I slept next to the canal and woke at 6 to the sound of a bin lorry. The sky was clear and full of stars, the air chilly. The boulangerie opened at 6.45 and I was the first in. After much decision, I chose a nid d’abielle – a brioche sandwich with a layer of creamy custard in the middle.

I had getting to the Med set in my mind and didn’t stop much until I reached the first lock, apart from waiting for a boat to pass through a tunnel. I ate more for breakfast than normal and felt better, so perhaps I’m under-fueling. It’s hard to know how much to eat, because my appetite is infinite!

I wheeled my boat down a flight of 9 locks at Beziers and didn’t stop at the town. The canal made me suffer to the end, with some tricky portages and a stiff headwind. I was planning to paddle to Sete, but when I saw a drain off the canal, heading straight for the sea, I couldn’t resist.

I portaged a weir and nearly stepped on an adder basking on a rock in the sun. It was then an amazing feeling to paddle out from the land, and on to the Mediterranean! I rubbed my face with saltwater and whooped with joy. So good to be back on the sea. The headwind I’d been fighting all day had kicked up some sizeable waves and it took 10 minutes for my body to remember what waves felt like.

I paddled 6kms along to a town with a breakwater, Cap d’Adge. There were loads of kitesurfers and it seemed like a normal place. I heated up some beans and watched the sun set. Going for a walk, I found I was actually in a resort known as the ‘naked city’ where people go nude in the supermarkets and party in sleazy nightclubs. Covid ravaged the place so it was deserted but felt really creepy, with some dodgy looking people driving about. I found a lookout elevated 10 feet off the beach and firmly shut the trap door.

The wind absolutely howled all night and I was blasted with sand up on my platform. It’s been blowing 30 knots gusting 40 all night so I may have to portage back to the canal today if the sea is too rough.

It has taken 16 days to paddle nearly 600km across France. It is very satisfying to have crossed from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and I will no longer be phased by flat days on the sea. The mud, mosquitoes and portages were challenging but the people I met, the tour of boulangeries and the wonderful scenery made this leg fantastic! Next stop Italy 🇮🇹!