Wednesday 9 January 2013
Original plan for winter was to travel Spain, but that changed & hop over the border at Somport was all we managed.
Wednesday 9 January 2013
At 900m+ Lescun is the highest commune in Pyrénées Atlantique. Behind is Cirque de Lescun, and beyond that, Spain.
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Went vulture spotting yesterday with no joy. But eating lunch today saw these guys on the next hill over. So lucky!
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Picnic lunch in a field above Lescun. Such a beautiful day and so unexpected in the middle of winter. Love it! 
Tuesday 8 January 2013
€14 dinner in a French country hotel: bottomless soup bowl, hot cheese & bacon salad, stew then desert. Bargain! 
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Winter sunset from a random roadside location. Somewhere South East of Oloron-Sainte-Marie if I recall.
Tuesday 8 January 2013
The Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Very big & smart & protective. Also very friendly & fluffy & cuddly... luckily! 
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Haven't been here since June & Laruns village square is a little quieter now than the middle of summer. Funny that!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Last of the cloud is almost burnt off by 2pm. Lucky, because it's a great view down on Laruns from here!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
L'église Saint-Laurent in Aas. Get's you closer to god?
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Awoke to a misty morning. Took a drive over Col de Marie-Blanque anyhow. Wow! Above the clouds is a different world!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Sitting at the Col de Marie Blanque (1035m) eating lunch in glorious winter sunshine. Love the Pyrénées
Monday 7 January 2013
Hotel dinner tonight: no choice, but €14 menu was 4 amazing courses: soup, duck hearts, melt-in-the-mouth steak & chocolate mousse #bargain!
Monday 7 January 2013
Moving day so packing the van. It's thermometer says -1°C. I just though, "Hmmm, chilly". But then I was only wearing T-shirt #acclimated
Sunday 6 January 2013
@BBCWorld "Regulators ease bank asset rules http://t.co/IXGpxuGv" Because giving bankers enough rope to hang everyone always ends well? 
Sunday 6 January 2013
Another stunning evening light & fog show here in St Lizier.
Sunday 6 January 2013
Road to the Col de Pause. Sadly it was closed not far above here so no hiking (what we came for). Nice drive though!
Saturday 5 January 2013
What a joy to be back cycling in the Pyrenees. Glorious mid-winter's day. Just look at that, what's not to love?!
Saturday 5 January 2013
Crazy scenes at dawn (if you can call it that at 8:30). Glad we're up here on the hill and not down in all that fog!
Friday 4 January 2013
Small but perfectly formed. Evening treat from the local boulangerie.
Friday 4 January 2013
Watching the sun fall behind hills over the valley. Viewed from our lounge window. Did I mention we like it here?
Friday 4 January 2013
Back in St Lizier. That castle-like thing on the hill to the right is where home is right now. We like it here
Friday 4 January 2013
Random views from the road: looking South to the Pyrenees over their rolling foothills on a misty winter's day.
Friday 4 January 2013
Grotte du Mas d'Azil... why build the road over a ridge when nature has cut you a tunnel through it?
Friday 4 January 2013
Enjoying views from Carla-Bayle, tiny village at foot of the Pyrenees. Not much going on here this time of year mind.
Friday 4 January 2013
Rolling hills around Carla-Bayle. If not for snow-capped peaks behind you'd never know it was the middle of winter!
Friday 4 January 2013
Festive decorations in the streets of St Lizier. They've gone all out & would put a lot of indoor attempts to shame!
Friday 4 January 2013
A wide angle view over St Lizier rooftops... from the lounge in our accommodation. See why we extended the stay?
Thursday 3 January 2013
Home from a great little stroll to start the year. Well, if you call 10km hike through snow to a half frozen waterfall & back a 'stroll'
Thursday 3 January 2013
Back to Aulus-les-Bains. Great trail past mountain huts, mossy rocks & crystal clear stream with it's own mini falls.
Thursday 3 January 2013
My lil' snow angel 
Thursday 3 January 2013
La Cascade d'Ars, in a semi-frozen state. And the view below. Well worth the hour or so walk.
Thursday 3 January 2013
Hiking up to Cascade d'Ars. Passing other small streams then snow (sometimes deep) above 800m or so. Awesome walk!
Thursday 3 January 2013
On the road (and in) Aulus-les-Bains. It's a beautiful day so this is the start of a little walk we have planned.
Wednesday 2 January 2013
Bit changeable out so just relaxing 'at home'. Clouds add something to the ever changing view from the lounge window.
Tuesday 1 January 2013
Pretty lazy today. Just took a drive through some small villages. Here's Engomer, Les Bordes-sur-Lez & views nearby.
Monday 31 December 2012
Arrived in Saint-Lizier & here's the view from the front of our accommodation. Great to be back in the mountains!
Monday 31 December 2012
Rather be flying? Not really - more great views from the road. These are from opposite sides of the Col du Portel.
Monday 31 December 2012
Glad I said, "Happy New year" earlier. 3:30pm here & ready for a nap. Not a chance of staying awake til midnight. How Rock'n'Roll are we?
Monday 31 December 2012
Walking by part of Canal du Midi. Must be wonderful to cycle along here in summer - beautiful & it runs for miles!
Monday 31 December 2012
Even in winter, you have to love 'tree tunnels' around the French countryside. This one is just outside Capestang.
Monday 31 December 2012
New Year's eve in the South of France & am just wearing a tee shirt. Woke up in the middle of a vineyard too. Beautiful. Happy New year all!
Monday 31 December 2012
Waking up to a misty sunrise. We stayed in a beautiful B&B set amongst the vineyards near Montady.
Sunday 30 December 2012
2012 stats: 6,405km cycling, 584km skiing, 127km hiking (+ much more walking), 8km paddling. Been a great year!
Sunday 30 December 2012
Generous tray of tea, biscuits & hot chocolate on arrival at the B&B this evening. Giant cups of yuuuuum!
Sunday 30 December 2012
Lunch in Sète. And a slightly unusual one at that... what with this being a fishing village & all!
Sunday 30 December 2012
Pink Flamingos, in France, in the middle of winter? Wow! Now we know why we chose to drive through the Camargue!
Saturday 29 December 2012
One last stop to admire the view as we head down from Les Menuires. Ahhhh...
Saturday 29 December 2012
Sunrise on moving day. Time to follow these lights down the mountain and then on to our next destination...
Saturday 29 December 2012
Farewell 3 valleys! 311km & around 34,000m vertical on the slopes this week. Kind of glad where we're going today has '& spa' in the name