Day nineteen

 

Well I reached the seaside at La Grande Motte by midday after an easy and pleasant ride.

 

The route weaved its way through various waterways and wetlands and at one point I thought I saw a dead duck in the water. Then it moved making me think it must be a diver. When it surfaced it turned out to be a beaver!

Also seen today many buzzards, flamingos, seabirds and egrets. A pair of binoculars would have revealed a whole lot more.

In the afternoon I search for a campsite and find three close together. They are well sign posted and the GPS guides me to them easily. When I get there they are all shut. One shut at 17:00 and the other at 18:00. None of them took tents anyway, despite a tent icon depicted on all the signs. 

As such I am forced to move on and look for somewhere to wild camp. As night falls I come across an adventure park and can hear people talking. It is shut but I walk in and a group of youngsters who work there are chatting around a table. I ask if it would be possible to put up my tent on the grass but they refuse. I carry on into the dark with my lights on. Wild camping is forbidden in this area so it is tricky finding a place.

I have ridden 84km today and by now my legs are really tired. I try various options but all to no avail and consider the possibility of riding on through the night.

Eventually I do find somewhere, an abandoned wooden building full of mosquitoes and bats. There is no where to put up a tent. I may have to sit it out through the night. I have food and some water but battery life is limited so I have to make this post short. I have more photos that I will post when the chance arises. 

I am headed for Perpignan tomorrow but probably wont get far if I get no sleep.

.... Sun screen song