Le Grand Tour Advent Calendar: Day 18 – Alzonne, France

By Andrew on December 18, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

I found Camping l’Escale Occitane around 3km north of the canal on the far side of Alzonne. It was, perhaps, France’s only airline-themed campsite. Rémy and Nadia had both worked in the airline industry before deciding to leave the jet set to run the campsite and restaurant. Air France memorabilia was strategically placed in the bar, including a row of seats from an Airbus. I could not spot the Airbus itself but would not have been at all surprised if it was on Rémy’s list of future purchases. It would make an interesting addition to the range of accommodation options that the campsite offered. This included an area set aside for cyclists and I pitched the tent as the sky was just beginning to take on a pinkish hue generated by the slowly setting sun. As I glanced towards the horizon I could see the hazy silhouettes of the foothills of the Pyrenees. They would always remain distant on this trip but, as I neared the southernmost point of my Grand Tour of Europe, it was a reminder that the greatest physical challenges of the journey were still ahead of me in the Alps. It was Sunday 7th August. I had now completed just over five weeks in the saddle and there remained only four weeks to complete the cycle. Had I bitten off far more than I was capable of chewing? On which thought I went to order some airline-style food in the restaurant.

Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda recounts Andrew P. Sykes’ journey around France, into the Alps and down the Rhine in the summer of 2022. It is available as a paperback and as and eBook from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com (and other international Amazon sites). The paperback is also available from Waterstones or Foyles and the eBook from Apple iBooks. If you would like to gift a signed copy of the book, please complete the form below:

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