Thursday II

I tried to update the posting from earlier today with the pics, but Blogger was doing strange things, so I folded and just started a new entry.  4 is definitely Daughter of the Day in the first entry's primary photo.

(The new home page photo was taken about 5-6 kilometers from the summit, when we stopped briefly on the way down the mountain.  We coasted (quickly, with a steady, hard break) all the way to those little buildings at the far end of the bottom of the valley.)

The climb up the Tourmalet was everything that I wanted...and more.  A much busier road than what I dealt with in the Alps on the Galibier two years ago.  Plus sheep, goats and alpaca's.  Seriously.  And plus due, the entire population of France had to be on "holiday", and on our road.  Unbelievable number of mid-sized RV's on this narrow, mountain road.

We started in the village of Campan, about 4-5 kilometers from the base of the climb in the town of Sainte Marie de Campan.  Here I am filling my water bottles at the fountain by that town's church.  From here, we ground our way 16.9 kilometers UP.  Each kilometer was marked with a sign, counting the distance down, and the average gradient over the next kilometer.  8% is really hard.  When it cranked up to 10%, I was crawling.

I'll write more about this some other time.  4 deserves lots of plaudits for her accomplishments here in the Pyrenees.  Our rides were not walks in the park.

Dinner tonight was at a quiet restaurant in town.  We were in a covered, upstairs balcony as there were sprinkles in the air.  French dishes off their menus.  We were the only ones in the place who spoke English.  But it worked out.  I judged my meal to be my favorite of the trip.   Beef with salad, potatoes (not unlike what I do on the grill, but with a spiced crust), and a couple of other interesting sides.  House wine.

The English-speaking lady at our hotel helped me line up packing-boxes for our bikes at a local cycle shop.  We'll do that chore in the AM, check out, and head back to Bilbao.  If its nice out, we may do that side-trip to San Sebastian.

We're tired.  Bond was on earlier.  I think Clint is the late show.  LtPC is doubtful.  Thanks for reading.

Au revoir!

BCOT