Day 16-Watching the Tour along the Col du Peryresourde

 Our first Tour day in the Pyrenees!  After another great breakfast at l'Hotel d'Angleterre we loaded up Paul's car with our chairs tables etc. and headed south to find a good spot to watch the riders.  Along the way we changed our mind about viewing locations and decided to try to find a spot on the last climb, and we were rewarded for our gamble, finding a spot along the climb with amble space for Paul's Renault Centar, our chairs, and table.  Now all we had to do was amuse ourselves for the next seven hours while we waited for the riders!  That was easy.

The caravan of sponsors and riders arrived on time.  The riders were well spread out since they had already completed several climbs and were now on the final 10 km of a 176 km stage. 

Our return to Arreau was short, we were only 10 km away.  We relaxed with a spritzers in the bar and then enjoyed another wonderful dinner.  Another wonderful day!

Day 15-Pau

Today we explored the beautiful city of Pau, which is about 90 minutes northwest of Arreau. It is a city often visited by the Tour de France, and is  set along the Pyrenees mountains’ northern edge, approximately 85 km from the Spanish border. 

It wasn't a clear day, so we were not able to see the majestic Pyrenees, however the beauty of the Château de Pau, birthplace of King Henry IV of France and Navarre, was a treat for our eyes.   The architectural detail of the castle was very ornate and impressive; very reminiscent of the chateaux along the Loire River.

The drawbridge and moat of the castle/chateau.

For lunch we dined at Le Berry, which is located in the center of fashion district.  Sorry there are no photos of our meals but among the six of us we enjoyed:  a croquet monsieur, salade Bernaise which includes gizzards, an omelet with mushrooms and frites.

Leaving Pau, we headed north to the Chateau Bouscasse in the village of Maumusson-Laguian. where we toured the winery and were treated to a tasting of the Madiran appellation.  

We returned to our quiet village of Arreau, arriving around 7 PM, and were surprised to find that in anticipation of the Tour de France arriving tomorrow a street festival was in full swing.  Streets were blocked off and we had a quite a difficult time just navigating back to our hotel.  Fortunately we made it just in time for dinner which tonight featured duck.  Hotel owner and chef Marie-Hélène Aubiban continues to amaze us with her incredible cuisine and hospitality.  We are so lucky to have discovered this wonderful jewel in the Pyrenees.

Days 13 & 14-The Pyrenees

After five beautiful days, we left Grenoble on Sunday morning, following the Isère River as we headed south to the Pyrenees. . We really loved Grenoble; this was our third visit to the city with a rich history, beautiful architecture, a young & diverse population that is surrounded by incredible peaks.

According to our Garmin GPS the drive should have only taken about six hours, but the traffic was very heavy and it took eight.  Along the way we were treated to continuous sunflower fields and passed Carcassone, perhaps the best example of a walled city in France.

We arrived at the Hotel d'Angleterre around 5 pm and were greeted by our friends Bill and Rosemary.  We've been planning this trip with Bill, Rosemary, and Paul and Pam Garès for  over a year and it was so exciting for the six of us to finally get together in France.

 

The view from our room, looking up to the Col d'Aspin where the Tour de France will be going on Wednesday.

Bill and Rosemary greeting us from their room at the Hotel d'Angleterre.

Looking out our front window early on Monday morning I watched the man weeding his garden.

Monday breakfast

On top of the Col d'Aspin

From the Col d'Aspin, we continued to follow the Tour's route over the Col de Tourmalet.

Descending the Col de Tourmalet, our next stop was in Luz Saint Sauveur, a village surrounding by the Pyrenees highest peaks and often visited by the Tour and cyclists of all abilities.

We ended our time in Luz with a visit to the  Église des Templiers, a structure built in 11th century by the family of Saint Andre, and not by the Templars.  Nevertheless, the church was beautiful and in the heat wave that we've been experiencing in France, it was a cool escape.

When we left Luz, it was 43°C,  which translates to 109.4°F.  As Eugene said in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blue, "it's Africa hot!"