Europe - Jul/Aug '14
We weren't really planning on having a European holiday this year, but circumstances conspired against us. So... erm... who were we to argue? 
This was only three weeks, but we squeezed in some of our favourite places in the French Pyrenees (including a stage of Le Tour of course), before finding some new favourites to add!
Then over to the Ariege, on to England where we almost saw some blue skies (yes - in the 'summer' even!) before back to France, Andorra (a bit quiet but Vall d'Incles - wow!) and finally a couple of nights in Barcelona.
Phew!
Saturday 19 July 2014
Dinner at Monestir de Les Avellanes. Excuse my confused look. Long flight & bit of a drive. Plus the red was chilled! 
Welcome to Spain
Saturday 19 July 2014
Pre-breakfast walk around grounds of monastery (pictured) we're staying in. Don't get to say that very often!
Saturday 19 July 2014
Spanish breakfast. Lots of beautiful prosciutto & other meats, & some sweet cakes. Yum! Lucky we had that walk first!
Sunday 20 July 2014
Messing about at Col d'Aubisque. Pratiwi so excited to be back in France couldn't help herself around the bike!
Sunday 20 July 2014
Our route from Spain to this week's accommodation took us over the Aubisque/Soulor. Tragic huh? #MaybeItWasPlanned
Sunday 20 July 2014
Awoke in cloud so went to local market in Arrens-Marsous. Very friendly butcher invited Pratiwi to join the staff! 
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Hautacam climb at 3 days to go. Sorry for bad picture, don't have my big lens & is from bedroom window of our gite
Tuesday 22 July 2014
View from window of the gite & then from the garden. Little stream right next to us. Just another day in paradise
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Heading out on today's hike. Starting by Lac du Tech, we soon warmed up in the morning sun. Such a beautiful place.
Tuesday 22 July 2014
On the way to Cabane de Bouleste. Pratiwi doesn't trust me to take enough pictures of the stunning scenary. WTF?!
Tuesday 22 July 2014
More views on our hike up to Cabane de Bouleste.
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Lots of mountain flowers up high (these above the cabin we were officially walking to). I think these are Iris, yes?
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Lunch stop by a little stream. Bread, saucisson, madeleines, banana. View! Lovely
Tuesday 22 July 2014
9km later... back down by Lac du Tech. Such a nice way to spend a few hours.
Wednesday 23 July 2014
See tiny horizontal scratch on cliff from left to centre here? That's the road between Cols Soulor & Aubisque! #Epic
Wednesday 23 July 2014
An easy walk today to Lac de Soum. Not sure what the waving of baguette pieces is about. Maybe Pratiwi was hungry?
Saturday 26 July 2014
The sort of shower rings found in the gite. Happens that it's run by a carpenter's wife & each is hand made. Nice!
Saturday 26 July 2014
Treats for our picnic desert picked up at a very nice patisserie in Arudy. Nom, nom, nom! 
Saturday 26 July 2014
Today's slightly overcast hike: beautiful Plateau de Benou. Kindof flat here (it's a plateau!) but check the views.
Saturday 26 July 2014
Dinner in Laruns. Oh look, some kind of thick soup dish with half a roast duck thrown in for good measure! Nom, nom!
Sunday 27 July 2014
This is Lac de Bious Artigues. Pretty, but this is only the bottom of today's walk. Can't wait to see what's the top!
Sunday 27 July 2014
The valley one could return via (we don't plan to do that today), forest clearing & appearing above the trees.
Sunday 27 July 2014
Lac Roumassot made a nice spot for our lunch stop. Then more climbing, this time past a waterfall toward more lakes.
Sunday 27 July 2014
Passing the middle of the lacs d'Ayous. This is the rather tiny lac du Miey... and 'puddle' next to it
Sunday 27 July 2014
8km & 900m vertical later: Col d'Ayous! Arrived rather sweaty, but yes that is snow on the ground. Time to head back.
Sunday 27 July 2014
View West from the Col d'Ayous. Yes, I know... but this is the ugly side!
Sunday 27 July 2014
View East from Col d'Ayous. Ah, that's better! Although you can't actually see the lakes we passed from up here. Doh!
Sunday 27 July 2014
Lac Gentau front, lac du Miey behind & Pic d'Ossau over the valley. We're heading to refuge d'Ayous (right of lake).
Sunday 27 July 2014
Refuge d'Ayous. At 1980m up was pretty chilly in the shade. A few people camping by the lake. Would love to try that!
Sunday 27 July 2014
Time to head home. Past the lakes, amazing views, waterfall, cattle (mooooo!) and the rest.
Sunday 27 July 2014
What's going on here? Guess we were supposed to be striking a pose, but were having too much fun by the look of it
Sunday 27 July 2014
Wasn't all mountains & lakes, we also passed some beautiful green forest & streams. Today really did have everything!
Monday 28 July 2014
Driving over the Aubisque/Soulor again today. Plenty of mist & cloud made for some... erm... 'interesting' pics!
Monday 28 July 2014
Stopping off to look at a castle while we pass. You know... as you do! For the curious: this is Chateau de Mauvezin.
Tuesday 29 July 2014
Tourist snaps in Seix, Ariege. We were going to hike to the nearby cascade but this was only break in a rainy day 
Tuesday 29 July 2014
Dinner at the Auberge in Seix. Big juicy steak & wine as reward for... oh, erm... sitting relaxing all day. Ooops
Wednesday 30 July 2014
Random col on today's drive. This is the Col de Port. Bit chilly up here for the middle of summer! Brrrrrr!
Wednesday 30 July 2014
Evening sun streaming through the greenery of a pub garden. In England. In summer. No, not joking - it can happen!
Wednesday 30 July 2014
Dinner with some old folk in Le Bistro Not France, but Wentworth! Festooned with flowers & tasty. Nom, nom, nom
Thursday 31 July 2014
Went for a pre-breakfast stroll around the block. Discovered the neighbours are a bit ostentatious
Thursday 31 July 2014
Just a typical pub lunch in the English countryside...
Thursday 31 July 2014
Few random snaps from the English countryside. Grey skies. Green hills. Old pubs & beer. #TypicalEngland #HopeValley
Friday 1 August 2014
Pratiwi likes the breakfast one is served in an English country B&B. And I should hope so! Nom, nom, nom!
Friday 1 August 2014
Interesting stuff parked next to East Midlands Airport. Ah, it's an Aeropark apparently. Plus obligatory clouds pic.
Friday 1 August 2014
Back in France. Straight to the supermarche to pick up lunch. Then the obligatory picnic stop by a sunflower field
Saturday 2 August 2014
Wondering round Quillan like tourists to get the day started. Overheard lots of English being spoken in that market.
Saturday 2 August 2014
Rennes-le-Chateau: famous for a little tower & church, & conspiracy theories leading to a mention in several novels.
Saturday 2 August 2014
Pratiwi can always eat another duck. I order salad to be healthy, which comes loaded with prosciutto & feta. Oops
Sunday 3 August 2014
Little stroll to Belvedere du Diable this morning. Nice view, but really rather humid. #WePreferHighMountains
Monday 4 August 2014
Heading up to Andorra. That road is the N20 from Ax-les-Thermes from whence we came. Yes... slightly entertaining
Monday 4 August 2014
Relaxing on a sunny hotel terrace in Soldeu. Ahhhhh.....
Tuesday 5 August 2014
We have a day to kill in Andorra so... a hike! This is the flat-ish bottom section of the route along Vall d'Incles.
Tuesday 5 August 2014
The walk proper starts as we turn to follow the Riu de Juclar. Many waterfalls on this section. Simply stunning!
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Looking back down the valley. Can you tell this was a great day? Happy hiking photos
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Lunch spot: Refugi de Juclar. Nippy at around 2300m up. Lake next door would be prettier if it hadn't been drained
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Heading back to the start. These views are even better when you don't have to keep turning round to look at them!
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Pratiwi was dreaming of splashing about in a mountain stream all day. Brrr, icy! I showed her how to relax instead
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Heading back to the car. Last mountain walk of the holiday & it's been a cracker! It's even nice walking on the road!
Thursday 7 August 2014
Rather overcast day at Park Guell. Terrible light for pics so cue some random tourist stuff. Spot the silly selfie
Thursday 7 August 2014
An average Thursday afternoon on Las Ramblas. Said it before: real cities like this make Sydney look like a village!
Thursday 7 August 2014
Wondering through Las Ramblas either side of lunch. Bright squares and dark alleys. Contrast central!
Thursday 7 August 2014
Pre-lunch tourist snaps in Placa Reial.
Thursday 7 August 2014
Lunch in Placa Reial. It's Spain so paella on the menu despite temps in the late 30s. Sizzle! Lucky there's beer too!
