Todays Ride.

Full post to follow. My ride was 55 miles with 3830 metres of climbing. Got back and then did a short trip with Lyn to Lac d'Estang that added another 827 metres.

Post by Lady Grey: A Day in Spain

Post by Lady Grey: A Day in Spain I am once again relaxing at Hotel Rochers, St Savin, whilst Brexton T is climbing the mountains on his bike. I like to allow him at least one day per holiday to go out on his own without me holding him back. I am probably suitably recovered from the very hilly 50 miles we did in the Gers region now, so will hopefully be joining him on a ride tomorrow. Whilst he is away I will account for our day yesterday as last night he was busy planning his bike ride. We had planned one night in Spain so that we could access a ride up to the lakes just the French side of the Bielsa tunnel. Also it is a lot cheaper to stay in Spain – as we found later. Our accommodation was very acceptable and the room comfortable. The evening meal was rustic and substantial. However, the weather was not kind to us (well it may have been kind to me as the ride was due to be very steep and I was still stiff from a couple of days earlier!), so we decided to follow advice from the Gers B&B that the town further down the valley in Spain – Ainsa – was very nice to visit. It is 33km from Bielsa and took us about 30 mins to get there. Parking was free on the other side of the river and we then set off on foot to explore. We followed other tourists up steps to the old town. This proved to be very worthwhile and a lot bigger than either of us expected. Lots of restaurants and cafes line two sides of the main square. We walked along walls at the end of the square for a good view of the surrounding countryside and the lake further down the valley. As the weather was showery we took refuge in a small museum to nature containing information about flora and fauna of the Pyrenees. There was information on the endangered ‘Bearded Vulture’ but we were disappointed later on when there was no sight of a real bird in the ‘live bird’ section or even any footage during the video – which seemed to just be a long lesson in maintaining the environment of the Pyrenees. We were to learn however, that the live birds there in captivity had been injured in accidents such as electrocution and could no longer survive in the wild. The male and female owl had been able to produce two lots of offspring whilst in captivity – some consolation. We traced our steps back to the new part of town for lunch and coffee, finding tasty food at the restaurant at the Hotel and Hostal Dos Rios. Here we sampled a salad, small sausages with onions and ‘Patatas Bravas’. The menu of the day appeared good and the food other people were eating from this looked good too. At about 4pm we set off back up the valley to the Bielsa tunnel and our journey to St. Savin where we arrived about 7pm to find that we were not too late to order dinner.

A trip to Spain

Thursday 20th. A Trip to Spain Breakfast was at 9.00am. It was a little warmer so the table was set up outside. It made a change for everyone to eat at the same time like one large family. Our family consisted of a friendly Italian couple who were touring France on a Harley Davison. A middle aged French couple who lived near Paris. A Belgium pig farmer, his wife and two young children who had taken a week away from the farm, and two Belgium women with a young child. We had a good selection again and were the only couple who eat any of the fruit. We sampled the homemade bread, cake and omelette and it would have been rude not to try a slice of cheese and the homemade jam. The French lady remarked she was going to take up cycling so she could eat more! We said our farewell. Patrick and Tinne recommended a vineyard to get so wine and Armagnac just outside Castera Verduzan so this was our first stop. We then continued to Lavardens and the Castle. We had visited it last year when it had a hosted a glass exhibition. This year it was exhibition of the sculpture Jean-Loius Toutain and his exaggerated mainly human forms. After an interesting hour or so we wandered out of the castle and round the village. The restaurant we had spotted the previous year was closed for 2 days to coincide with our visit. Fortunately we located another a short distance away and after our lack of proper lunch yesterday opted for the 13.50 euro menu of the day for 2 courses with glass of wine. After a pleasant lunch it was then a 15 minute drive to Roquelaure. We had visited it last year and wanted to get some more of their Armagnac and a few bottles of their wine. After a comprehensive tasting we just had time to go to the centre of Auch stopped at the Decthalaon on the outskirts first for Lyn to get some new canoe shoes and cycling sunglasses. It was then a 2 hour 30 minute drive to Beilsa. Kate decided to add a scenic detour as we climbed up the pass but eventually took us back to the main road. Spain is reached via the Beilsa tunnel. A one way system was in operation so we had a 10 minute wait before going through the tunnel and driving the 10 or so miles to Beilsa. We located the hotel and we pleasantly surprised by the quality of the room. The only thing that was missing was aplug fot the bath or basin but this was soon improvised with a plastic bag so Lady Grey could bathe.The hotel had good reviews but is only 45 euros a night including breakfast. We eat in the hotel. Dinner service started at 8:30 so because it was Spain who tend to eat later we wander down at around 9:20. The staff we friendly but did not speak any English. The young waiter even got a custom made google translation of the menu. We had the 3 course set meal fort 15 euros. Robert’s bread soup to start with served with 2 eggs was excellent. Ly n’s pasta soup and interesting soup choice that can in a huge terrine from which you served yourself until you could eat no more. We both had trout for a main course and crème brulee to finish. The wine was good but fizzy water had added sweetener! The couple on the next table opted for the a la carte. Their main course was half a cow each served with a few chips and grilled red peppers. They spent the rest of the meal tabling pictures and spending them to their friends. They did manage to finish. At leat our trout was a normal size. We could see 3 TV’s from where we sat each tuned to a different station. They all showed the weather forecast of heavy rain for the next day. We may have to revise our plans.

52 mile bike ride with lots of hills

Full text to follow. Just had time to add some photos.

A ride to Martell Breakfast was at 8:30. A larger spread today as the BB was full and it included a homemade apricot cake. We planned a bike ride to the village of Martell and its 7 towers. Julien suggested a scenic route but I modified it slightly and added an extra 12 plus miles. The only problem we had was finding the turning off the main road just out from the BB. I thought he had said turn right and Lyn thought he said turn left. She was right but the turn off was after half a mile and not 100 metres as Julien described. The route took on the minor road to Rignac, Cuzance, towards Hopital St Joan and then to Martell. We returned via the D803 turn off at Baladou and then going on to Cuzance before retracing our way back. Martell was a pretty walled village famous for its 7 towers. It was not too touristy and we spent a pleasant couple of hours wandering round it old streets finding time for a coffee and Panini for lunch. We had “planned “to set off from the BB around 2:00 pm . In the end it was after 2:00 when we left Martell and I added and extra few mile to take us back via Cuzance. The ride was pretty but quite hilly in places a change from the flat of the forest of Fontainebleau. We left the Terre 2 Prices at 15:20. Kate gave journey time of just under 3 hours and took us via the Peage all the was to Bonas. I wanted to be sure we had the correct location so had entered the GPS coordinates of the BB. We stopped outside the town hall! After a drive round the village we tried entering their address. Kate found a name that was spelt Gajolle and not Gajolle”s”. We set of and at the first turn asked a man walking his dog who told us not to turn but continue on the main road. He turned out to be wrong. Eventually we just followed Kate up a minor track . We stopped and asked again and we told we on the right raod but he did not know where the house was! After a couple of miles finally arrived at the BB. Kate was right. It turned out that the GPS address is put on by Booking.com automatically and not the owners . The location shown is wrong. We had time for a quick swim before or evening meal. Tinne turned out to be Belgium and is and excellent cook. We had homemade olive bread and tapenade as an aperitif, a starter of homemade duck pate and homemade dried duck. The main course was salmon and the desert a lemon and lime cooked flan with a similar texture to a panna cotta.
Terre 2 Princes

A trip down the Dorgogne

After a good night’s sleep it was breakfast at 8:30. We had decided against paying the extra for a for a cooked breakfast with cheese and ham so were given a warm croissant, warn baguette fruit and yoghurt. A good start to the day. We had decided to do a canoe trip down the Dordogne from Souillac. Michel called the canoe company and they said we had and option of starting at 9:30 or 11:30. We opted for the later time. We drove to Souillac and located the canoe company arriving at 10:20 and tried to book a for later. We were told to come back at 11:10. We had time for a quick walk into the town and located a Lidl where we purchase some cheese tops rolls for lunch. We arrived back at the base at 11:10 to be at the end of a very log queue. We finally paid and selected the 28 km trip from Copeyne. The organisation of the buses can best be described by the rearranging the words of “brewery , p**** and organise”. A large group of people we finally reduced to 5 and after a lot of waiting a mini bus for our start point finally arrived at took on the 35 minute drive to Copeyne. We were the only 2 passengers left on the mini bus by the time it arrived the other having been dropped off at the previous drop off point. Most of the other people had opted for the shorter trips and perhaps we going to take advantage of the free entry into the water park canoe ticket also gave us. By 1:20 pm we were on the water and enjoyed a long paddle down the river arriving back in Souillac just after 6:00. We had time for a couple of short stops but had not been given a detailed map so it was difficult to gauge our progress. The Dordogne was gently flowing with there were several selections were the river had cut into the cliffs alongside the river bank. We had dinner again at the Terre 2 Princes and were joined this evening by French lady and her young son. A leisurely 5 courses dinner again. The weather was warmer than last night so we sit outside and had the view of the sun going. Whilst we enjoyed melon and parma ham, turkey in a red wine and mushroom sauce, cheese and fresh raspberrys with fromage blanc.
Waiting for the bus.

A drive to the Dordogne

Another leisurely breakfast. We packed the car and decided to visit Milly La forret and Le Cyclops. We knew it was only open at 1:30 but thought we might get a good view from the outside. We stopped in the village square for bread and had to join the queue at the boulangie. The old market place with its chestnut frame provided a backdrop to the busy square.

Le Cyclops was not sign posted from the village centre but Kate came to the rescue was took us the last 1 mile out of the village to the forest. The Cylops was created by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely. The text below is taken from the web site. web site the Cyclops is a seventy four foot high sculpture created from over 350 tonnes of steel. “The huge body-less Head, glittering with mirrors, with a single eye, a mouth from All which trickles water onto a slide tongue, and weighing a year ear tone, houses in a surprising world icts Midst Where spectators are Invited to follow a maze- like itinerary to discover varied and 'complementary works, acoustic sculptures, a small theater and automatic, Where the brain Would Be, Some Tremendous machinery with scrap-iron gears, as intriguing as They Are eclectic. Extremely rich This album encompasses oven art movements: Dada , New Realism (new realism), Kinetic Art and Art Brut. Swiss artist Jean Tinguely's The Cyclops, Also Known As "The Head" or "The Monster in the Forest", is a unique monument in the history of contemporary art. With The Cyclops, Jean Tinguely wanted to create a non-standard construction, exceptional in size, complexity and technical artistic ingeniousness, as well as being white unusually sited in the Forest of Milly. Goal "The Head" is, marked values all else, the outcome of a collective venture, forged bonds of friendship from, a utopia over Many Years Produced by a "team of sculptors crazy"

The view from the fence was disappointing a better image can be found

here or by Googling Le Cyclops. After a stop for diesel we were then off on the 5 hour drive to the Dordogne. Kate decided to avoid the motorway and we stared on a pleasant cross country route before joining the motorway after about 40 minutes. The drive was uneventful and punctuated by a Brexton picnic lunch. We arrived at the Terre 2 Princes just after 6:00 and we welcomed by a cold beer. We had time for a quick swim before dinner at 7:30. This turned out to be a tasty 5 course meal with a good selection of vegetables.