Hotel Le Postillon Pau

... the ruins at Delphi - for a sense of the sheer reach of human history; the museum at Athens, with the see-through floor revealing something of those times.
Lows: all of Albania really - the sheer poverty of our near-neighbours. And, not to be too trivial, but the weather in Greece: hard to take the grey skies... especially when so sunny in UK! Having had it as a target since way back, it did tarnish the dream somewhat!!
And so life goes....on.

A brief stop over so that Mike could revisit Pau where he spent a month on a French exchange more than 50 years ago!
First we thought we should have a look at Lourdes as it was very near. It was difficult for us as dedicated athiests to understand the place. It is full of pilgrims but there did not seem to be any sense of joy. The buildings were magnificent and impressive,but the surrounding streets were full of very tacky souvenir shops all ...

WHAT THE BROCHURE SAID:

This second day of riding is a big day that travels over the most feared cols in the Pyrenees,

but it is also some of the most spectacular riding. Firstly we have a nice gentle warm up to

Laruns, base camp to the stunningly beautiful Col D’Aubisque (1709m). The cafe on the top

provides a perfect place for a deserved rest before ...

WHAT THE BROCHURE SAID: After a group dipping of our toes in the Atlantic, we depart at 09.00am and head up the coast road for a while before turning inland on a selection of beautifully quiet roads.

Today we pass through the Basque heartland with distinctive burgundy and white buildings, bullrings and pelot courts. Unfortunately we will not have much time for sightseeing as we undulate our way over the Col De St ...

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.

... we could sit in. Once we found the house we went to the park and sat and chatted and also managed to watch a typical French game of petanque. The group of men gradually got larger and they were probably wondering why we were watching so much from the bench we were sat on. Then a phone call from Andrei told us it was time to head to the apartment as the hosts were home and the rest of the group were already there. So this is where I was really wondering what ...

... s, so we spent about three hours wandering around town asking people if one existed. Never found it. By 6h30, it was time to get back to the train station, so we got some McFlurries at McDonald's and called it a night. Fun Fact: The French McFlurry is not McFlurried. It is simply Mc-Ice Cream in a McFlurry cup with M&Ms on top. Oreo flavor doesn't exist. Quelle horreur!

... been working over time. Heureusement, j'ai eu de la chance. I found three totally beau shirts. All you ladies back home aren't gonna believe how beau I've become after buying all those nice clothes at the paroisse. I look better than Ebeneezer Scrooge at the Fozzy Wigs' annual Christmas Party. I'm proud to announce that as a French speaker I have reached the profenciency of a fluent foreigner who rarely ever listens to what anyone says to him. In ...

... of his travel Jessica, Spanish, met in Pucon, Chile Craig and Randeep, Canadians, met in Sucre, Bolivia Ricardo, from B**gamo, Italy, we stayed togeth** in La Paz Marco, from B**gamo, Italy, we stayed togeth** in La Paz Daniel and Hest ...

... expense usually mean that I have been drinking too much beer ...