May 19, 2019 Beziers to Carcassonne

After a very nice breakfast at the B&B where we were staying Bob, Ken and I rolled.  Being a Sunday morning there was no traffic on the road what so ever.  The first couple of kilometers were down a busy road but at 8:30 Am there wasn’t a single car.  

We didn’t really notice how heavy the wind was either as we were headed due south and down a very heavily wooded area.  However this was soon to change. We turned due was and were confronted by a 40 km/hr head wind which almost brought us to a halt.  This wind was to plague us the entire day.  It should have been a pretty easy day as it was only 85 kms and 355 meters of climb.  However this was to prove to be one of the hardest ride days I have ever had.  The wind was so strong that even riding in close to each other proved to be of very little value.   The only real relief was where there was some sort of wind shadow such as in some of the villages but then it was only a few blocks long or where there were some trees. However we are in open farming country so there were vast sections where there was nothing but vine yards where the grape vines were only a couple of feet tall or open fields. Right now the grapes are no bigger than a grain of wheat.

The route was very picturesque as we were down little tiny roads which had no center line for about 85% of the route. There were only two sections down roads which had center lines and one being about 3 kms and one being about 8 kms.  The 8 kms section was right at the end where there was most of the climb and was all in open country and we were all exhausted.  The Weather Network was reporting a steady 40 kms wind with gusts to 50 kms.

Carcassonne was a Roman fortress which was built and expanded through the ages.  It was a strategic post on the trade routes to Rome and through the ages.  By the 1200’s it was held by one family and the king decided to mount a siege against the castle.  The siege was successful and the castle was surrendered.  The king then rebuilt and greatly expanded the castle adding a second wall around the castle and numerous defense towers. This work was more or less done by 1650.  However trade routes changed and the castle lost its strategic importance and fell into disrepair.  In the 1800’s there was a revival of interest in the castle and it was rebuild to its condition in 1650.   The castle is still being studied using modern computer models and work in on going.  It is the most complete medieval castle I have ever seen.  Ken, Bob and I walked through the castle and walked the rampart walls surrounding the old town.  There were way too many stairs for my legs which had just done one of the hardest rides I can remember.  Big steps and really tight spiral stairs as well.

I loved the Carcassonne tile game as a kid and still play it today on the computer.  So this was a big bucket list item for me to see.  It was a great experience. I know that when I return home and am playing Carcassonne on the computer I will treasure this experience and think back to today.

terry hot biker