Canal du Midi - Seventh Day

The hotel owner had very kindly agreed to get up early the next morning and provide us with breakfast at 6AM, so we could bicycle to the station platform before 7.





Outside the hotel in Vias heading for the train station
 

Waiting for the train at Vias 6:45AM

The bricked-up gare at Vias

The 'bus-shelter' that we had to hurry to about 30 yards away, behind the support on the left

We arrived at the bricked-up station about 6:45 and waited for our train.  A freight train blew by about 6:50, giving us all a start.  A young woman appeared about 6:55 and went to the other side of the tracks to wait for a train going in the opposite direction.  Gerard asked her if we were in the right place, and she pointed out what looked like a bus shelter about 30 yards away.  We just had time to push our bikes down there when our train arrived.  [French trains do not wait, especially at small stations.  One has about 3-4 minutes to get on or off.]  We found we were well-positioned to get on the car that had provisions for hanging bikes by the front wheel, although almost all the hooks were taken.  There were also few seats available on this obviously ‘rush-hour’ train, so I stayed with the two bikes that we could not hang, to prevent them from falling when the train started and stopped. 

Some people with bikes got off 2 or 3 stops down the line, so Gerard and I were able to get the remaining bikes up on hooks and I could go find a seat next to Tom in the next car.

I want to comment on our gastronomic experience in the south of France.  We all agreed that we ate and drank better in terms of quality, variety, presentation, and value than on any other bike trip.  That includes trips down the Loire valley, the Rhone valley, and through the heart of Burgogne.  Just look at the photos and read the descriptions in these posts.  Hard to argue!

We arrived in Toulouse at about 9:30, bicycled to the car, loaded the bikes, and left for Lyon.