Cycling The Road Less Travelled

After the Gorge de Tarn we made our way to Carcassone via the Parc Naturel Regional du Haute Longuedoc. Again more beautiful cycling awaited us; rolling hills, high plateaus, beautiful forests with changing fall colors, more gorges and quaint villages. Unfortunately we also got some bad weather. Our day from St Gervais-sur-Mare to Mazamet started in a drizzle and ended up in a downpour. By the time we got to Mazamet, we were cold, hungry and looking remarkably like drowned sewer rats. Pitching up a tent, if the campground was even still open for the season, would have been brutal. No, tonight we would stay indoors. Within minutes of leaving the tourist office, we found an incredible, “can’t believe our luck”, “is this for real” B&B called La Grande Maison. Beautiful home, great room, free wifi, huge breakfast, run by a really, really lovely family and at a very reasonable price for France. Sold! In fact, the forecast is calling for rain tomorrow. Let’s stay for two.

The ride from Mazamet to Carcasonne is a real treat. Its starts with a relatively easy 500m climb over les Montagnes Noir, followed by a glorious 40km descent into the World Heritage sight of Carcosonne. The short ride meant we could spend the whole day touring the fortified city; one of the largest in Europe. It’s quite picturesque with a very fairytale feel to it. It’s a tad too touristy, but still very much worth the visit.