In Lourdes to have a look around the old religious parts. Who'd even know there's a giant Basilica underground here?!

The Pic du Midi de Bigorre at dusk, as seen from our doorstep. Very nice - might have to wonder up there for a look?

'Die Another Day' re-run... Pierce Brosnan as 007? Oh dear, Daniel Craig makes him look like a schoolboy! Won't be watching all of this.

The supermarché in Lourdes: almost fell over when saw the price of Leffe! €1.67/l! Now to enjoy one with the view!

Wake up, look out window. Literally say, "OMG, OMG, OMG... where's the camera?!" Yeah - it's a bit nice here!

Arrived in the Pyrénées. Beautiful! Pratiwi in love the moment we turned off the motorway! Me too - hardly a straight or flat road in sight!

Stop in Carcassonne en route to Pyrenees. Amazing, even if a bit of a tourist trap! Must be nightmare in peak season!

Dear France... It's kinda pointless building motorways if you're going to put a toll booth one has to queue 30mins at every 100kays

Last Faucon ride done (sob!). Bike wash done. Time to hang on the drying tree before being packed for the trip ahead.

Crazy light this evening. Little more so due to processing perhaps? Car will be for sale next year if you fancy it

Earlier today: View passing Montbrun-les-Bains & later water stop. The sun is shining again after few days of rain

P.Garrett 1990: You cut all the tall trees down, poisoned sky & sea, taken what's good from the ground, left precious little for me. Hmmm

Chelsea... unbelievably Champions League winners. I miss football games like that in Aus, despite the fact I didn't really care who won

Rolling green hills around Lac de Serre-Ponçon & Pratiwi pointing out the location of her dream home

Where Ravin du Pré la Pierre meets the Ubaye. For scale: the pink dot on the bridge in the last shot is Pratiwi.

The view passing through Jausiers, and on the road West of here (towards Barcelonnette).

Hairpins on the Italian side of Col de Larche. Suppose I should be calling this the Colle della Maddalena then

The peloton leaves town. As seen from the wrong street as we were not organised enough! Oh well, can't win 'em all

Robbie Hunter looking cool as you'd like, & an Euskatel-Euskadi rider who looks like his day can't end soon enough

Time to release the balloons...

Looks like the Vacansoleil guys have a plan: sign on early before the mayhem. Couldn't believe how fast they rode by!

Ask a model to walk 200m on cobbled streets in high heels inches from screaming fans carrying a huge trophy? Sure!

Marching bands, flag throwing medieval type dudes and funky drummers to entertain the crowds.

A little pre-dinner walk in Barolo & what may be the best dinner of our Europe trip yet. Food here was sooooo good