A lot of time in trains really since last entry. We had to catch the 6.30am train from Lourdes to Toulouse and Richard was there to say good bye! Then there was coffee and pastries in Toulouse before getting on the train to Pamiers where we were met by Dianne and Robin and more coffee. They live up in the mountains between Pamiers and Foix which is absolutely stunning. After a wonderful lunch of homemade tomato tart and figs from their tree we drove way up into the Pyrenees and went for a beautiful long walk. It was more like being in Switzerland with the cows and horses wearing their big bells. The big negative there is the steep windy roads and the car sickness, but that improved a lot once I pushed Dianne and Rob into the back. Then there were drinks and dinner on the terrace - I recommend this hotel - and then breakfast all laid on before having to head back to Pamiers for more trains. Rob back to Lourdes and me to Marseilles - Aix en Provence. That was all pretty uneventful (I forgot to mention the wonderful pack lunch from Dianne of farm egg sandwiches and cherry tomoatoes and figs). Not sure how the rest of the train felt about the egg.
So now Rob will try and keep up the cycling news from his iphone and I am here with Dinny and Bode in a little flat in the centre of Aix. I will see if I can get them to add their bits to the blog - it is fun to be here with them but quite a culture shock for me. We walked around the corner to the main street which was full of all the different local societies doing their stuff, the most entertaining of which was the dancing - all these people just dancing in the street and a few kids joining in on the edges and a few others zooming through on their bikes. It was a really great atmosphere. Then we came back for our beers and vegetables and some more talking and huge bath and bed. Don't think Rob is living in the same luxury in Pierrenefitte (Celia said something about checking for bugs and then Richard said the owner was too drunk to get the breakfast the next day).
Photos and Bode and Dinny's turn later in the day. I think I am on duty to go and buy the pastries this morning.
Later - delicious pastries and walk around Aix en provence but Monday not much open. But will just add a few photos before we set off to see l'atelier do Cezanne.
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| View from hotel I think. |
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| Richard writing blog |
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| Hotel in Lourdes |
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| Robin and Dianne at prat d' something, overlooking Foix |
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| Looking over towards Andorra |
Brilliant mountains - remind me who are Robin and Dianne?? Richard needs to relax his jaw when typing! Douglas says did you get the picture of the Saturday boys on their ride?
ReplyDeleteDianne is a good friend of Margaret's (her daughter is M's god daughter). Yes we got the photo - it was great but we are still battling with emailing from out account. just tried gmail but they think there is something fishy and always ask me cryptic questions. Maybe I will find a way soon. But very nice receiving emails occasionally. For Doug - Rob and Richard did L'Aubisque today and the Tourmalet tomorrow. Google them if they don't mean anything to you.
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