Sep 4, 2012 - Arrival in Toulouse

This section will be a little bit short, as it's mainly there to record on the map where we ended up! We were on our way from Rocamadour, and I started to fade a bit from all the driving, so we pulled into a service station and filled up with fuel, for the car and for us. I grabbed a coffee and a "donut" (the french don't do donuts, they should stick to traditional pastries). Ali got a baguette and some President spreadable butter. There's one thing I should say, French but is AWESOME. It is so much nicer than Australian butter. It's not...

Sep 4, 2012 - Landing & Finding my Feet

I arrived in Toulouse only a few days ago, but it already feels like I've been here for several weeks! A French student from Toulouse Business School met me at the airport (yes, she DID actually turn up, contrary to the nightmares I'd been having that she would forget) and took me to my accommodation. I have a nice studio flat in area where there is lots of student accommodation, located near the centre. For a general bit of info about the city; it is the 4th largest city in France, after Paris, Lyon and Marseille. The centre seems...

Sep 4, 2012 - Visit to Rocamadour

Leaving Domme was a bit sad, as the towns we'd had seen were all incredibly beautiful, and both of us wish we could have spent more time there. In terms of how pretty the area was, I thought that it was nicer than the Loire Valley, and it didn't have all the pretentiousness of that area. Alas, we had booked to stay in Toulouse for a couple of nights, with tonight being the first of those two, and the room was quite pricey. We couldn't waste that accommodation. The countryside between Domme and Rocamadour is quite beautiful and quite...

Jul 3, 2012 - Luz St. Sauveur to Bagneres-de-Luchon (Queen Stage)

The Queen Stage of our Tour. Today we ride three of the classic cols of the TDF. In fact on 18 April these cols will feature along with the Col d'Aubisque in one of the big days in the Pyrenees. After breakfast some of us gathered in the town square where there was a carousel and we hopped on the various horses, elephants, ducks and other creatures for a bit of fun. I didn't get a photo but I may be able to get on from Simon. The ride up the Col du Tourmalet(2115m) started in town and it wasn't long before 4% and 5% had changed to 8% or 9%...

Jun 24, 2012 - Ste. Enimie to Belmont sur Rance

Day 7 Ste. Enimie to Belmont sur Rance. Another early start after the first cold night I have experienced here so far. We continued down the Gorges du Tarn for the next 80km or so with the river gradually become wider and slower. The rafting and canoeing centres gave way to more agricultural pursuits. At the beginning the ride through the gorge was quite cool as the sun didn't rise high enough to hit the road until nearly 9:00am. I couldn't help wondering just how many hours of direct daylight some of these places get during deep winter. I...

Jun 5, 2012 - In the Mountains (Again).

Hi readers, Bordering Spain in the Pyrenees (mountains) is Estaing. We stayed at a campsite in a 2 bedroom cabin with a playground with a chess and draughts set, big garden sided version. It also had a seesaw and a big Connect Four game. Therevwasvalso a library/games room with lots of books in all sorts of languages, a pool table and other games to play. Whilst we were staying there we went to the Col de Tourmelet, Pic du Midi and Espagne (Spain). The Pic du Midi is a mountain that you get to by cable car to the top. On the top is a cafe...

May 25, 2012 - Voila, Le soleil at last

Our last day in Albi and the sun came out. it was bliss to have a T-shirt on.  I took the opportunity to stroll the shops, something I haven't been able to comfortably do on crutches, while Fred sat at a cafe with an express and the paper before going to the market to purchase a selection of goodies for a classic picnic lunch. We found a lovely park in Albi alongside the river. It was snowing 'fluff' from the trees but it didn't bother us. I had a snooze under the trees after lunch and felt like the subject of an impressionist...

May 24, 2012 - A duck too many

Thursday 24 May We spoke to mum on Skype this morning and it was good to see her looking well  and back to her old self complaining she was feeling like a zombie being bossed around by Pam and her medical staff who are all insisting on her not returning upstairs at Yernga. Today we drove about 60 km west of Albi to Montauban which had a nice feel and as a bonus a Galleries Lafayette department store. As we walked around the old colonnaded square there was a delicious BBQ aroma and it turned out to be confit duck, sausages and...

May 23, 2012 - 5 litres of diesel et une tarte framboise sil vous plait

Ooh la la life is pretty good when you pull in to a petrol station to fill up and find that it is also a boulangerie and patisserie. I could not believe my eyes when I went in to pay to see two guys baking and a display of wonderful goodies. Pity we had just had breakfast and I felt obliged to walk away empty handed. Nevertheless it felt good just knowing that despite my despair that the rain was still falling there were many unbeatable aspects to France. It was another big day as we took the back roads to Rocamadour  about three hours...

May 23, 2012 - Chanteuse en ciel ( singer in the clouds)

We had a very slow morning today (Wednesday 23 May) as my foot was throbbing and we have had a few long days touring. It is so easy to sleep here as there is literally no noise even with the shutters wide open and it gets light early. Our bedroom is three floors up and faces into a private garden which is surrounded by high walls. The cathedral bells don't start to chime until a very respectable hour so it is just the cats when they howl that wake us up. We began the day speaking to mum on skype and we are delighted that she is now out of...

May 21, 2012 - Mon deau il pleur ( spelling?)

Mon dieu il pleur -  it has rained all night and all day! Nevertheless we braved the motorway in the wet - it seems the advice to do 110 in the rain is largely ignored and speeds continue to be 130 kph plus. More poise moments... We went to Lourdes today which was another 3 hour drive. Unfortunately we hit peak hour around Toulouse which slowed us down but we stuck to the motorway thinking it would be safer in the wet even at those speeds. We can see why the economy here is suffering as productivity seems very low. Peak hour was at...

May 20, 2012 - Coq au Vin in the clouds

Wet wet wet so we put on our rain jackets and headed to the impressive Toulouse Lautrec museum in Albi. He is not an artist I have ever been particularly taken by but the exhibition was really interesting as it contained a vast range of his work which changed dramatically in style over his short life. He died in his mid thirties as a consequence of alcohol and syphilis which he no doubt picked up from the women in the brothels he was so fond of using as models. The museum is housed in the Bishop's palace next to the cathedral which in...