Foix

Tuesday 31st part 2
As Neil said above, today Heather, Callum and I were dropped in Foix to explore. On the way in by car we got an amazing view of the castle as we descended the hill into town. After Victoria (our sat nav for those of you that have forgotten) took us around town about 3 times we finally found the tourist information and waved goodbye to Neil. Foix is a beautiful town dominated by the chateau overlooking a wonderful old town with winding thin streets. After amusing the tourist bureau staff again with my French as I acquired a map, we tried to hit the streets only to discover the best playground we have come across so far in France right beside the tourist office. After the kids had a quick play it was then time to explore, going first to an artisan market then the chateau. The artisan market was small and every second stall sold miel (honey), however Heather and I both found ourselves something nice, and got some jam for Neil.
We then headed for the chateau. We wound ourselves through the old town to the base of the chateau and started up the steep hill. At this time the kids transformed themselves into a pirate and a princess looking for treasure. It was a wonderful way for them to climb up a hill without realising. The path was a wonderful stone pebble path snaking up the hill with a different view around every corner. At the top, the castle was actually very basic with two towers to climb and an underground area that used to be water storage and is now used as a museum of artefacts. It was certainly a different style of castle to those we visited in Scotland as it was difficult to see where life was actually lived within the castle and towers. Now in the heat of the day we trekked back down the hill and found a cafe for lunch to rehydrate and refuel. Once energy was regained the kids hit the playground again until Neil returned from his ride. It was a lovely day in a beautiful city.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Plateau de Beille

Tuesday, 31st July
Today was a difficult ride up and down Plateau de Beille, a HC climb about 20km from Foix. It was about a 2 hour drive to Foix where I dropped off the tourists/support crew to visit this beautiful city and medieval castle, while I headed onward to the base of the climb. Despite the rather long drive to get here I was keen to ride this climb as this was a favourite of Lance Armstrong who won here in 2002 and 2004 on his way to winning the Tour. I particularly remember the 2004 edition because we were here in France following the Tour around. That day we watched the peloton pass through the small town of Aulus-Les-Bains then retired to a packed cafe to watch the stage finish on the cafe's tiny television while eating chocolate crepes. It was great to ride the climb from that memorable day.

The climb was difficult because it was a hot Pyrenean day at over 30C, my legs were still tired from yesterday's "extended" ride, and this is after all a 16km HC climb up to the ski station of Plateau de Beille. The road surface was also a little dodgy with some potholes and cracks, as well as spots of melting bitumen caused by the heat. Needless to say it was a very cautious descent after the climb. It was still an excellent day on the bike though. It was great to feel challenged, and to suffer through the last 3km particularly, as I am sure I got a small taste of how the Tour riders must feel after days of riding. Once again the views were spectacular providing further incentive to get to the top, where I rewarded myself with a, "glacé et coca". Tomorrow is a rest day, and with rain forecast on Thursday I may be soon in for my first wet ride of the trip!

Bagneres de Luchon

Monday 30th part 2



Today we headed back to Bagneres-de-Luchon, where we had picked up Neil's bike on the previous Sunday. This time Neil was dropped off in a one horse town just before Luchon to do his ride, while the kids and I headed off to explore. First stop was the gondala that takes you to the top of Superbagneres, a monstrous mountain that towers over the town. At the top an adventure playground for anyone that dares, with para sailing, mountain biking etc. Today the kids and I just enjoyed the view and watched other people jump off the mountain with a kite attached to them. It was a very clear day and all the surrounding peaks were in full view, as well as Spain which is only a stone throw away. While enjoying the view Neil called to say he would be longer than expected and to wait for a call from the next col so we descended and explored the town a little more. Bagneres-de-Luchon is a pretty town that the Tour often starts or finishes from but it is very touristy so after our second call from Neil saying he will be another couple of hours we bought our baguette for lunch and headed for the car. It was a short drive to our meeting point and that gave the kids some down time in the boot to read books, draw etc (it's a station wagon) and for me to get into my book. It wasn't too long before Neil emerged off the mountain so we could enjoy our, quickly becoming a tradition, lunch of baguette, brie, salad and Nutella (for Callum). Another very enjoyable day in the Pyrenees. Tomorrow, the kids and I are off to Foix which is supposed to have an incredible castle in the centre of an historic town, while Neil is up another hill on his bike.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Col de Mente & Col de Portet d'Aspet

Monday, 30th July
Another day living the dream, although a slightly longer day than planned. A couple of blogs back I mentioned that good ride planning would ensure I could get in all the cols I wanted to do. So much for that idea.

Today was one of my must-do rides because of the Tour history associated with both of the cols, these being the Col de Mente (which went as planned) and the Col de Portet d'Aspet. My ride became unhinged during my planning I had failed to spot an 11km descent down the other side of the Col de Mente into the valley before starting on the shorter but brutally steep Portet d'Aspet (I had thought the Portet d'Aspet started at the top of Mente in much the same way as the Aubisque does so at the top of Soulor - oops!). A quick call to the support crew to let them know I was going to have to do an extra climb (back up the Col de Mente) and would be a while longer and all was well.

The scenery was so stunning that the extra effort was worth it and I didn't want to miss out on the Col de Mente which is infamous because of the 1971 tour, as it was while descending this col in the most atrocious weather that Luis Ocana crashed and then was crashed into by two other riders forcing him to retire from the tour. At the time he had an unassailable lead which was amazing as this was the era of the [supposedly] unbeatable Eddy Merckx who is still acknowledged as the greatest cyclist of all time. The following day Eddy Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey he had inherited from Ocana because he had not earned it however the organisers forced him to do so. To this day Eddy Merckx continues to take no pride from this win, one of the five tour wins he has to his name. Portet d'Aspet has its own history as it was while descending this col during the 1995 that Fabio Castarelli crashed and was killed. There is a memorial close to the corner so I stopped for a moment to pay my respects. Having now seen and ridden the col it is completely understandable why he crashed where he did. This section of road is extremely steep at 17%, and very narrow and twisty. The place he crashed has a knee-high wall and beyond it simply a void down a cliff so he did not stand a chance. Needless to say my own descending today was rather cautious, the ride full of great scenery and memories of tours gone by, and it was worth the sore legs caused by my somewhat dodgy ride planning.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Arreau & Happy wedding anniversary

Sunday 29th part 2
Today is Neil and my 17th wedding anniversary. How do most couples spend their anniversary? Not the way we do. It was an early start with the weather forecast of low cloud. They got it right, as soon as we left the valley and started to climb the Col d'Aspin heading for the town of Arreau we were in cloud, quite thick at times which made for slow driving. To my amazement there were already cyclists out enjoying the serenity of the morning and curiously many cars parked at the side of the road. The cars I discovered were due to fishermen. We turned a bend and there lining the banks of a small river were a village of fishermen fly fishing in the clouds with visibility down to about 2 metres. It was quite weird but then we figured out that it was a competition. We headed up the cloudy hill and the higher we went the lighter it got. It was very magical. You could see the movement in the clouds slowly going down the hill and spider webs on the roadside embankments highlighted by the heavy dew. It was really peaceful and very pretty, until you turned a corner and a cow was standing in the middle of the road, which kind of broke spell a bit. Last Sunday we drove this road and the view was amazing from the top, but today it was gone, just white cloud. We descended into the valley to the picture postcard village of Arreau. Neil left us and did his climb while the kids and I headed for the tourist office where I used my French to get a map (I am getting some very mixed reactions with my French but am having fun giving it a go) and we toured the highlights of Arreau.


Arreau highlights, though very beautiful, are only about 2 blocks worth so we did the historical circuit, bought a baguette for lunch, some chocolate croissants for morning tea, then went to the playground. We found a secret passageway back to the car - you get the gist of how to kill 2 hours with the kids. It was a lovely relaxing morning. After collecting Neil and having a riverside picnic we headed home. With Callum asleep in the car, we stopped in the local village of Campan and Heather and I looked at the annual mannequin display. Each year in the month of July the village makes and displays life size mannequins, some of families and some representing businesses. It was a lovely walk down the main street and you really had to keep your eyes open as they were sitting in windows or courtyards of buildings. The church had a wedding, and cafes had mannequins eating at tables. Very cool and a bit of fun. We finished the day by keeping the kids up past their bed time so Neil and I could have a romantic meal (for 4) at a local restaurant. Restaurants don't open until 7.30pm so eating out here is difficult with kids, but it was our anniversary and we decided we would do it. It was delicious, fresh and locally inspired meals and the kids were well-behaved after being bribed with ice-cream. Happy anniversary.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Col du Perysourde

Sunday, 29th July
I can't say I have ever heard the sound of wolves howling when I have been out riding however that is exactly what happened as I approached the summit of the Col de Peyresourde this morning. It was also the first time I have started a ride below the clouds then rode through them to clear skies above. Both were very cool experiences, and while I thought the clouds would spoil the views they instead made for some stunning views (and some nice photographs which unfortunately the blog may again not allow me to share).



I rode the Col de Peyresourde in the same direction the Tour went over a couple of weeks ago then, because this col is a category one, there was enough energy in the legs to make a spontaneous decision on the way down to take a left turn and do the 4km climb back through the clouds up to the ski station of Peyregude (a stage finish this year where Valverde won much to the chagrin of the peloton as he has been unapologetic since returning to competition after being caught doping). Another great ride in the mountains with special memories to savour, in fact it is fair to say that I had a 'howl' of a time!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Parc Animalier des Pyrenees

Saturday 28th July

We woke to grey clouds and the driveway now a trickle, rather than a creek. Umbrellas were packed, along with raincoats and gumboots and we headed off to the Parc Animalier des Pyrenees With low clouds the drive to Argeles Gazost wasn't as scenic as it could have been but I got the idea. I even recognised the area from the television when the tour shoots through it from time to time (does that make me a cycling geek too?). The animal park was great. There were animals from the Pyrenean area and one of the first we saw was the marmot, a small, fluffy creature with short stumpy legs. When it ran it looked very uncoordinated with its big bottom wobbling everywhere, however it was a very cute animal.


The animal Park had another clever one way system, so at times it felt like you had the whole park to yourself. The keepers were at quite a few enclosures keeping the animals interested so the tourists weren't looking at sleeping animals. There were bears, lynxes, wolves, otters, mountain goats (which Heather and I climbed a rather large mountain to see), marmots (which the kids got to sit beside and feed - I resisted), vultures, deer and a variety of birds. It was a very enjoyable morning. We then headed into town for a quick explore and some lunch. It was a very quick explore as once again we had arrived during siesta time. It amazes me that a tourist town closes during the peak season, with shops, tourist bureau and even some restaurants shut from noon to up 3pm each day and that we are still getting caught out by this. Hopefully in our second week in France we will have learnt our lesson and take on the siesta habit. With low clouds forecast tomorrow Neil is tackling the Col du Perysourde which we have already driven over so he doesn't need to see the view again. While he does so the kids and I will spend the morning exploring the nearby town of Arreau.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Lourdes

Friday 27th part 2
After Neil returned from his Hautacam ride we all headed off for a family adventure, with Lourdes being the chosen destination. After a stop at the tourist information for maps and guides, we headed off for a quick bite to eat to gain energy to tackle the 'chateau fort'. We ate our lunch sitting on a bench on what initially seemed to be a quiet quaint French street only to have an oversized tourist bus pass us every 30 seconds. Upon studying the map we discovered were sitting on the route down to the sanctuary where in 1858 a young lady by the name of Bernadette saw a figure of the Virgin Mary in a cave. The cave has now been turned into an amazing area for pilgrims to flock and worship, be blessed, pick up some holy water, make an offering and be cured. Apparently it is quite a set up. Anyway, not being in need of curing, we headed in the opposite direction up to the chateau fort that overlooks the city. The fort is about 1000 years old, however has had a few different add ons over the years (including an elevator shaft that looks like a tower). It's apparently the only undefeated fort in France, which is understandable as it is situated high on a rocky outcrop, central in a valley, and you would be able to see anyone coming for miles. This and the amount of arrow shooting holes, the enemy didn't have a chance (Callum enjoyed running past all the holes pretending to shoot arrows at all the tourists below). The fort had an unofficial one way system that took you through all the different areas with displays of clothing throughout the Pyrenean regions, items used in every day life in ye olde time, art work, and even a marble museum showing you the many types used to make the nearby basilica in the sanctuary. Of course from up on the fort you could see the complexity of the sanctuary and it is an impressive sight to behold. The one way system worked wonderfully as it kept the flow going and people weren't over the top of each other. We also spotted another attraction for another day which is a funicular railway that takes you to a high vantage point that gives you a 360 degree view of the Pyrenees. Something for another day.



After making our way back down, and after performing a quick shopping chore, we indulged in an ice-cream seeing as it was a very hot day. While buying them we were ordering one by one as not to confuse the very young man serving us. Neil was holding Callum so he could see all the flavours and Callum was continuously saying "I want chocolate" over and over again. When the young man got to Callum he looked him in the eye with a big grin and said "chocolat". When Callum received it he replied instantly with a "merci", which the young man liked. They were good ice-creams too, so much so that it was the first one Callum has completely finished. Driving home we noticed the clouds rolling in and just as we were returning home with our takeout pizza the heavens opened up. We were very grateful of our Lourdes shopping which was to buy a sim card for the iPad. No more sitting in the driveway blogging, especially now that it resembled a creek. The rain was coming down in buckets with thunder and everything. It was good timing as it was getting a little hot. Tomorrow as Neil mentioned he has a rest day and we are ALL looking forward to the Parc Animalier des Pyrenees.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Hautacam

Friday, 27th July
An early start, heading back to AG in the car with the French radio blaring. Hautacam was today's goal, and it was the second HC climb in two days. Each of the famous cols have signs at every kilometre that lets you know how far away the summit is and what gradient to expect for the next kilometre. Hautacam immediately started with a kilometre with an average gradient of 10%. Later, the weakness with this "averaging" approach became evident. At about 3km from the top, while the sign advised that the next kilometre was 9%, the road was less so for a while. This was ominous because you know you have to make up for this later in the kilometre and so it was. Turning the corner I arrived at a brutally steep 400m section of 13%. It was nasty. At the top I felt more like I had been expecting to feel after every HC climb, with my legs burning and tired with the effort. I had no time to dawdle, and with nothing except a car park at the top I took a quick photo, then headed back down the mountain at 50-60km/h back to the car (while the pros descent at 90-110km/h, I confess my self-preservation threshold kicks in at 60km/h). For a moment going up the climb today I wondered if I would get to the top. This was excellent because it was just the challenge I was hoping for when I dreamt up this trip. For me it was living life to the max, and it also gave me a taste of how the pros must feel when they get close to their limits going over these same mountains.

Tomorrow will be a rest day from the cycling while, weather permitting, we have a family outing to the Pyrenean Animal Park. I am told this is for the kids benefit, however Nicola does seem quite excited about the prospect of seeing a marmot. Should be fun.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Luz Ardiden

Thursday, July 26th

Another day in cycling paradise. With Nicola sufficiently well enough to be left alone with the kids, I disappeared early over to the next valley to get in a ride. Starting off from Argeles-Gazost (AG) again, I went round the famous roundabout and headed south this time towards Luz-Ardiden just as I had seen the pros do many times on the television. What I was not aware of however was that pros are allowed to ride down a one way street the wrong way so my emulating-the-heroes moment lasted for precisely 100m. 2km and three laps around down town AG later, I eventually found the road I wanted and the ride started properly! The 14km to the foot of the climb in Luz-Saint-Sauveur went through the spectacular Gorge de Luz, with sheer cliffs on either side and a fast flowing river at my side. It was awesome cycling with a gradual 3% gradient to get the blood flowing (and provided a fun 45-50km/h zoom down hill back to the car later). The actual climb of Luz-Ardiden was really good and quite tough. The views over the valley down to Luz-Saint-Sauveur with the Tourmalet on the horizon were breathtaking. With 7km remaining the trees ended and it was into alpine meadows with the ski station and the winding road up to it in full sight. The fact that you can see so clearly where you are headed and how much climbing is left is both motivating and intimidating at the same time. At the top there was absolutely nothing except a closed ski lift so a quick photo was taken and it was off back down the hill. This was my first hors categorie (HC) climb and I can see why these are above category. With the category 1 climbs on Monday there were some easier sections of less than 7% where you could get your breath back. Not so with the HC climb today. It was all climbing and no respite but great fun at the same time.

I was back home by lunchtime, and with Nicola still without energy the kids and I disappeared to find a playground while she rested. Playgrounds are rare commodities in France but we had directions to one so off we went. We had no luck finding the playground but did find a crazy/miniature golf place so played a round in the heat of the afternoon sun the celebrated our exception golfing prowess with ice creams. One the way home we spotted the elusive playground so it was a successful outing.

Tomorrow, I head back to AG for a steeper and slightly 17km HC climb to the ski station of Hautacam, however this will be a "quick" straight up and down ride from AG (assuming I can find my way out) as I need to be home for 10am as a family visit to Lourdes has been planned. Apparently Lourdes is a place where many miracles have been performed so I am going to see if I can mingle with the pilgrims and get immunity from sore legs and saddles sores for the rest of the trip. Wish me luck.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wednesday, July 25th
The bug that laid Heather low for the last two days walloped Nicola last night. After a sleepless night and numerous visits to the salle de bains Nicola spent today horizontal recovering. While the girls recuperated (Heather is nearly better but lacks energy) the boys went out to a play ground in an attractive square close to the Mairie. Afterwards we headed off to Carrefour to decide buy lunch and dinner since it will be only the boys dining. Today's shopping trip means that during the first four days in the Pyrenees I have done twice as much shopping as cycling. After the euphoria of Monday's ride this is a statistic I'll be looking to rectify soon, especially with the amazing weather we are enjoying. It also means that there will be fewer rest days from now on, however this should not be a problem with some good ride planning and continued good luck with the weather.

The silver lining behind this alarming riding (or shopping) statistic is that I have had time to relax and hang out with the kids, both of which were also important goals of this trip. On the relaxation front I grabbed a book off the gite bookshelf called, "A Piano in The Pyrenees", which is written by Tony Hawks who was the guy who hitchhiked around Ireland with a fridge. It is all about him moving to a village near here so is very relevant and is an amusing, light holiday read. On the kids front, as well as the terrain de joue with Callum today, Heather was well to join us to play boules on the lawn this afternoon (by the way, Callum cheats by placing rather than throwing his boule at the jack), then, when Heather got tired, Callum and I played "knights and monsters" which essentially gave Callum an excuse to beat up his Dad (so guess who was the monster).

Tomorrow, assuming Nicola's recovery follows the same path as Heather, I'll disappear early for a morning ride. Not sure where yet but it I would like to claim my first [and maybe second] Hors Categorie (HC) climb and give the legs a real workout!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Exploring town

Today, Tuesday 24th July, Heather was still not well enough to venture out so Neil and I took it in turns to look after the kids. Neil with his much better French than myself went and bought me a phone then searched the town for playgrounds for the kids. Coming home successful on all fronts I then got my leave pass to explore our new town. Our cottage is 10 minutes from the centre of town and a lovely walk. There is an old section that used to have a wall surrounding it, which is now a road. All the buildings within this area are compact townhouse with small roads winding through them. Turning corners there is always a surprise of a garden or fountain. The main town square was in the middle surrounded by restaurants and shops. It was lovely. Whilst walking I noticed how quiet it was and that many shops were closed. Then I read a sign, majority of businesses close between noon and 2pm - siesta. So I was forced into a cafe to rest before continuing when things opened. I did enjoy my wandering time and that traffic was very lite on the thin streets it was a lot more peaceful. Without looking at my watch I know it was 2pm. The traffic increased and people seemed to come from no-where. The town has so much character to it, window shutters of all different colours and patterns. All the lamp posts and bridges have the most magnificent flower baskets, the colour and fragrance is wonderful. Next time I will head off in the morning and check out the fresh food market. On my way home Neil checked that my phone worked with the "are you all right" call (I was a little longer than he thought) and much to my relief Heather was feeling a lot better and may even be up to a small outing tomorrow afternoon



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A slow day

Our long day driving through the Pyrenees straight after a long day travelling to France took its toll on Heather. Sunday night she woke up feeling sick and throw up all night. The poor thing was exhausted Monday and still quite unwell. I spent the day looking after Heather, sorting out the cottage and keeping Callum amused. I gave Neil a leave pass as he was starting to get cycling withdrawals especially now that he can see the mountains he will be climbing. He came home mid afternoon happy as Larry. That afternoon I then ventured out bravely by myself to the supermarket. For some reason I was stopped by several people asking me about things on the shelf. I very politely, in French, told them I didn't understand, they understood straight away then nodded and waved me on my way, must be the accent. I was very proud of myself when I returned home that not only did I communicate in French to everyone I needed to but that I remembered to drive on the right side of the street and avoided hitting parked cars without Neil in the passenger seat yelling " your too close". Big tick for mummy.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Neil's first ride

23 July (Neil) - Today was the first opportunity for me to get out on the bike and see if all the training during the last few months had paid off. I had been advised to start with a relatively easy ride to get my "climbing legs" so I decided to do the Col du Soulor and Col d'Aubisque. With 30km of climbing it was definitely one of the longer rides however both cols had some forgiving sections of less than 5%gradients, however there were 9%+ pitches to test the legs. Heather being sick today meant I needed to be self-sufficient and do an out-and-back ride route, so I started from Argeles-Gazost and rode up the Col du Soulor then on to the Aubisque, going in the opposite direction in which the Tour de France did these cols last week. I parked the car at the roundabout you will have seen a million times if you follow the tour as the riders come off the Soulor and turn right to head off through the Gorge de Luz for the Tourmalet. Even this minor thing gave me goosebumps and I was grinning as I set out up the hill. The climbing starts immediately with a 8.5% average for the first 3kms which definitely got me warmed up. On a clear day like today the scenery was simply stunning and became increasingly so as the climbing continued. For the next 14km the climbing became more tempered and I passed through some beautiful alpine villages. The slacking off ceased and for the last 12km the average gradients were between 8% and 9.5%. These are averages so there were a few sections that definitely had me out the saddle to get over. The view at the top of the Soulor was incredible, however after taking a couple of photos and supping a coke at the cafe I quickly continued on while the legs were warm. The road to the Aubisque is amazing. It is fairly narrow with steep sides and a couple of tunnels in places going through the mountain. Once again the views were stunning. This section was 11km long however had very manageable gradients with only the last 2-3km being steep. After more photos of the view, and another coke, it was on with the wind cheater and sleeves for the 30km descent. What a day! It was amazing to achieve a lifetime dream and be on the same roads as the tour riders, riding over their names painted on the roads by the fans. I was constant smiles all day and was quite emotional and humbled at times when I recognised sections of the route for all the years watching the tour. It was a relief along that the legs passed their first test and I can't wait to get back out there.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Endless mountains

Sunday after completing the essential tasks of croissants for breakfast, and visiting the tourist bureau and supermarket, we headed to Bagneres-du-Luchon to collect Neil's bike for the Pyrenees leg of our trip. We programmed Victoria and she was going to take us over several cols so we decided that wasn't a quick route as it will be slow driving. Instead we mapped out our own route (much to the annoyance of Victoria) and enjoyed the scenic drive. We realised shortly afterwards that when driving in the Pyrenees no route will be "quick", not only due to the winding roads and villages with the houses on the roads, but also the hundreds of cyclists you are constantly having to overtake. Neil needn't have worried about cycling on his own as every cyclist and his dog is out there putting a notch on their handlebars for each Col they conquer. Any way, with bike collected and a quick lunch that ended up being four courses (we now know what plat du jour is - 4 plate set menu, not 1 plate as the name suggests), we took Victoria's advice this time and headed home over the Col de Perysourde and Col d'Aspin. Neil will be cycling them so it was good for him to see exactly what they were like and for me to see suitable towns I can amuse the kids in while he conquers his dream (with the hundreds of other cyclists). The drive was absolutely spectacular with incredible views, both up and down the mountain and around every hairpin corner (there were lots of those). We even encountered a deer crossing the road. Even though we have only been here two days I am loving France's summer. Warm days, blue skies with little white fluffy clouds over the mountains. Dragging out the shorts and t-shirts was a wonderful feeling.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The sun is shinning everywhere

Scotland farewelled us in a blaze of sunshine. Even though we only had two short flights to get to Toulouse France it was a very long day. Jenny and Alf escorted us to the airport to make sure we left, then I think they took a well earned break. It was then highlighted to me that the world has gone mad when airport security they confiscated our vegemite. I packed it in our hand luggage as our suitcases were already overweight. Apparently vegemite is a liquid which you are not allowed on the plane if it is over a certain size. I reckon the security guy just wanted something tasty on his sandwich for lunch. Without vegemite (and a pair of scissors I forgot about - oops) we headed for our first flight which was delayed and made me very nervous about our connection in London. No need to worry as our flight out of London Heathrow was also delayed. We finally landed in France and picked up our new Peugeot 308 that will be ours for the duration of the trip. Due to feeling a little ill from the flight navigating was not an option for me so I hit the motorway at 130 km/hr on the other side of the road with all cylinders blazing, and with a slightly nervous Neil navigating beside me. Victoria our sat nav (named by Heather) guided us beautifully to our first accommodation in the heart of the Pyrenees. It was a beautiful drive with the towering mountains to our left along the motorway until it was our turn to enter them. By the time we arrived it was about 8pm. With numerous "I'm hungry" complaints from the back seat, after a quick run down of our new home in French by Dominique our host (who has limited English), we created a pile of luggage in the cottage and headed into town for our first French meal. We only partly knew what we were getting as the menu was very brief in description but when it arrived, it was fresh, delicious and served with a smile. Just what 4 weary travellers needed. The photo below is taken from the bottom of our road about 100m from the cottage. Off in the distance the tallest mountain in the middle is Col du Tourmalet, the highest of Neil's climb.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Good-bye Scotland, France here we come.

Today was our last day in Scotland. We had a lovely lunch in an old pub under the Forth Rail Bridge then said our farewells to Uncle Kevin, Aunty Mags, Hannah and Alfie. It was very sad to say good-bye, but we have some wonderful memories and the kids all played so beautifully together. I know Heather and Callum will miss their cousins greatly. After a quick walk with Jenny through the lovely old town of South Queensferry we headed back to the cottage to pack. We haven't quite got to the point of everyone wearing two layers of clothes to reduce the suitcase weight but are getting very close (I did post home 2.5kg of castle guides to relieve the load). It will be sad to say good-bye to Nanny and Grandad tomorrow but the mountains are calling Neil and the French adventure must begin, so France here we come!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Royal Mile and the rain

Tuesday and another adventure. After picking up Alf we drove to Kevin's place and dropped the kids off so they could have a day with uncle Kevin, and their cousins Hannah and Alfie. Meanwhile Alf, Neil and I caught the bus into Edinburgh to have an Alf tour of the Royal Mile and the old town of Edinburgh. It was great getting the inside information of the area as Alf is a history buff and knows the good stuff. After a yummy lunch in the Greyfriar's Bobby pub, overlooking the statue in honour of the dog that loyally sat by his owner's grave for years, I left Alf and Neil at another pub called "Deacon Brodies" while I took another quick wander up to the castle to look at a gorgeous little chapel which was built in the 11th century making it the oldest building in Edinburgh. It was worth the hike up the hill. After returning to Kevin we were delighted to see that he survived the day with the four kids and they all had wonderful stories of their trip to Gorgie City Farm, a green oasis for the kids in the city. Wednesday was a possible back up day to try the Puffins again but after waking up to torrential rain and fog so thick we couldn't see across the valley we knew the puffins were off. Neil had his own plans as this was the biggest Pyrenean mountain stage of the Tour de France and he had booked his seat on the couch to watch the live coverage. I braved the rain, fog and flooded roads to take the kids to Nanny's house for a day of play with the cousins again while I did "Mum stuff" which included a peaceful lunch in a cafe. After picking up the kids and returning to Neil in the cottage we noticed a small stream had started coming down the small mound in the back garden and was threatening to flood the cottages next door while creeping towards our back door. Even the bugs were looking for higher ground with beetles, slugs and centipedes scurrying up the wall. A quick call to the owner was made and he promptly arrived with sand bags which stopped the threat of flooding and diverted the water. The reports are that Edinburgh got a month's worth of rain yesterday (yes it is summer). Today we are hosting a lunch for about 18 friends and family and for the moment the sun is out.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Our last Scottish castle

Monday (today) we picked up Jenny then drove to Kevin and Mag's place and picked up Hannah and Alfie before catching the bus into Edinburgh. This was a must do for the kids as the buses are double deckers, because when sitting on the top you can sit at the front like your driving the bus. The kids had a ball and spent the trip counting red cars from their birds eye view (they got to 97 or something). Then it was a hike up the top end of the Royal Mile to Edinburgh castle. Unfortunately every other tourist had the same idea and it was packed. The kids had fun climbing all over the cannons, we checked out the Scottish royal crown, septor and sword. The great hall was Callum's favourite as it was lined with swords and armour. Next we had a look in the prisoner of war exhibition where much to our amazement and Heather's disappointment the 1pm cannon went off and we didn't hear a thing (very thick walls). After a picnic lunch in light rain on a bench in Princes Street Gardens we caught the bus back to Kevin. Much to Heather's sadness (seriously) that was our last castle of the Scottish leg of the trip, achieving 8 in total which is not bad. Tomorrow Neil and I are having a guided tour down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh by Neil's Dad while the kids spend the day with Uncle Kevin and their cousins.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A rest day then more castles

Yes we are still here. Our plans took a rest on Saturday when Callum woke up out of sorts and promptly threw up. So all tourist/family activities were put on hold until he felt better. Fortunately it wasn't long before he came good and by the afternoon he was back to his usual self. We all benefited from the rest day away from touristing. Sunday we all woke up refreshed and ready to hit the road to North Berwick, about 1 hour drive from Linlithgow and on the mouth of the Firth of Forth. The primary reason for embarking on the journey was for me take a boat trip to a small island off the coast to see puffins. The whole family joined us on this trip in a 3 car convoy. While in the area it would have been a shame to miss Tantallon Castle which sits on the edge of the cliffs and has a fantastic view out to the North Sea and Bass Rock, home to thousands of Gannets, so much so the rock looks white. After driving to North Berwick and while walking around the castle we all noted the gale force winds that had arrived that day and the choppy seas it had created.


Unfortunately for me on arrival to North Berwick harbour we discovered all boat cruises were cancelled due to the weather. We will just have to visit again at this time of year (the puffins only come to shore for 3 months of the year to nest then spend the rest of the year at sea). Ironically, Saturday's paper had an article about them walking down the high street of town but no sightings so, oh well, it wasn't meant to be. Now that we had extra time on our hands we had a quick lunch and headed on a very short journey down the road to visit Direlton castle (yes another one). It was an interesting castle with lots of tiny rooms, a huge kitchen and dinning hall so we now know what was important in their life. The gardens were gorgeous with lots of beautiful flowers and manicured lawns. To those of you thinking Neil is being very patient with the castle visits 1. He is gaining serious brownie points for France; and 2. For castle, he sat this one out and sampled the local brew with Alf, Kevin and Mags instead. On the way home we stopped in to visit Jenny's sister in Musselburgh. It was nice to see more family.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Stirling castle & the Falkirk wheel

Another busy but fun day. Today we headed for Stirling castle, a very grand castle perched on top of a rocky volcanic plug. When the castle came into view when driving we pointed it out to Heather and she nearly jumped out of her car seat. She couldn't believe its size and how high up it was. It was like a walled town as it was the castle in which Royalty retreated when they were under threat. There has been a lot of money spent on restoration so in places gives a great view of what it looked like 500 years ago when first built and was in all it's glory. The kids once again had lots of fun exploring and imagining they were prince / princess, although Callum preferred to be a pirate (hasn't quite got it yet). I also found it amusing when Heather tried to move a cannon. Because the castle was built high up for defending any attacks it gets all the wind. I was sure it was going to snow. After enjoying a picnic lunch of sandwiches and fresh British strawberries that Jenny prepared (whilst trying to fend off the wind chill), and after stripping a few layers of clothes, we piled into the cars and headed for Falkirk to see the engineering marvel of the Falkirk wheel. It is a very impressive piece of machinery, being a lift for canal boats to move from one canal to another to allow boats to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh by what used to be unconnected canals previously separated by a hill. It is now a very popular tourist attraction as well as a very useful boat lift. Tomorrow we are having a rest day from tourist activities. The kids will have a day playing with their cousins while Granny babysits, while Neil and I catch up for lunch and ales in Linlithgow with Kevin and Mags (Neil's brother & partner) for lunch who have both been working up until now. Looking forward to it.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The rain cleared and there were ruins to explore.

The most amazing thing happened today. The rain stopped and the sun came out. There was a moment that I thought the forecasters got it wrong again but then it happened, briefly, but I did feel the sun on my cheeks. Enough sarcasm about the Scottish summer weather. Today we did intensive castle viewing. We started off at Blackness Castle which is about 3 miles from our cottage and in an amazing location right on the Firth of Forth. It was quite a dreary looking castle as it spent most of its past as a prison, but it was really interesting and had lots of character. After exploring every inch of the castle, with several opportunities for the kids to sing "I'm the king of the castle", we headed off to meet Neil's parents and the kids' cousins and headed across the Firth of Forth to Aberdour Castle. More like a stately


home as it wasn't used in battle, it had a huge chunk of wall that had fallen that showed us just how thick the walls were. The chimneys in the kitchens were all massive with several bread ovens and an ancient mortar and pestle in the corner. The gardens were extensive and grand, and at the bottom of the garden was a dovecote where doves would come to roost and nest and the chef would come and choose one for dinner at times. After a quick bite to eat to keep energy levels up we then explored Dunfermline Abbey and Palace. It was a interesting ruin sort of clinging to the edge of a cliff but by this time the kids patience had been truly tested so it was time to treat them to a playground. Whilst walking through the city park on the way to the playground we kept coming across squirrels, very cool. The day finished with dinner at the small hotel next to the cottage watching highlights to today's stage of the Tour de France which saw Cadel Evans fall further behind the leaders. Tomorrow it is Stirling Castle, which apparently is one of the biggest and most impressive to see. Should be fun.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rain, rain, rain

Another day of slightly altered plans due to water falling from the sky but that's okay because we're on holiday. We met up with Sally Anne a
wonderful school friend of Neil and she showed us around the auction house that she runs with her husband and two boys. What an Aladdin's cave. Furniture, fire places, bric-a-brac, absolutely wonderful. After leaving Sally Anne to let her get back to work, we headed across the Firth of Forth to Deep Sea World. It was extremely busy as it has a roof, but was lots of fun. They had the most amazing display of frogs (I know you don't get frogs in the deep sea), with bright colours I have never seen on frogs like electric blue, orange and yellow. We also saw piranhas, enormous cat fish and Tinkerbell the shark. It was a perfect way to spend a cold and wet afternoon. We then took a sticky beak at North Queensferry which has a very spectacular rail bridge (pictured) across the Firth to South Queensferry (where Neil's parents live). After a brief visit to grandad we rejoined Sally Anne and her clan for dinner. I must share one of our in-car games which Callum loves - hide and seek. Yes that's right, Callum counts whilst Neil hides (I'm driving). Then when Neil is found he counts and Callum hides by putting his hands over his eyes. It's absolutely priceless. Heather has decided it is way too silly and waits until the boys have come to their senses before playing the animal noise game that she invented (more on that later) or I Spy. Can you image what our 6 hour drives will be like in France?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Two days of royalty in the rain

We have lost faith in the Scottish weather forecasters. When they say rain, it doesn't when they say no rain it does. Our previous plans of going to Abedour castle fell through due to waking up to what was supposed to be a cloudy but fine day was heavy rain and seeing a castle with no roof in heavy rain didn't appeal to even the largest of castle fans. Instead yesterday we left the kids with Jenny and they had a ball wearing her out and playing with the cousins. Neil and I were guided into Edinburgh by Alf and visited Holyroodhouse palace home to the royals whilst in town. Gorgeous palace with the most amazing tapestries adorning the walls. There was also a exhibition on of Queens collections, from paintings to snuff boxes, beautiful pieces. After collecting Alf from where we left him in the local we had a quick peep in the new Scottish parliament building, over designed and it leaks (just my opinion). Today we took the kids to see the Royal Yacht Brittania. It was a lot of fun, Callum only got bored after about the fourth level and livened up after buying a captains hat in the gift shop, Heather had fun a learnt a little about the royals along the way. Callum did enjoy the audio tour having it glued to his ear. The yacht was presented wonderfully and was really interesting to see up close and personal to the royals I must say the queen does have good taste. You start on the top bridge and work your way down, the lower you get the lower the class, the less carpet used and the more wiring on view. We also indulged and had a yummy morning tea in the top deck tea room which I'd already checked out the menu when researching the yacht and was dreaming of the apple pie. Overall a lovely couple of days in the steady rain.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Linlithgow Palace

First day in Scotland and a lovely day had by all at Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Queen Mary of Scots. Heather and Callum had a wonderful time climbing all the towers (4 in total), wonderful stone spiral staircases that tend to go on forever, one we were able to reach the top where we got a wonderful view down to the court yard. These palaces certainly make the exploring fun when there are no roofs or floors and you can see through all the different levels. Heather took us through every corridor, tower and nook and cranny. We were then joined by Jenny, Hannah and Alfie for a jousting event. There were a few things on for the kids like archery, tug of wars and battles with knights then the main event of jousting which was all good fun. We totally exhausted the kids today and tomorrow more fun looking at ruined old stuff. We're off across the Firth to Aberdour castle and Dunfermline abbey and palace (yes 2 in one day).
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

We made it

After two airplanes and a little more than 24 hours travelling we are now in Scotland. We had our first "are we there yet" in the taxi to the airport then when we were sitting on the plane waiting to taxi to take off in Perth, Callum was watching the safety demo on his tele and turned to Neil and asked how do I start the plane, he was pressing all the buttons on the remote control thinking there was a faster way of doing things. The kids were an absolute dream on the flights, managing a little sleep then watched endless movies thanks to marvellous in flight entertainment. This afternoon we had the family over at our holiday cottage and the cousins played like they had grown up together. As predicted its cold and wet in Scotland but that's not going to stop us. Tomorrow we are going to a jousting event at Linlithgow Palace with Hannah and Alfie (cousins) and Jenny, Neil's mum. My first castle of the trip.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The packing has begun

3 days to go and the challenge of fitting everything in has begun. Hopefully Heather will opt to go with us in the plane and not in the suitcase.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad