Au revoir to France and on to Sardinia.

My night in Mazamet was bitterly cold and after 5 weeks with little solar input and limited driving the leisure battery had been working hard to keep the heater on for about 10 hours a day. Thus I decided to head up in to the Montagnes Noir and find a sunny and isolated spot to run the genny for a few hours to restore normal service. It fired up first pull and provided a good boost to all utilities on board.

The flight tracker confirmed that Mandy's trip from Manchester was running smoothly and just after lunch I pulled in at the small Carcassonne airport having seen the Ryanair flight arrive. We called at a large supermarket for supplies and lunch in a cafe before driving the short distance to the aire just a short walk from the walls of Carcassonne citadel. It was still very cold so we donned our warmest coats and followed the path in to town. The remarkable walls, turrets and towers enclosed a maze of houses, shops and cafes so after getting our bearings and watching the sunset we returned to the van for a comfortable night.

Wednesday was spent giving the town a thorough exploration and included a decent lunch in the depths of a cosy restaurant before we took the ramparts tour that thoroughly entertained us for a couple of hours.

Moving on after filling up and getting to grips with the automated barrier we drove to a park up on the Canal due Midi in time to meet the harbour mistress and pay the 20 euros for 2 nights with hook up. The small canal port was home to some enormous live aboard cruisers and provided the start point for a memorable ride along to Beziers, stopping en route for coffee before we dropped alongside the staircase of locks to reach the Pont Vielle with its stunning view of the cathedral high above the river. In the centre we found a small restaurant in a sunny square for lunch before returning along the towpath passing the Malpas tunnel for a second time.

The canal side aire at Le Somail was very peaceful but the power went off overnight, possibly we think thanks to a large 6 wheel A class drawing too much power and in the morning the water had been turned off against frost so as we headed to Arles we found a water tap via Park4Night before parking by the river and walking in to town for a combined ticket to the ruins of a Roman theatre and amphitheatre. Having enjoyed the first we arrived at the second only to be told it was about to close. According to the sign it should have been open for another half an hour but the guy on the gate stood firm so we decided to return the following day as our ticket was valid for 48 hours.

Breaking the cardinal rule of avoiding driving after dark also involved a frustrating search for Camping Gaz and we ended up paying a surprising amount for one at a SuperU supermarket before reaching an aire at Fontvieille where we could load and unload water and sleep well in the old quarry. It was a short hop back to Arles where we could park near the ruins for free as it was a Sunday, raid an ATM using both cards and then give the hugely impressive amphitheatre our full attention.

We had received emails and texts advising us that our ferry from Toulon to Sardinia was leaving 3 hours early due to bad weather so we headed off using the peage to bypass Marseilles and arrived in plenty of time. We chatted to an English guy who lives in France, has a boat on Sardinia and delivers goods around Europe to earn a living : he had some useful tips and advice which were much appreciated.

On board our spacious cabin on deck 5 lacked some of the little extras you would get on a Brittany Ferries vessel but despite being over 40 years old everything was in good condition and we enjoyed our departure as the sun set. In view of the forecast rough crossing we decided against eating and after several circuits of the various outdoor decks we decided to tuck away for the night. Our twin portholes allowed us to view the huge seas close up courtesy of the ship's lighting and on occasions waves crashed against our high level accommodation. Whilst the ship didn't seem to roll or pitch that much the powerful waves shook everything in an alarming way as we forged across the Med. At 7am we realised that we were pulling in to Ajaccio on Corsica to allow a number of vehicles to offload - we think they had combined two different sailings due to the weather allowing the larger vessel to face the rough conditions. A much calmer sea encouraged us to try a light breakfast and at noon we arrived on time at Porto Torres.

Disembarking was of course fuss free as we had not crossed any borders and we had already set the sat nav for Stintino to the north where we stopped for a walk round the old fishing village, bought some crisp breads from a tiny shop and by late afternoon had pulled up above a beach on a gravel track. The path down was quite eroded and back at the van we settled in for a quiet night.

Tuesday saw us heading south towards Alghero stopping initially at the now almost fully abandoned mining town of Argentiere which may one day be restored and developed but for the time being is a forlorn and thought provoking sight. The small bar was friendly enough and we climbed away from the coast before descending to eventually reach Cape Caccia where from a parking area with stunning views across the bay we could walk up to a highpoint with cliff views to the north and a lighthouse to the south. We walked down to this and then round on a coast path to pass the steps down to Neptune's Cave, usually reached by tour boat from Alghero, and then back passing one of the many look out towers dotted around the Sardinian coast.

A parking area on the marina at Alghero was conveniently placed for a walk in to the old fortified city centre following the walls and defensive towers and passing a rather enchanting stray cat sanctuary created in a corner by the locals and handy for scraps from the adjacent fishing boats. A good restaurant provided our first and excellent pizzas before we walked back through the narrow streets for a quiet and mild night. The bikes were used to cycle up to the Nuraghe Anghelu historic site and we enjoyed a couple of hours admiring the bronze age burial chambers that had been carved in to the rock up to 6000 years ago and only discovered in the last century when the area was quarried. The lady in the ticket office spoke good English and explained about the different dialects of Sardo across the island before we headed back to base for lunch. We then had time to ride south on some of the coast road towards Bosa and stopped at a lovely beach with a small cafe. Things are very seasonal here and at this time of year many places are shut, wild camping is tolerated and there are fewer people around which suits us fine. Back at Alghero a trendy bar overlooking the sea was popular with the younger set and did us well for a couple of drinks and tapas before we rode through the inner town and back to the van.

Before moving on we found a laundrette that turned out to be much better than the reviews suggested and was adjacent to an interesting cafe/bookshop whose owner had spent time in Glastonbury as she was very much in to all things spiritual. With the washing hung out to dry round the van we took the mountain road via Villanova Monteleone that then dropped down to Bosa. The sat nav had had a few giddy moments as new roads hadn't actually been finished and down at Bosa the only way to reach the harbour area was to go the wrong way up one way streets (as fortunately did the locals) as work to install a new water supply had closed the main road but no diversions had been signed. We decided in any case that it was a bit out of town so returned to nearer the centre and parked along the river side next to a college. We jumped on the bikes to ride some of the coast road north back to Alghero passing a number of closed agriturismo and other businesses that in the main season offer fully serviced camping on bays and beaches.

I have started using the two alarmed padlocks and my demountable motion activated security light as well as having the bikes under cover and the steering lock highly visible so we were happy to leave the van and head off in search of a restaurant. From a stylish footbridge over the river I noticed that said light had come on so we walked back briskly but soon ascertained it was being triggered by passing traffic. A small restaurant across the river from town said they would be open at 7pm so we did a circuit of the centre before returning and being shown upstairs to an unexpectedly large dining area. It was hugely quirky with a pirate theme that avoided being naff and the waiter seemed delighted to have foreign customers. Our meal of spaghetti followed by tuna and swordfish with salad and frittes was excellent and the place developed a lovely atmosphere as other clients arrived.

Friday dawned bright and sunny and as we walked up to the castle we stopped in a cafe that looked very basic from the outside but was opulent and luxurious indoors with chocolate croissants to die for .... The castle was closed (don't always rely on Google maps) but provided a good vantage point and we returned to the van along the river admiring the seried ranks of colourful housing that reminded us of Hotwells in Bristol.

Park4Night suggests that taking on board fresh water and dealing with waste is possible at the garage in town but despite filling our diesel tank this seemed to be no longer an option. The twisty mountain road south took us to Cuglieri with its huge basilica and then reached the large town of Oristano where a P4N listing suggested a water and waste station in the corner of a car park. Although taped off (I think due to freshly laid concrete) we could get near enough to do the necessary and then headed over to the mostly flat Sinis peninsular where we parked for the night in St Giovanni on an area dedicated to motorhomes, although we were the only ones there. We walked out to the entrance to the ruins of Tharros where a very friendly guy explained the ticket arrangements and gave us good advice about visiting.

We decided to spend Saturday riding north to Putzu Idu following a range of coastal tracks passing some stunning coves and beaches before finding a small and popular fish restaurant where we sat outside for spaghetti, mussels and prawns washed down with a beer and wine. The watchtower out on the headland was our turn round point and after passing through a village of shuttered up holiday homes we were back to St Giovanni by sunset.

Today has been a scorcher and we visited Tharros early in case it got busy with the same friendly guy giving us a good overview of what was once one of the most important cities in the Roman Mediterranean. The extensive site on a sheltered bay stretched out over a south facing hillside and included various temples, thermal baths, a grid of streets with central covered drains and the remains of housing and shops. Two graceful columns oversaw the area and gave an indication of how this remarkable place must have once looked. After two absorbing hours with almost no other visitors we then went up to the Spanish Tower only to find that you needed to get the girl from the ticket office to reluctantly come up with a key. Despite her rather offhand manner it was well worth persevering for the views after which on a very warm afternoon we walked south to the lighthouse. We have moved on to a wild camping spot we saw on the bikes yesterday so are tucked away at Punta Is Arusas and have had a few hours on the beach. There are a couple of other vans about which is always reassuring so we are now planning our onwards travels south.

Pics as usual click....

Heading South but not too much sun......

 The cold grey weather continued but I layered up and began riding south along the river only to realise 90 minutes later that I had forgotten my bum bag with tools and two pumps in so although running tubeless I decided to return just in case. My earlier return prompted me to go to the circus so I joined the short queue on a cold night and purchased a ticket for a seat right at the front which was also padded - I'd taken my sit mat in case we were on wooden benches!

The big top was warm inside as it filled up with mostly families and then the lights went down before the circus master announced a promising evening of fantastic attractions....

This started with two acrobats on a pair of suspended spinning wheels who threw themselves around them both inside and out some thirty feet off the ground. There then followed a remarkable array of gymnastics, acrobatics, tight rope walking (and cycling), two well trained horses going through their paces and so on.

The appearance of half a dozen camels and four ponies engaged in a choreographed display was unexpected but rivetting with my chosen seat bringing me unnervingly close to these ships of the desert.

An excellent display, largely by the same performers on the trapeze was again astonishing and after two hours there was a final grand parade before the lights fell for the final time. It was a memorable evening and I gained an insight in to how much practice and effort must go in to every performance as well as the huge logistics of moving from venue to venue.

An aire at Les Rives Mayenne offered more cycling options, initially north to a remarkable bridge over the river with a fairly standard road crossing also incorporating beneath it a pedestrian walkway in the form of a series of wide, steep wooden steps that rose at an angle of 50°.

Further north I reached a familiar point where I had stayed on an aire 6 years ago - my memory fails me as usual but the 'Search' function on the blog helps fill in the gaps😳, so returned to the van passing some lovely water mills at weirs with the attendant locks and pretty keepers cottages.

A ride south to Angers brought my planned rides to a close, the river which soon after joins the Loire was very high and had flooded many of the surrounding fields.

Moving on the following day incorporated a launderette session and a big food shop including three 907 bottles - these are lasting  for about ten days which gives me a gas 'bill' of £60 a month but other than two 2 euro jetons for water my first month over here has cost nothing other than the usual food, fuel and entertainment.

A quiet aire at St Leger de Montbrillais provided the necessary but as much of it was on sloping wet grass I played safe and parked near the service area. The following day an hour's ride took me to the remarkable Fontevraud- L'Abbaye where a combined ticket got me admission to both the abbey itself and the museum.

In the main chancel of the abbey lay four tombs including those of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart and after being a place of retreat for up to 900 monks and nuns it had also served as a prison, the vestiges of which have now been removed restoring the place to one of calm and tranquility. I spent several hours there, had lunch in the caff and then whizzed home to a cosy van. Later I walked in to the village for a beer in the friendly bar : they had drawn the Christmas raffle and various people turned up to collect their prizes, the winning couple looking absolutely astonished to have gained a 55'' colour TV.

Warmer but very wet weather dominated a longish drive south placing me alongside the river at Coutras which as the rain eased I walked in to and enjoyed the last few Christmas lights strung across the large square.

Bergerac had an interesting mediavel quarter and another hugely impressive cathedral and provided a delicious lunch break but I only stayed a few hours before parking up at Issac, one of many mediavel villages in the area that count as bastides meaning they are semi fortified.

The aire in Villarreal was tucked away alongside a paddock of donkeys with a short walk in to  another very enchanting village with a huge central covered market place, immaculate town hall and a statuesque church. There were a couple of other vans staying but it was a very quiet night.

The unusually named Luzech on the Lot was reached after a quick walk round Montflanquin, another bastide but very quiet on an off season Monday however the one open cafe was warm and cosy and the hot chocolate very welcome.

Luzech had another lofty castle beyond which a walk out on the ridge led me to the remains of a Roman villa and on my way back to the riverside aire I was lured in to a patisserie for some no particularly well deserved treats.

A brief stop in Cahors provided some atmospheric photo opportunities at the remarkable Pont Valentre before I moved on again heading mostly south through hilly and wooded countryside.

The aire below the hill top village of Najac was on some old tennis courts but the services were shut off for the winter as advised on the invaluable Park4Night app but I was OK for water so parked up and walked the mile or so up a steep path to emerge alongside an old church. The nearby castle was as expected closed for the winter but had good views down in to the Aveyron gorge where I noticed a single track railway line. Against expectations this still ran regular services so I checked out options to go north towards Aurillac or south to Gaillac. The user friendly SNCF app showed a train cancellation for the following day which would have limited my options for returning from Aurillac or Figeac so instead I booked a 10.30 departure southbound to Gaillac. I walked down through steep woodland to check out the station which was only a 15 minute walk from the aire, where on my return a Spanish van had parked right alongside despite the huge area available, people are odd. Later that evening a text from SNCF said my train would be 20 minutes late but the following day I arrived in good time anyway and was soon in a comfortable seat heading through the twisting valley via a series of tunnels and bridges. After a quick look round Gaillac I found a cosy bar with a 19 euro menu de jour and arrived at the station for my return trip pleasantly replete. Parked up in a siding were a number of old postal service carriages, now of course made redundant by planes and vans. I was back in time to climb up to the village once more and enjoy some late evening patches of sunlight before returning to base.

I moved on to Albi as overnight my gas had run out and as the loo needed doing it made sense to get to both hatches via the tailgate once the bikes were off. 

I stopped off at the bizarre Cap Decouverte which is a huge former opencast coal mine trying to reinvent itself as an outdoor activity centre (listen up Merthyr Tydfil) with a number of enormous earth movers, cranes and excavators providing great interest : truly the Titans as claimed.

The excellent aire provided everything necessary and on arrival there was a huge live in lorry parked up with his generator running. Due to the cold weather other vans were running their engines so I chose the quieter corner and took off in to town in search of bread. A bakery opposite the world's largest brick built cathedral did the job but I decided to return for photos when the sun made its forecast appearance in a day or two. Walking back to the van I got quite wet but yet again the Eber came to the rescue. 

Saturday was a grey, wet day and I barely left the van but enjoyed finishing a couple of books and cooking some delicious duck breasts with a couscous salad and the promise of sunshine for Sunday.

This arrived along with a marked drop in temperatures under a clear sky but I layered up and set off across town heading for the voie verte down to Castres. En route we managed to arrange for Pete and Nina to join me at Albi that night so I enjoyed the 67 mile round trip with a beef hotpot to look forward to. However I succumbed to a McDonald's in town at lunchtime as I'd a fair few miles to do to get back and thoroughly enjoyed the well maintained track through wintry countryside.

Back at Albi we had a great catch up on a very chilly evening with overnight temperatures well below freezing causing me to stick the heating on in the wee small hours and the hot water to prevent any issues.

After a further catch up with Pete who is heading south to Spain we looked at my onward plans and had a WhatsApp call to Mandy who with luck arrives tomorrow. After saying our goodbyes, and persuading a frozen water tap to start running we both filled up and went our separate ways. I have parked up at Mazamet having done the laundry and will restock the fridge and cupboards tomorrow morning before the hour's drive to the airport.

It's been good to see the sun and know that I can deal with the cold nights and of course things should get warmer as we head south - an overnight ferry from Toulon to Sardinia early next week will save 500 miles of driving and put me back on track with the Brexit timer....

A few pics here.....