la vie d’autrui”). Different legal systems trigger different answers, by law everybody and their dogs is a TA here, should circumstances dictate, and they’d better be, for their own good. Hence why, IMHO, there aren’t “official » TAs. My 2€ cents😉

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Fascinating perspective. We take for granted that law is law, but our concept of what is just differs from place to place. In America, it's all about individual freedom, often at the expense of social improvement, which has its positives and negatives. Thanks Cycliste Froissé, you bring a great point of view to these discussions!

[@atmrtwbike]

Excellent video! They're getting better and better. Love the chunk of time taken up with the castle. I'm not a big touristy person myself, but sometimes it's worth breaking your own rules. 🙂

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I agree, sometimes you just gotta see what everyone else sees!

[@rodofortier5166]

Hello Roland, le pays cathare is such a beautiful land. You made all his wonders come out in this clip. Thanks again for the ride.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you, I hadn't heard that term for the region. It is indeed exceptionally beautiful country, so appreciate you joining us on this ride!

[@eff6582]

Bonjour, Again the old story is still there. The bike trip allows you to use your senses and take the time to appreciate the places and landscapes! Happy trails

[@TheBicycleTourists]

You're right! Absolutely nothing like bike touring!

[@Biking360]

Tres Bien!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Jay! You were right, France is amazing!

[@Grangeburn]

A lovely video of your cycling route in the Lanquedoc. I have visited the area on two or three occasions but only briefly. I did recognise you stopping for a shaded lunch at the bridge in Homps. What a perfect place to sit and watch canal life. The whole region is steeped in so much history ...... the Romans, the Moors, the Cathars, the French ... so fascinating. It looks to be very hot indeed during your visit but you are correct to state that cycling is the way to go. The opportunity to see the land and the people brings such a different perspective to a holiday. I must say, however, that I have my reservations about the citadel in Carcassonn. It may be a UNESCO site but it was heavily restored in the middle of the 19th century, and embellished with a certain amount of fantasy. The old walled city is genuine, the ramparts are medieval; but most of the battlements as well as the steep slate roofs on the towers are due to the resoration work undertaken by the architect Eugène Violet Le Duc's imagination. It was his idea of how the old city ought to have looked in medieval times, rather than how it was. It does, however, look epic!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Homps was great as was the entire canal. You're right, full of history. And you're also right about cycling, it is, for us, the best way to experience a new place. I hear what you're saying about Carcassonne, but I think history is always evolving, many or most of the history we see has been altered, rebuilt, refaced by the many cultures through the years. LeDuc I think had a beautiful aesthetic with his work, but it does lose some of the authenticity.

[@Cyps36]

Thank-you for sharing your adventure, me, and my Lady actually watched your video today while in Carcassonne . We then made our way into Cite. We realised when we stopped for a meal, we had stopped at the same restaurant and as it happens we think we even sat at the same table? 😊 Best regards from 2 happy English tourists in Carcassonne today.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks for you're comments, and you're welcome! I hope you enjoyed Carcassone as much as we did. It's a small world, right?

[@carmenraedelaney2795]

Hello again, I am really loving everything about your trip. I did skip to the video about what to expect when biking through France. I finally got a full visual of the route.I was wondering how you managed such a flat route when I know there are lots of mountains in France. Nicely done. I can tell that you both cherished every day you were riding. That is what I love about touring on a bike...the things you see, smell, and feel at 10-12 miles an hour...priceless. Looking forward to the rest of the ride. Carmen from Fargo

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yes, if you know bike touring, you get it. You find a groove, and everything unfolds like a beautiful flower. Slow and sweet!

[@leswoodland2976]

Hi Roland and Julianna, We both have so much enjoyed your videos. Thank you for these:) We plan on biking France soon... we have done the Danube and Lake Konstanz. Loved them both! Can you please tell us what you liked the most: The Loire, or the Garonne... and which section was your fav? thanks so much - Les and Jude

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you! If I had to pick between the two, I'd probably lean toward the Loire, with a bit more diverse landscapes. But you can't go wrong either way. Enjoy!

[@lesleykenwood2715]

May I ask why you bypassed Narbonne?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

No reason, we were aiming for Sète and that's where the route took us. I hear we missed a beautiful place.

[@juliannahenley4921]

@@TheBicycleTourists I have been to Narbonne on a previous trip and it is fabulous! Can be so hard to cover it all! Thank you for reminding me of such a beautiful memory.

[@jacobrnegard9603]

A bit late to the party but hoping you see this! First off all, I love this series! Im planning a ride from toulouse to narbonne, and im wondering how you used komoot. I hear you saying that "kamoot put us on this and this road". Did you find a preplanned route for large segments of the ride (for example toulouse-carcassonne) ahed of time, or did you use it a bit more likke google maps, finding shorter routes from here to there along the way?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Hello, and thank you! When planning this trip I used Komoot and other sources to determine where there were longer cycling routes (the Loire, the Velodysee, the Canal de Deus Mers, the Rhone). I knew we would have good riding along these routes, but things are always changing. I use Komoot as we go, some routes (like the Canal du Midi) are less than complete, or too rough in places and a side road is preferred. So in answer to your question, I used Komoot for long term planning as well as daily planning.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Bonsoir R&J. Another great episode, with that Roland’s fluidity i.e. editing at its best. @10:55, WHAT ?!!!?!! “one country (so far, so good), one culture”. One culture !!🤭 There is, at least, 5 different regional languages in France, Basque, Breton, Corse, Occitan, Alsatian + other regional dialects (on the verge of extinction) Leaving the South West quarter of France, beyond Castelnaudary, you left the part of France where Rugby is *the* popular sport as opposed to football (soccer) for the rest of the country. You’ve entered the South East where people cook with olive oil as opposed to, traditionally duck or goose grease in South West, and butter, in the rest of the country (Hello, cardiovascular conditions). France is definitely not (just like Germany or Italy) a one culture country.🙃 You gonna have to come back and rather fissa (quickly) from Arabic في ساعة , there, another, albeit imported, culture which influence enriched French vocabulary😁

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Should've seen the comments coming on labeling France with the "one culture" label. My bad! And of course, we see the differences in the regions. It's a tapestry for sure.

[@bobstoffberg2447]

Thank you for another great video, Roland & Julianna. I notice you took the road instead of the trail when leaving Carcassonne. Was trail condition in poor shape or did you just choose to explore a different section. Also, where did you get the GPX files for your bike computer? Looking forward to the remaining legs of your journey.

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Further South/East, the canal tow path *was* nothing else than a very narrow single track about 2 feet wide (if that). Past tense because, it should be no longer the case. Le Département de l’Aude + VNF (Federal, in US parlance, body which manages France waterways) + 🇪🇺 have allocated 7m€ for the construction of a 121km stretch of « voie verte ». Civil engineering works started on Sept 12, 2022, even if R&J had wanted to follow the tow path there were segments which were closed to the public for safety reasons (trees had to be fell, reinforcement of the canal side walls, diggers at work... etc). For what it’s worth French are experimenting with a new type of cycle path surface (unfit for motorized vehicles traffic) hard compact sand agglomerated with a vegetal «glue » ( for lack of a better name) which won’t release VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) unlike asphalt and which should be much much smoother than gravel. That « Green asphalt » again, for lack a better name, there are several, french civil engineering corporations have patented/ registered their name in spite of the « glue » still breathe, aren’t waterproof. If these green asphalts live up to their expectations (?) smooth fast rolling surface + self draining, that new 121km segment will be a cyclist paradise.

[@bobstoffberg2447]

@@cyclistefroisse9267 Thank you for the update. Will be cycling the route in September 2023.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Bob, as Cycliste Froissé implied, we really didn't have a choice to ride on the canal at a certain point. But this news is great, it seems like such a missed opportunity to not upgrade this trail and make it ready for prime time, I'm sure there are many who would love to ride it. We had heard that a lot of it was very rough, so good to hear that they are improving this stretch. Thanks, Cycliste Froissé, for the update! And Bob, enjoy your ride!

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

My pleasure Bob. Further East-South East, leaving the Département de l’Aude and entering le département of Hérault, the local authorities have also a plan in order to improve riders cycling experience on « their » final segment of the canal. It is far less ambitious €€ wise and their main concern (so far) is to improve cyclists safety at fly-overs and road bridges where, if I got it right (?), riders have to ride alternatively on one side of the canal, then on the other. (Hopefully, Roland final episode will clarify this point). There are already (hastily painted ?) temporary, in yellow paint, painted cycle lanes. For the record, the yellow temporary lanes (as opposed to white or green which are permanent) is an old worn trick, but which works, in order to overcome car drivers resistance. Should there be too many complaints, local authorities can argue that « it’s only a temporary solution ». If there aren’t many complaints (car drivers need much fewer space than they believe) yellow lines are surreptitiously painted over with white or green paint late at night and become permanent cycle lanes.😉

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

People who told you that the track was rough were right ! It must have been very rough, at today exchange rate, 7m€ is $7.61m, that’s serious money needed in order to make 121km (75.18 miles) of rough track pleasantly rideable !! Admittedly, there much more than the cycle path itself since the project includes tree planting, rest areas and possibly (that’s unclear) interconnections between the canal cycle path and some neighboring villages, still this investment amounts to $101K per mile.

[@maxdavies9327]

Hi Roland, i was curious what you did with your bikes overnight... I know one night you said your room was on the 3rd. floor . Were you always able to keep the bikes somewhere safe at night.??. Max. Australia,

[@TheBicycleTourists]

It all depends. If the accommodations provide a safe, locked storage area, we'll use that - and lock our bikes. Otherwise, we just haul them up the elevator (or stairs, on rare occasions!) and keep them in our rooms.

[@dooley-ch]

Excellent! If your videos don’t get people out and on their bikes nothing will…

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I hope so. I know the struggle. When we're at home all comfortable, we almost can't believe we would do these kind of trips. They feel intimidating, above our pay grade. but we make a plan, follow through with it, and are rewarded a hundred times over. It's that initial hurdle that's the hard part!

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

Salut Roland, I would like to be helpful but cannot. In order to help Bob Stoffberg, I have posted two comments with links, yesterday. - Template letter (in French) i.e. Request for an authorization to cycle a segment of the Canal du Midi from VNF (.doc link). - the authorization document (blank/unfilled) itself (.pdf) from VNF website. I cared to replace . by [dot] in links posted. This morning, both comments have been vaporized, censored by YT. Is there something you can do, on your side, your YT settings, in order to fix that ? Tks, Claude.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Sorry, this is all over my head. Perhaps ask him for a email or some way to directly connect with him?

[@cyclistefroisse9267]

So it is, over mine (head). I couldn’t remember why I gave up posting comments on YT when it was in its infancy, I do remember, now. Out of [loaded] curiosity, did you ever consider uploading your beautiful videos on other platforms (like D*** Motion and Vim*o) as well as on YT ?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I haven't. I should look into that. When I have time I will investigate.