Atlantic Hotel Pau

... nothing much new awaits. Meanwhile, the prospect of your own bed begins to appeal...
So, there we are: mission accomplished. Above all, I have to say that I for one am mighty relieved that we have managed without any mishaps. Always a worry, whenever you leave home. There were moments - say, in the hills of deepest Albania - where I did wonder what the hell we would do if we broke down. Fortunately, this wasn't a problem.
Overall highs: without a ...

... the same statuettes and bottles in which to collect your holy water. It was difficult to feel any empathy with the people there when it seems to us to be little more than a huge sales opportunity for the church. Difficult to like but interesting to visit!

Mike could recognize very little of Pau as expected. It seemed a lot bigger, but it was interesting to revisit the were Mike spent a miserable and lonely month all those years ago

... down and back up the Col de

Soulor (1464m), which you will honestly hardly notice! The swoopy descent to Argeles-Gazost

is great and the pretty town provides a good opportunity to stop for some lunch. Unfortunately

from here we meet out first busy road which takes us up the gorge to Luz-St Sauveur. Next up

is the Col De Tourmalet (2115m), a mountain climb which ...

... 169m) and the Col De Pinodieta (176m) before lunch.

The walled town of St Jean Pied de Port offers a perfect lunch stop, and then we cycle on to our first proper climb over the Col D’ Osquich (500m). The sign of the small town of Arudy will no doubt be very welcome at the end of this 180km monster day! We get our Raid carnet stamped twice today – we are well on our way!

WHAT I EXPERIENCED:

So, nearly ready for the off! Thankfully, false alarm about arrival of guests to take over house in absence means we have one more day in which to prepare... much needed!
We will just about get there - I think.
Round about now it occurs to us we really ought to have assembled scooter on trailer and gone for little spin to test strapping arrangement, etc... just to make sure it all holds up. Oh well, the road will be a good test of all that... I guess.

... our hosts took pity on us and dropped us off near the toll booth that leads to the highway that leads to Toulouse. Three pairs stand, and whilst confidently standing there saying the two boys will never get a lift before our pairs a large car pulls in and picks them up. Damn it. Although 10 minutes later we get a punk body building helicopter mechanic driving a small sports car pull over who is going the whole 150km to Toulouse, result. Needless to say we were in the town first.

... of the night itself. By the end of the evening, Anthony and I had had a rather enjoyable conversation with the French girls. It was completely en français, which had to be worth something, and while we didn't come up with a whole lot of slang terms for "making a good meal", I learned a lot of great French expressions that weren't even a part of the assignment. Not only that, but certainly the greatest triumph of the night was being ...

... volar, Luis Sepulveda Enduring Cuba, Zoe Bran Cien Horas con Fidel, Ignacio Ramonet L'Etranger, Albert Camus A leer: La Mosca Azul, Frei Betto

... with diverse resources and efforts. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I would travel driven by need, by desire, by the need to desire. And travelling does not call for a reason. _______________________________________ _____________________ ______ Have a look at the Summary Page - Please sign my Guest Book

... A Pause in Amsterdam Leaving Home Moscow - Transiberian ...