2025 Tour Day 4 - Bienvenue en France

We enjoyed breakfast and a cycling chat with our B and B owner, Johnny Weltz, Turns out he won a stage of the Tour de France in 1986 (we googled him 😉). Very nice, very helpful, very good cyclist. 

It was a lovely place, and we could definitely spend more time in Girona, exploring the cycling and the ancient city.  Our building was central, and beautiful, with a winding stair case and painted tiles.

Looking down the staircase to our panniers ready to be loaded. 

Off to the train station with nervous stomaches. We have experienced hectic stations that are less than cycle friendly, with tough stairs to far away platforms that are crowded and confusing. But not Girona. An elevator to get our loaded bikes to a lovely, not busy platform. 

But perhaps they have some trouble at the station, as they lock up the toilet paper 🤣😜 what the heck? 

We anxiously awaited the train coming from Barcelona, watching as it slowed, trying to find the door with the bicycle symbol. We ended up at the bicycle door with 3 road riders. After the train practically emptied, on we rolled, getting advice to "go right".  The bicycle hooks were actually left, and the roadies got to them, but we found enough space in the car for us and our bikes and our panniers. And a stroller belonging to a sweet little girl ensuring we got "baby shark, do-do-do-do-do" stuck in our heads for the rest of the day (oops sorry for the ear worm 😂)

Not much scenery to capture on the way north to Portbou, a few tunnels as we approached the border and the mountains. 

We were surprised to find that the Portbou train station has arrivals of Spanish trains on the west side, and then just walk through the station building and you are on the French train tracks, just like that. This is the French side with a lovely view of the Mediterranean (if you go across the tracks and climb the wall for a shot).

Thankfully we travelled with a picnic because there was nothing around the station, just some pigeons very happy for our crumbs. 

The train arrived early, giving us plenty of time to board and hang our bikes and get seats with eastern views. Gotta love the French trains and their support of cycling. 

Marc likes to keep his eye on the bikes 😁

There were some lovely views of the rugged coastline, but sometimes when you take the perfect shot, you get the tree not the view 😂.

Here's the view!

And looking back to the west we could see the snow topped Pyrenees. Hard to see in this photo, I know. 

At our second train station stop in France a group of about 20 kids got on, with all their luggage and stressed out teachers. But they were very well behaved. They go to a special school that teaches the Catalonian language, so as not to lose it. They were heading back to Nimes. 

The coast flattened out as we neared Narbonne and we hopped up and reloaded our bikes with our panniers and steadied ourselves for the Narbonne platform. Alas, as great as the French trains are for bikes, we still had to climb down and then up some steep stairs to go under the tracks to the station. All good. We have our system now, panniers off and up first, eyes on the bikes, then bikes are next, eyes on the bags. 

Our air bnb host greeted us with a friendly welcome, and a garage for our bikes 💗. 

We took a little walk to explore Narbonne and find the market that we will go to tomorrow morning. It is a big beautiful old building beside the Canal de la Robine.  

 

And there is a lovely park and garden with this statue celebrating... The Rooster!? That's a Rooster at the top! 

Not much riding today, just to and from the train stations. But lots of travel and adventure.  We were fortunate not to have to ride as the wind was howling today, and the gusts were intense.  

Tomorrow we will explore Narbonne and settle in for our week's stay in this region of Occitanie. 

And now off to do laundry.  

And listen to the evening songs of the local birds. 

(Big night for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can't help myself but cheer. Go Leafs Go)