Second last day and I still couldn't turn to head home. I had worked out that I would have time for a quick loop through Spain first, so headed south.The valley from St-Lary Soulon climbed until eventually there was no-where for the road to go in the circle of mountains apart from through a tunnel. I popped out the other side and was in Spain.
The highest peaks and ridges do really form the border and so also often it means different weather as a rain shadow type effect occurs. This means that the landscape is quite different on the Spanish side, drier and more wild west like, I though it was nice until I went back over to the French side where I concluded the scenery was much nicer in the alpine style.On the French side (after a much longer drive than I was expecting !) I decided to drive over the Col d'Aubisque before
It was very beautiful indeed, possibly the most beautiful of the major tour passes, but also steep ! There were sections of 13% and often 10% which means we have got a serious job on our hands. In fact more analysis of stage 16 involving the map revealed a bit of a monster......the last serious stage is also potentially a tour wrecker. 130 miles and several major climbs. I'm fitting a 27 sprocket.
On the way down the menagerie continued with some donkeys roaming about. Is there a more mournful looking beast on the planet than the donkey ?The drive back home began that afternoon and I wanted to make some inroads into the fairly huge distance that I would need to cover before I arrived back in Nottingham. So, after a few hours driving I decided to stop at Chateauponsac, north of Limoges.
This was the quintessentuial French campsite between a perched village and a gorgeous river where you could swim etc. The patronesse was very friendly (quite liked her actually and she appreciated my French). She said that I was the first 'anglais' this year who could speak French, a bit of a damning indictment of our education system (not that I can speak Italian or Spanish, but I didn't learn that at school). I apologised and promised to come back. Not sure how or when...but you never know.
Next day was another 5 hours of driving to get to sunny Bolougne sur Mer, a speedy (and still sunny) hop across the channel during which I chatted with a German chocolate mould maker (he explained someone has to do it) and then another 4 hours of driving home.The end...but also the beginning. A wrap up report will be on the main letour2007 website.
2 comments:
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I like your blog very much. I came across it as I was googling Chateauponsac, perhaps my favorite little French village for all the reasons you describe. It is a humble and kind place. I, too, wish to return. Thank you for posting this.
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