Day 5. We venture to Minervois.
After a gentle cruise in the morning, we stopped at the charming river town of Somail to sightsee and shop. While Sandie and Helen visited an amazing antique bookstore, David and I once again donned our helmets and set off on a 10 mile bike ride to the town of Minervois, a walled city nestled high in the foothills. The ride was challenging for flatlanders like David and me…but we eventually huffed and puffed our way up the hills…just in time to meet Guillaume, John and Colleen who had driven up in the van.
During the Cathar Crusades, the city was laid siege to in the 1210 AD…and finally succumbed when the attackers poisoned the low-lying water supply. We spent some time getting the feel of the place…then loaded the bikes into the back of the van for the 30 minute drive back to the Canal. Another of Dean’s creations awaited us.
Click for Day 5 video