This tour had an interesting method of enabling us to climb the major Cols of the Midi-Pyrenees region. The first day was a long 83 mile ride from west to east along the northern foothills of the Pyrenees. The ride was long because it was quite lumpy (that is hilly) and we did 5,100 ft of climbing. The rest of the days were spent going up into the mountains, climbing the Cols and the back to the foothills for the night. These days took us gradually back to our starting city, Pau.
Along the foothills. When we looked to the right the mountains almost always loomed above us. The country side was very pretty and the weather great. Again, it appeared a little more primitive than the Alps in the east of France.
We rode through Lourdes, one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in France - in the world, for that matter. This is just one of the many churches in Lourdes. I believe in the 1850's a teenage girl saw a series of visions of the Virgin Mary on a rock face.
Our first coffee stop was in Lourdes. We were more interested in the replenishment of fluids than the churches and memorials.
Somewhere along the route the guides would set up a lunch stop. I thought it was quite lavish although it did have its drawbacks. The fastest riders got there perhaps as much as an hour before the last riders and the guides were reluctant to let everyone start before the last riders were close to the break location. I loved these breaks though, because they always had rotisserie chicken and it is not easy to come by in the resturants. I was tired of ham by now.
We're going up there tomorrow? I am already tired. Enough said.
One of several castles along the route today. Many have a Moorish look to them, all located on a substantial hill.
Along the foothills. When we looked to the right the mountains almost always loomed above us. The country side was very pretty and the weather great. Again, it appeared a little more primitive than the Alps in the east of France.
We rode through Lourdes, one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in France - in the world, for that matter. This is just one of the many churches in Lourdes. I believe in the 1850's a teenage girl saw a series of visions of the Virgin Mary on a rock face.
Our first coffee stop was in Lourdes. We were more interested in the replenishment of fluids than the churches and memorials.
Somewhere along the route the guides would set up a lunch stop. I thought it was quite lavish although it did have its drawbacks. The fastest riders got there perhaps as much as an hour before the last riders and the guides were reluctant to let everyone start before the last riders were close to the break location. I loved these breaks though, because they always had rotisserie chicken and it is not easy to come by in the resturants. I was tired of ham by now.
We're going up there tomorrow? I am already tired. Enough said. 
One of several castles along the route today. Many have a Moorish look to them, all located on a substantial hill.
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