Heading out of Toulouse through its more industrial area it was a delight to see artwork being displayed in the trees.

The canal had also changed and we were now riding along the Canal Latéral à la Garonne (canal alongside the Garonne River).

Through Montech and the start of the dappled light through the trees.

Montech had a water slope, which was used to bypass 5 locks and save boatmen about 45 minutes in transit time – so clever.

To get through the water slope 2 locomotive engines, one either side move the boat through the canal – pushing both the water and the boat at the same time – literally pushing it uphill!

The stunning tree lined blue green canals were a real feature of this ride.

As we headed into Moissac the canal crosses over the Le Tarn, making for a very focused ride over the narrow pathway.

One sideways glance could have easily derailed the bicycle into the canal. Perfect result, 2 of 2 bikes safely across!

Moissac was a very cute town with a delightful square with cafes and restaurants watched over by the Benedictine abbey church, Saint-Pierre de Moissac.

This was the first church we had seen that was painted inside. The warmth and colours were soft and pleasing. I loved it!

Added to that were some nuns singing and saying prayers.

Not that I understood the words or even why they make this their life but I was captivated. The rituals involved and the commitment of these women is deep. I was touched.

What have I ever committed myself to. Without a doubt, my kids for sure but my staying power has been questionable at best.

Luckily, I have plenty of time to ponder this as we ride on.

The route took us away from the canal at times passing by our first nuclear plant, agricultural fields and under the Agen aqueduct.

The 12th century Agen Cathedral was another stunning example of a painted church interior.

As we rode on I realised that the trees we were passing under were nature’s cathedral.

The tall plane trees with their strong upright trunks were replicas of the Gaudi’s structure inside the Segrada Família.

I’m not becoming a convert but their presence was deeply touching.

Nature’s cathedral, pretty damn cool!

Getting up early to try and beat some of the day’s heat, we took a detour into Marmande and had breakfast in the beautiful gardens behind its Église Notre-Dame.

With look inside to see the sunlight dancing on the floor.

And treats in a lovely Turkish cafe before rejoining the canal.

Most boats moving along the canal appeared to be hired canal boats but occasionally there were small yachts, which we assumed were taking a shortcut from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

The lock houses continued to punctuate our riding. Their simplicity, small size and usually flowered gardens were always a wonderful scene to pass by.

We had seen a few sunflower fields and not just a few sunflowers but thousands of them (assumed to be grown for their oil), but riding over a ridge to be greeted by their smiling faces always brought a smile to my face.

As we rode out of La Réole, a very kind resident stopped us to say thunderstorms were on their way. Totally oblivious to the dark clouds gathering behind us we headed off looking for some likely shelter.

Not too far up the road Saint Séve provided. A perfect sized shelter and very convenient book exchange in one corner, a great place to hunker down.

And with a large field for camping on later, running water and a urinal nearby, what more could we want!

We managed a quick wander around the church yard before heading back to the shelter to watch the storm flash its way across the skyline. Very cosy!

And soon as it came, it was all done leaving a dramatic sunset to end the day.

The first of the Bordeaux region vineyards were a feature of the next day as we rode an old railway cycleway passing by rural idylls.

The blackberries were in flower now, so hopefully they will feature on our breakfasts before too long.

A 20km cycleway took us under bridges, through tunnels and the last of nature’s cathedrals to a road of sumptuous riverside homes behind large ornate gates.

No doubt these homes were owned by the rich and famous of bygone days, which with direct access to the La Garonne and Bordeaux just across the river.

Our guess is that they still owed by people of some wealth as the upkeep must be enormous.

The view of Bordeaux across the river with its beautiful “Parisian” inspired buildings was enough to detract from the dirty looking La Garonne river.

Couldn’t wait to cross the bridge and explore!

Settled in and washing done (aren’t showers are amazing things!), we walked around the Bacalan area, part of Bordeaux’s maritime district.

This area has had a lot of rebuilding done since it was heavily hit during the Second World War in attempts to cut the Bordeaux port off from the Atlantic.

One building that intrigued us was a large concrete structure with an unusually thick undulating roof.

It turned out to be a purpose built submarine base for the Germans after Bordeaux fell into German hands in June 1940.

It was the perfect location – access to the Atlantic and existing harbour equipment as well as being far enough away from Britain.

In September 1941 construction began. 6,500 labourers, mainly Spanish Republican prisoners, were used working day and night to lay the foundations.

After 19 months and 600,000 m3 of reinforced concrete, 11 docks had been completed to house 15 submarines at one time in its 42,000 m2 area, with 7 of the docks being able to be used as dry docks for hull repairs.

The first submarines arrived in January 1942 and 22 months later on 26 August 1944 the base was abandoned. Two days later Bordeaux was liberated.

Such awful waste on every level.

Promising to do another walking tours when getting to a big city, we arranged to take one the next morning.

Making our way by tram into the city, we walked to the Place Pey-Berland for the start stopping at the open air book market for a browse.

The 11th century Saint Andre Cathedral is situated on the square with its imposing bell tower next door but separated from the cathedral due the instability of Bordeaux’s ground at the time of its build.

At top the bell tower is a gold statue of Mary glistening in the sunlight.

Bordeaux was transformed in the 1990s when its new mayor Alain Juppé came into office.

Pedestrianising plazas previously used for car parking and incentivising the regular cleaning of buildings’ stone exteriors with rates reductions, the city became welcoming and vibrant.

And in the Place Camille-Jullian where we would go back to for dinner, it too had been transformed. It was now lively with restaurants, and a movie theatre in an old church where previously it was full of cars.

It has been one of the great features of French cities, the lack of cars in the city centres. Bikes, trams and pedestrians rule!

Although we had intended to go the Musée du Vin the next day, our walking guide Camila, recommended that unless we were total vine buffs we would be better off spending our money in a local wine bar and experiencing a range of Bordeaux wines especially given the €42 entrance price each.

Returning to the city later in the day we did just that at a place that trains sommeliers. A wine list in hand, we choose a glass of bubbles and still white to start with while watching Bordeaux pass us by in the early evening sunshine.

A very lovely start to our evening out.

As we were going on to have dinner out we decided to forego a snack with our wines. By the time we had also had a glass of red each, we were definitely feeling its effects. Me more so than Greg!

Oh well, the walk to the restaurant will help.

Greg was keen to try canard (duck), so we went back to a restaurant recommended by our tour guide in the Place Camille-Jullian.

It also happened to the interprovincial rugby final, Top14, between Bordeaux and Toulouse.

All the restaurants in the square were full with plenty of television screens available for viewing.

Of course we supported Bordeaux but it was not to be their night, losing to Toulouse 39-33 in the 100th minute after 2 extra times.

The tram was full of Barcelona supporters heading home, with a jovial and very good natured atmosphere. Fantastic evening.

Our last day on Bordeaux took us to CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain, set in an old warehouse.

With another interesting range of installations on offer.

Finishing our day with a visit to inside the submarine base which now houses Les Bassins des Lumières, an immersive digital light display.

The current exhibition was Egyptian themed. It was amazing to see the beautifully curated imagery fit the space perfectly as we wandered through 3 of the docks.

And see inside the building that had fascinated us from the outside.

The Atlantic is calling again, French flavour this time!