Montilleul 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 ...

... no introduction. After a bit of

souvenir shopping at the top (where there is also a great café with some interesting Tour de

France artefacts), we descend to St Marie De Campan, and from here to our hotel in Campan.

WHAT I EXPERIENCED:

We had just climbed the Col d'Aubisque and I was almost at the bottom of the Col behind my friend, Paul Middlemiss, when the ...

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.

The Night Safari in Singapore was really a great way to see what is, after all, just another zoo. Somehow seeing 4-5 kinds of deer actually was exciting when viewed through darkness! However, the real highlight was me and girls sitting with our legs dangling in a fish tank with 'Doctor Fish' (can't remember their actual names) nibbling away (or should I say exfoliating) at our lower legs and feet. It looked ...

I hit a car the other day on my bike. The car didn't hit me. Rather, I simply T-boned it at an agreeable enough angle that I didn't go flying onto the hood. Cursed round-abouts. The driver sped off/continued on, either out of fear or habit. As I regained my composure and picked my bike up off the ground, another driver who had had witnessed the whole thing scolded me with his finger and pointed toward the road that I should have been taking, according to my lack of ...

... by one of the girls to a crepe party later that week. What? An authentic French crepe party with authentic French students? Je suis fort à l'aise! I left the bar that night feeling sufficiently comforted that my experience as a whole was worth arguably more than the five euros I'd spent on the Corona. Of course, I concluded all this while ignoring the fact that I could have received the entire experience (save the Corona itself) for free. Bah oui.

I hope to keep count of those who are and will be making this experience come true. Encounters form the heart of travel, and knowing who we are and who whe are linked to forms the backbone for these encounters. _______________________________________ _____________________ ______ Some ...

... and Baikal Lake - Train 6 to Ulan Bator Trying out the Mongolian ...