14 August Bordeaux to Agen by car!
Part 4 of the trip begins! We had to return to the GoSport shop this morning to correct an error in the purchase of two cycling jerseys the night before. They didn't charge us the sale price for Norm's jersey so we got a 22euro refund. Then on to the Peugeot dealer to pick up our chariot for the Jo & Rodney part of the trip. The only problem there was that they had no owner's manual for the car and couldn't find the wheel changing tools which they were required to show us before we left. The agent had to phone the Peugeot factory to get the answer! The tools were very well hidden beneath a panel under the passenger seat, but the agent had to download a portion of the owner's manual for us from the Peugeot UK website. Norm, of course, likes to read all the details, but it was just enough information to sort out how to use cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, and radio controls on the steering wheel.
15 August - Agen to Bordeaux to Cap Ferret to Castagnede
We drove back to Agen for another 2 nights with the Rodriguez family - more lunch, more apero, more dinner, more jolitility. We had a fairly early start on Sunday for the drive to Bordeaux to meet Jo & Rod. Norm dropped Vee off at the railway station, then found a car park a few blocks away. J&R had arrived by the time Norm walked back to the RR station, so their bags were humped back to the car for a quick take off.
The drive to Cap Ferret for lunch was a bit longer than planned, with big traffic jams going into the beach area on the last day of the main summer holiday weekends. Lunch was at Cafe Pinasse, our table only cms from the sand. Foie gras, chipirons, langoustines, oysters, stuffed squid, souffle Grand Marnier and champagne, then back on the road to Castagenede for a superb dinner at La Belle Auberge with Carlos & Elliane while Mireille and Perrot slaved away. After dinner we followed them to their lovely house on the hill above Castagnede. They bought the house with only the walls and roof intact, infested with bats and beasties and transformed it into an incredibly comfortable and tasteful home. We didn't have too much time to be impressed that night - way too much eating this day and no cycling. Tomorrow will have to be different!
16 August - At Castagnede
A light breakfast with the Guells, then bike assembly and testing. A 30 km morning ride via Sauveterre and Salies de Bearn to lunch at Auberge de Fountaine in Loas, owned by Mireille and Perrot's sun for another gourmet lunch of foie gras, oysters, fish, man melon and trout, before an easy 30 km afternoon ride back to the Guell's. We drove down to La Belle Auberge for a swim and for Norm to internet the payroll, then back to the Guell's for a late dinner with Carlos &Eliane and Mireile and Perrot when they finished work. Grilled green chilis with wild ham, followed by langoustines and lobster, accompanied by a bottle plus a magnum of champagne. This luxury can 't go on!
17 August - Castagnede to Arette - 80 kms
We got a reasonable early start with lots of best wishes and deep thanks for all the hospitality we have enjoyed over the last two days. Both couples are incredibly kind and generous - we look forward to seeing them again in New Zealand, perhaps for the rugby world cup.
Norm drove to Arette to leave the car and baggage while Vee, Jo and Rod cycled over the long hill to Mauleon. Norm cycled via Tardets to meet them there for lunch before joining them for the ride back to Arette via Barcus - 74 kms for J,R and V. This was a hilly day and was a good warm up for the first pass tomorrow. Hotel L'Ours in Arette was disappointing, with reasonable rooms but a very plain dinner. The proprietor, a former competitive cyclist who set the world 10 and 50 km track tandem record in the seventies, cast his eye over our bikes and did not approve - especially of the side on which side the front quick release was fastened. Oh well.
18 August - At Arette - 64 kms
Today's ride was Jo & Rod's first real test. We had thought of doing Cold d'Erroymendi for lunch in Isabena, then back over Col de Soldet, but the Soldet road on the Spanish side was closed for construction, so we took the valley road from Larrau to St Engrace and Soldet instead. This was probably enough, as it was very hot - 37c. The 22 km downhill to Arette was a welcome cooling break!
We couldn't face another Hotel l'Ours dinner, so we drove to Larrau for dinner at Etchemaite, the hotel in which we had hoped to stay instead of at Arette. Wonderful dinner and very refined cuisine.
Another hot night meant no one getting a very good night's sleep.
19 August - Arette to Argeles-Gazost - 50 kms
A 50 km car boost to Bielle meant a reasonable distance for this hard day in the heat. Vee, Jo, and Rod climbed Col d'Aubisque while Norm drove to Argeles-Gazost, unloaded the bags, then biked up to Col du Solour for a light lunch before meeting the others a short way along the road to Aubisque. Another stunning downhill to Argeles and our quaint Hotel Beau Site. Dinner was at Hotel Miramont, our old favourite where we were remembered by staff.
20 August - at Argeles - 78 kms
We had a unanimous vote for an easy day today after two consecutive over-the-col days. We biked down the bike path to Lourdes and Rod and Norm visited Cycles Abres while Jo & Vee bought large swags of chocolate as thank you gifts for Carlos & Iliane and Mireille and Perrot. After lunch at a pub, we all returned to Cycles Abres for a buying spree of local cycling jerseys. We cycled past the Ste Bernadette grotte, got chased away by the guards, then to Betherame to photo the chapel and back to Argeles. Dinner in our neighbourhood - just across the road for simple meat and vegetables.
21 August at Argeles - 103 kms
An early-ish start for the grand col du Tourmalet, passing and being passed by lots of cyclists. It took us nearly 3 hours to all arrive at the top, but it was not too difficult or dis-heartening for anyone. Rod and Norm had celebratory beers at the top, then down the hill to Bagnieres de Bigorre for lunch in the place in front of the baths. The troops were a bit bum and leg sore by this time, so the 40 kms back to Argeles were fairly slow. Dinner at a pizza parlour tonight and early to bed.
22 August - Argeles to Sarlat by car
A not-very-adventurous day's driving - 455 kms - to our Chambres d'hote at Sarlat. This was a big disappointment as the pool had been emptied due to leaks and need for maintenance and the house had crumbled a bit since Vee inspected it last year. The hostess had had a major traffic crash with a major foot injury, so this may have compromised the standards. No one slept very well because of noisy plumbing and wildlife - centipedes, BIG wasps, and mosquitos.
23 August - at Sarlat 82 kms
We made an early decision to move to the nearby Hotel de Mas des Peches. We paid a bit extra for having spent only one night at the CdH, but it was well worth it.
Very modern facilities, a fine swimming pool and air conditioning. Today's bike ride was to Montignac via Salignac and St Amand Coly to sign up for an English language tour of Lascaux II for Jo & Rod. We visited Roque St Christophe on the way back and Vee, Jo, and Rod explored the troglodyte town while Norm guarded the bikes, beer in hand. Back via Marquay, then a delicious dinner at Relais de Cinq Chateau.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Cycle tour phase 4 - the Pyrenees
It's just over a week since the last post - not a lot of Wifi in the Spanish wopwops, but lots of kilometers.
6 August - Castelnau-Magnoac to Bagneres du Luchon - 85 kms
From Castelnau we cycled up the valley of the Louron to Arreau and over the Col de Peyresourde - another classic Tour de France pass, with a few 9pc pitches to test our luggage-carrying fitness. Norm could have used a lower gear or two, but no real problems except the heat. We were sweating buckets and stopping at every water source to fill up the bottles. The downhill glide into Bagneres du Luchon was fab, with memories of Marco Pantani zooming down at 90 kmh+, while we held it below 70.
We stayed at our new favourite - Hotel des 2 Nations - which is just off the main tourist street. Excellent accommodation and food for the money, though without the spectacular view we used to get from Jardin des Cascades. The restaurant was heaving with people and one waitress to very efficiently serve 16 tables with at least 3 courses and a few resets.
7 August - Bagneres du Luchon to Sort, Espagne - 107 kms
This day started cloudy, for a change, and ended in torrential rain.
We climbed Col de Portillon, another frequently used Tour de France pass, into Spain through cloud and mist. We kept expecting rain, but when we descended the switchbacks into the Vallee de Vielha the sun reappeared. Col de Portillon is a lovely winding road through the forest and meadows, but Vallee de Vielha is a major truck route with a long tunnel at the top. Not salubrious cycling, but the shoulders have been much improved in recent years and it was no threat or inconvenience. At Vielha, we turned left to cross the Port de la Bonaigua at 2072m - not much traffic and just a few ski villages dotted along the way. The weather started to deteriorate just after the last ski village and we turned on our lights to be seen in the fog, but it didn't start to rain until we started downhill into the Vall d'Aneu. By the time we reached Escalo, it was pouring with rain and visibility was again a problem, so we stopped for half an hour in a bus shelter and finally retreated to a hotel with the idea of spending the night. Alas the only room left was a 200euro suite! I'd rather freeze, thanks, so we headed down to our original destination - Sort. The hotel Vee used last year for 42euros was in August of this year 75euros. We found a Casa Rural in the village for 40 euros which was comfortable enough. Fortunately we didn't eat there and didn't see the cockroaches in the dining room until the morning. Dinner was at a very popular mini-chain Catalin restaurant with good salads and huge main courses.
8 August - Sort to Serraduy - 107 kms again.
Breakfast from a panateria with coffee at a cafe overlooking the river and the sun was out again. We had two fairly hard climbs today in red-rock country on almost deserted roads. The last climb took us through Bonansas into the Valle de Isabena. We had hoped to stay in the abbey where Vee stayed last year, but that was July, this is August! No rooms available when she phoned ahead, so we stopped a few kms short in Serraduy, where we had the perfect hotel room - spacious, double doors onto the balcony over the river, lots of pillows, small bathtub, lots of hangers. Big storm overnight turned the river to chalky-grey with silt and knocked out the Wifi access. The position, the welcome, the reasonably priced food made it worthy of a return visit. After settling in in the afternoon, we cycled sans-baggage to Roda de Isabena so Vee could show me the hotel and restaurant in the abbey.
9 August - Serraduy to Torla - 96 kms
Copious breakfast and rather a boring climb up the Vallee de Lierp, but a rollicking downhill into Campo for 2nd breakfast, then up a boring 9pc climb on the main road and down into Arro. Thoughts of lunch but no facilities. The tiny road from there to Laspuna via Las Molinas felt very much like the high desert of Southern California - rudimentary vegetation and road surfaces and nobody around. The one side street of Las Molinas was dressed up for a fiesta, with balloons and streamers. Only facility was a much-need fountain.
Lunch finally happened a Laspuna, but we had to wait for a table at a restaurant with a fabulous view over the high valleys up to the rocky outcrops of the Ordesa. We then found, quite by chance, what was the highlight of this part of the trip - a miniscule but paved gorge road through towering cliffs, cut into overhanging galleries and echoing with waterfalls and the rushing river. Fortunately it was one-way - it was hard enough to get past the gawking motorists going our way! It's just compensation for the closing of one of our other favourite roads, the Grand Goulets in the Vercors. After climbing out of the gorge, the tiny road continued trough the village of Fanlo and down another steep twisty downhill to the Vallee de Broto, where we headed up to the road end and Torla. Vee stayed here last year but, again, we were unable to use last year's Chambre d'hotes, so we found a hostal with a cheap room and had an adequate menu del dia for 15euros, wine included.
10 August - Torla to Hecho - 99 kms
Bread and biscuits at the hotel, then climb to Puerto de Cotefablo and rip-roaring downhill into Biescas for tortilla and rellenos, then down the main roads into the dry valleys to Jaca and Puente la Reina de Jaca. You can see why the Spanish explorers like the California valleys - long, hot dry stretches of riverbed and rolling dry hills. The Valle de Hecho was some compensation - shady and cool. An easy 100 kms today to save our energy for tomorrow. Stayed in the same Casa Rural where Vee stayed last year but, alas, the Michelin restaurant was again fully booked, so settled for a mediocre bar menu to fill the hole.
11 August - Hecho to Urroz-Villa - 130 kms
Vee said this would be an easy day! Lots of climbing to Anso and up the valley to Zuriza where we resorted to a campground lunch amid hordes of hikers and climbers, then cross-grain to Isaba, Portillo de Lazar, Alto de Remendia and Garaioa, before pointing the front wheels downhill again heading for the Pamplona area. It wasn't all downhill though, with two hot climbs to and through tunnels on new road created when the lovely old country road was flooded by a giant reservoir. In the town of Agoitz, just below the dam, there was lots of new home construction in quite a remote place. There was a factory or two, but where will all the people come from to fill the housing? Sounds like Arizona! The last 10 kms were hot, dry and headwindy, but once we found the hotel in Urroz, it was worth it. A hot dusty little village, but the hotel was a beautifully renovated ancestral home with hand-painted murals on some walls and the best fittings and fixtures. Dinner was delicious and the welcome charming.
12 August - Urroz Villa to ??? - 140 kms
We had planned on catching the train from Pamplona to Irun to see Erin and visit the Mariscos owned by our friends the Guells, but the with schedule disruptions caused by floods down south and no information on whether they would take our bikes on the trains, we decided to bike it. We thought it would be less than 80kms, but with construction detours and being forced onto side roads to avoid tunnels, it was 100 kms by the time we spotted Erin in the main street. We had a great catch-up and a few snacks and drinks before we headed off to find accommodation. This turned out be no mean feat! All the hotels in Hondarebbia, Hendaye, Ciborne, and St Jean de Luz were full, so after biking 15 kms along the Cornice de Basque in the dark, we caught the train to Dax. NOBODY goes to Dax, so we figured we would have no problems finding a hotel there. Except that Fiesta was on there and the town was heaving! No rooms at any of a dozen hotels. Fortunately we met a local just before midnight who guided us to the refuge for pilgrims on the Chemin de St Jacques who contacted the warden who opened it up for us. Hot shower, bunk beds, then an hours conversation in the morning before catching the train from Dax to Bordeaux to begin phase 5 - our travels with Jo and Rodney. Heaps of bicycles on the train, but there's always room for a couple more - 9 bikes in space designed for 4, no problem once you organise the troops! Tonight we are in a hotel just across the road from the train station and will eat again in the Rue de St Pierre before we collect the rental car tomorrow.
More soon!
6 August - Castelnau-Magnoac to Bagneres du Luchon - 85 kms
From Castelnau we cycled up the valley of the Louron to Arreau and over the Col de Peyresourde - another classic Tour de France pass, with a few 9pc pitches to test our luggage-carrying fitness. Norm could have used a lower gear or two, but no real problems except the heat. We were sweating buckets and stopping at every water source to fill up the bottles. The downhill glide into Bagneres du Luchon was fab, with memories of Marco Pantani zooming down at 90 kmh+, while we held it below 70.
We stayed at our new favourite - Hotel des 2 Nations - which is just off the main tourist street. Excellent accommodation and food for the money, though without the spectacular view we used to get from Jardin des Cascades. The restaurant was heaving with people and one waitress to very efficiently serve 16 tables with at least 3 courses and a few resets.
7 August - Bagneres du Luchon to Sort, Espagne - 107 kms
This day started cloudy, for a change, and ended in torrential rain.
We climbed Col de Portillon, another frequently used Tour de France pass, into Spain through cloud and mist. We kept expecting rain, but when we descended the switchbacks into the Vallee de Vielha the sun reappeared. Col de Portillon is a lovely winding road through the forest and meadows, but Vallee de Vielha is a major truck route with a long tunnel at the top. Not salubrious cycling, but the shoulders have been much improved in recent years and it was no threat or inconvenience. At Vielha, we turned left to cross the Port de la Bonaigua at 2072m - not much traffic and just a few ski villages dotted along the way. The weather started to deteriorate just after the last ski village and we turned on our lights to be seen in the fog, but it didn't start to rain until we started downhill into the Vall d'Aneu. By the time we reached Escalo, it was pouring with rain and visibility was again a problem, so we stopped for half an hour in a bus shelter and finally retreated to a hotel with the idea of spending the night. Alas the only room left was a 200euro suite! I'd rather freeze, thanks, so we headed down to our original destination - Sort. The hotel Vee used last year for 42euros was in August of this year 75euros. We found a Casa Rural in the village for 40 euros which was comfortable enough. Fortunately we didn't eat there and didn't see the cockroaches in the dining room until the morning. Dinner was at a very popular mini-chain Catalin restaurant with good salads and huge main courses.
8 August - Sort to Serraduy - 107 kms again.
Breakfast from a panateria with coffee at a cafe overlooking the river and the sun was out again. We had two fairly hard climbs today in red-rock country on almost deserted roads. The last climb took us through Bonansas into the Valle de Isabena. We had hoped to stay in the abbey where Vee stayed last year, but that was July, this is August! No rooms available when she phoned ahead, so we stopped a few kms short in Serraduy, where we had the perfect hotel room - spacious, double doors onto the balcony over the river, lots of pillows, small bathtub, lots of hangers. Big storm overnight turned the river to chalky-grey with silt and knocked out the Wifi access. The position, the welcome, the reasonably priced food made it worthy of a return visit. After settling in in the afternoon, we cycled sans-baggage to Roda de Isabena so Vee could show me the hotel and restaurant in the abbey.
9 August - Serraduy to Torla - 96 kms
Copious breakfast and rather a boring climb up the Vallee de Lierp, but a rollicking downhill into Campo for 2nd breakfast, then up a boring 9pc climb on the main road and down into Arro. Thoughts of lunch but no facilities. The tiny road from there to Laspuna via Las Molinas felt very much like the high desert of Southern California - rudimentary vegetation and road surfaces and nobody around. The one side street of Las Molinas was dressed up for a fiesta, with balloons and streamers. Only facility was a much-need fountain.
Lunch finally happened a Laspuna, but we had to wait for a table at a restaurant with a fabulous view over the high valleys up to the rocky outcrops of the Ordesa. We then found, quite by chance, what was the highlight of this part of the trip - a miniscule but paved gorge road through towering cliffs, cut into overhanging galleries and echoing with waterfalls and the rushing river. Fortunately it was one-way - it was hard enough to get past the gawking motorists going our way! It's just compensation for the closing of one of our other favourite roads, the Grand Goulets in the Vercors. After climbing out of the gorge, the tiny road continued trough the village of Fanlo and down another steep twisty downhill to the Vallee de Broto, where we headed up to the road end and Torla. Vee stayed here last year but, again, we were unable to use last year's Chambre d'hotes, so we found a hostal with a cheap room and had an adequate menu del dia for 15euros, wine included.
10 August - Torla to Hecho - 99 kms
Bread and biscuits at the hotel, then climb to Puerto de Cotefablo and rip-roaring downhill into Biescas for tortilla and rellenos, then down the main roads into the dry valleys to Jaca and Puente la Reina de Jaca. You can see why the Spanish explorers like the California valleys - long, hot dry stretches of riverbed and rolling dry hills. The Valle de Hecho was some compensation - shady and cool. An easy 100 kms today to save our energy for tomorrow. Stayed in the same Casa Rural where Vee stayed last year but, alas, the Michelin restaurant was again fully booked, so settled for a mediocre bar menu to fill the hole.
11 August - Hecho to Urroz-Villa - 130 kms
Vee said this would be an easy day! Lots of climbing to Anso and up the valley to Zuriza where we resorted to a campground lunch amid hordes of hikers and climbers, then cross-grain to Isaba, Portillo de Lazar, Alto de Remendia and Garaioa, before pointing the front wheels downhill again heading for the Pamplona area. It wasn't all downhill though, with two hot climbs to and through tunnels on new road created when the lovely old country road was flooded by a giant reservoir. In the town of Agoitz, just below the dam, there was lots of new home construction in quite a remote place. There was a factory or two, but where will all the people come from to fill the housing? Sounds like Arizona! The last 10 kms were hot, dry and headwindy, but once we found the hotel in Urroz, it was worth it. A hot dusty little village, but the hotel was a beautifully renovated ancestral home with hand-painted murals on some walls and the best fittings and fixtures. Dinner was delicious and the welcome charming.
12 August - Urroz Villa to ??? - 140 kms
We had planned on catching the train from Pamplona to Irun to see Erin and visit the Mariscos owned by our friends the Guells, but the with schedule disruptions caused by floods down south and no information on whether they would take our bikes on the trains, we decided to bike it. We thought it would be less than 80kms, but with construction detours and being forced onto side roads to avoid tunnels, it was 100 kms by the time we spotted Erin in the main street. We had a great catch-up and a few snacks and drinks before we headed off to find accommodation. This turned out be no mean feat! All the hotels in Hondarebbia, Hendaye, Ciborne, and St Jean de Luz were full, so after biking 15 kms along the Cornice de Basque in the dark, we caught the train to Dax. NOBODY goes to Dax, so we figured we would have no problems finding a hotel there. Except that Fiesta was on there and the town was heaving! No rooms at any of a dozen hotels. Fortunately we met a local just before midnight who guided us to the refuge for pilgrims on the Chemin de St Jacques who contacted the warden who opened it up for us. Hot shower, bunk beds, then an hours conversation in the morning before catching the train from Dax to Bordeaux to begin phase 5 - our travels with Jo and Rodney. Heaps of bicycles on the train, but there's always room for a couple more - 9 bikes in space designed for 4, no problem once you organise the troops! Tonight we are in a hotel just across the road from the train station and will eat again in the Rue de St Pierre before we collect the rental car tomorrow.
More soon!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Santana Danube Tour summary
OK, so let's sum up the Santana Blue Danube tour.
First, I have to say that it was very well organised by Santana. The boat provided a moving hotel for the guests, without the need to pack and repack repeatedly. The cabins (we were on the lowest deck) were adequate in size and well equipped. Vee was a big fan of the air conditioning as the outside temperatures were mid-30s. The food was plentiful, with heaps of choices and a good standard of preparation and presentation. The service was good considering the number of people to be served and the fact that just about everyone came in at the same time. i guess that normally on a river cruise people wander in in smaller groups, while a Santana tour is a group thing.
The breakfast buffet offered a huge variety, from smoked meats to fresh omelettes, with a bread buffet offering everything from white toast to kugelhof. Also available were cereals, yoghurts fruity or natural, fromage frais et sec, bain marie scrambled eggs, sausage, as well as smoked fish and fresh fruit. Lunch buffets were similarly bountiful, lots of crudities, salads, cooked meals, etc. Dinners were ordered at the table from an ever-changing table d'hote menu with chef's recommendations and plenty of choices. Draft beer and house wines were plentiful, if you could catch the eye of the waiter, and a fuller wine list was available. I'm sure no one went hungry!
The middle reaches of the Danube offer lots of historical sights - castles, walled towns, abbeys a go-go, but the natural scenery becomes a bit plain as you leave Vienna.
We took the Wolfgang rides, with Wolfgang Haas, the European Santana distributor, as guide and found the pace at times challenging - we're tourists after all - and the company varied and pleasant. I would think that the riders doing the shorter rides might be a bit bored with the riverside scenery as opposed to the Wolfpack hills, but no one mentioned it. A few years back we cycled the Danube from the Black Forest to the Donauwerth and that part was very scenic but of course wouldn't accommodate a floating hotel!
Anyway, bravo to Bill and Jan and Robert and Wolfgang for a well planned and enjoyable trip.
At the end of the trip we were transported to Budapest airport. Our reorganised bike bags were just underweight and the flight to Paris was just a few minutes late. Unfortunately, that few minutes - combined with a 50 minute wait for the half-hourly Air France bus - meant we missed our train from Paris Montparnasse to Agen by 10 minutes. An expensive ten minutes as it meant we had to catch the next TGV and pay a 96 euro supplement. Ah well, it was still cheaper than if we hadn't booked at all.
Our stay with old friends in Agen was delightful as always, and we ate and talked way too much over 3 days.
Now we are back on the road, having ridden our single bikes from Agen to Castelnau-Magnoac 124 kms in 35c+ heat. Our hotel tonight is a simple Logis de France - Hotel Dupont. The meal was copious and reasonable quality and the wine (St Mont 2006) was excellent. Tomorrow we hit the Pyrenees, with a 90 km jaunt over Col de Peyresourde to Bagneres de Luchon before we cross over to Spain.
Photos soon!
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