I knew it would be like this, but I’ve been going up and down (north and south, that is) for the past month, so I figured I had to try the other two directions and see what they held. The thing is, down here, the main highways, train line, and cities, all go east west, [...]
Archive for September, 2008
Go West
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, tagged Cycling, France, Languedoc on September 30, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Encore Maguelone
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Medieval Stuff, tagged Add new tag, Cycling, France, maguelone on September 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I finally made it back to the church of Meguelone (see Sept 18th’s entry) but I’m afraid I’m not much better equipped with photos. The place is just too darned dark, and I guess my hands are not as steady as they used to be before the Belgian beer.
But the ride was wonderful. Down the [...]
Not Just Another Bike Shop
Posted in Cycling, France, Gear, Languedoc, tagged Cycling, on avance on September 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A few weeks ago I happened upon this cycling shop near my place in the center of Montpellier, just hoping they’d maybe have some touring tires…something I could not get in all of Singapore at times! So I walk in the shop, and am immediately face to face with Ortlieb, Koga-Miyata, Topeak, and yes, Schwalbe [...]
Sommieres – the Long Ride Home…Part 3
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Medieval Stuff, Roman Leftovers, tagged chapeller de salinelles, Cycling, Gard, sommieres on September 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Shoko and I woke up to a crisp fall morning, got as full as you can get on mini croissants and baguettes, and hit the road for a lazy loop back to Montpellier. Our first stop was just outside town, at Chapelle de Salinelles.
After the chapelle we took a tiny road, then another, and another, [...]
Sommieres – Part 2
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Medieval Stuff, Roman Leftovers, tagged Cycling, Gard, sommieres on September 22, 2008 | 1 Comment »
There is more to Sommieres than its Roman ‘pont’. The old town is a compact maze of covered alleys and cozy squares (no, I didn’t rip that line off from my guide book…).
Oh, there is also a very large and old clock at the entrance to the old town, right at the end of the [...]
First Weekend Getaway – Part 1
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Longer Trips and Flashbacks, Medieval Stuff, Roman Leftovers, tagged sommieres, vendage on September 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Woke up a bit spontaneous Saturday morning and decided to make use of the warmth that has returned to our area, and take our first multi-day cycling trip since our move. We chose Sommieres, over the border in Gard, as our destination, mainly because of my growing fetish with Roman bridges. This town has a [...]
A(nother) Roman Bridge Interlude
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Roman Leftovers, tagged pont des tourilles on September 19, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Summer came back today and I couldn’t pass up the chance to go for a sleeveless ride one more time this year. This time my Roman bridge was marked on the Michelin map so it had a little more promise than the last one. On the way up, I stopped at this 12th century church
And [...]
My Very Own ‘Davinci Code’ Ride – A Teaser
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Medieval Stuff, tagged Cycling, France, maguelone on September 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Today I went down all the way to the Mediterranean, and found a surprisingly nice beach (if you ignore the endless rows of ugliness behind it!), which I have no picture of. I also saw tons and tons of pink flamingoes, which I have no pictures of, and I also went to an amazingly old church, [...]
Les Matelles – Un Village Medieval
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Medieval Stuff, tagged Cycling, France, Languedoc, les matelles on September 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Or so the sign said…
France has thousands of ancient villages, but a few seem to have special status, and merit The Red Sign. Les Matelles is one of the lucky few, and I am too I guess, since this village was the turnaround point for my ride yesterday. Without further ado, here are some shots [...]
Sneaky Romans, hiding their bridges behind olive trees…
Posted in Cycling, France, Languedoc, Roman Leftovers, tagged Cycling, France, Languedoc, les matelles, pont des deux serres on September 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I went back up north again today, in search of this Roman bridge that was so casually mentioned in my cycling book. The ride began like Tuesday – mainly because it was the same route – but thought I’d add a picture of one of the many cycling paths found around this city.
After this bit, [...]
