Day 1 Montpellier to Brighton - Sète

Getting here with 2 bikes on a plane from Gatwick was stressful. I know very little about bikes and Christine knows less than nothing. The airports at both ends were packed with people escaping for bank holidays and half term week and wrapping the bikes up in amateur fashion, on full display, was a tad embarrassing. Still it worked and dispite a last minute panic about our bubble wrap deficiency the bikes arrived at Montpellier in good condition.

Packed a ready - Bikes in CTC bags

At Montpellier Airport

We cycled about 50kms west along the coast to Sète and only got lost 4 times. I've got a new phone which has brilliant security. It turns itself off and to wake it up again you have to put your index finger in the right place. This is fine when the phone is in your pocket but not so good when it's attached to the bike and pointing in the wrong direction. It should get easier, but today it meant I missed a turning and failed to find a really good stretch of the route where the Canal du Midi somehow crosses a lagoon before reaching the sea. Still we did get to see huge flocks of flamingos which are famous here in the Carmargue and whose wings are really pink.

Pretty Flamingos

Most of the route was along dedicated cycle paths and only on the final couple of kms into Sète did we find ourselves in any traffic.

We managed to get a room in the best hotel, according to the reviews, on the side of the Canal in the old town centre. We've just eaten a great dinner of bouillabaisse and grilled fish straight off the boats, washed down by delicious local vin Blanc.

Sete - room with a view

So far so good.