Nous sommes ici - hurray!!

Tuesday 5th November 2012 - it is 0730 and I am watching the sun rise over the Mediterranean from the balcony of Mike & Jenny's 5th floor appartment in Le Barcarès while out of our bedroom window we can see snow covering the Pyrenees. We arrived yesterday afternoon in glorious sunshine and strong winds.
From Carcassonne we had a good ride to Narbonne - not on the Canal but on very minor roads through some typical French villages. The forecast was for rain in the afternoon but we were caught with some heavy stuff in the morning - the day then improved and we arrived in sunshine but it p....d down in the evening. The town/city surrounds a massive cathedral and the most immpressive Hotel de Ville we have seen.
0800 yesterday morning Philippe (Mike & Jenny's agent) met us in our hotel for the handing over of the keys ceremony - this was to be our last day of cycling. Mike had described me to Philippe as a British Admiral reduced to riding a bike because of the cuts - this made me laugh. We were expecting sun and wind which was what we got but thewind was gusting 45 - lkph andwith loaded bikes made for an exciting ride - Gilly found it more horrifing then exciting. We went off-piste for 12 or so k and had to cross a flooded causway with deep water on both sides and a strong gusty crosswind - interesting. However we made it in good form and we are here for a week or so.
It's been a good trip, hillier in Spain than expected,propably wetter then expected but the journey  for me  has reinforced the reasons why I like cycle touring - the people you meet and have fun with - seeing the parts of the countries others don,t see as we travel on minor roads and just the joy of traveling at your own pace on your route.
We have cycled w1181.19k  with an average cycling speed of about 18kph and cover abetween 35 and 75k per day. In Spain cos' of unexpectedly steep hills we averaged less than 10 kms per hour. A big dissapointment to me is that I have overtaken just 2 cyclists, one of them with hanging basket of fresh mushrooms fromthe woods over his handlebars.
 We have been overtaken by runners, many cyclist and a windsurfer. The bikes have been good - they are a bit sluggish now after cycling thro' mud, sand and muck - I broke my mirrow and have a broken pedal strap. Gilly had a puncture in her back wheel which is not bad for 2 bikes over some of the terrain we have journeyed.

Thats all from me. Au revoir & Adios