a trip to the beach

Bois Colombes is about 15 minutes by train from Paris, so it’s really not far at all. But it doesn’t take much to escape the ‘city feel’. I made the most of a few empty streets to go for a run around the suburb. The area was a lot bigger than I thought. We’d walked past a few shops and restaurants last night, but there were a lot more. During my run I found pretty much every shop you would need. Kamel said later that the only thing missing was entertainment. When he goes out, he usually goes straight from work (he works in Paris), rather than come home because there aren’t any places to go in Bois Colombes.

After my run I had some lunch, a French twist of my favourite, honey toast. Instead I made a honey baguette. And a peanut butter one for good measure. I caught the train into Paris and found one of the bus stops for the hop on/hop off bus so I could use my ticket yesterday. There was still one route I didn’t fit in yesterday. This time I decided to get off at the Louve. I walked around the Pyramids a bit and even contemplated going in because there wasn’t half the line there was yesterday, but I still wanted to see the left bank (the route I’d missed) and figured if I went inside the louve, I’d be there for a while. Back on the bus and off at Notre Dame to switch routes.

The left bank (which judging from Kamel’s reaction when I called it that is a name the French don’t use) is supposed to be the art haven of Paris. Many years ago it was a big area for art, writing, music etc. There is also a big university there.  Paris has A LOT of cafes and it was no exception in this part of town. And all the outdoor seats face the street so if two people sit together, they sit next to each other and face the same way. Makes for great people watching. I rode the bus right round and got off where I started. On the way there I’d spotted a good present for someone (I won’t give away what it was or for who) so went to get that - except they didn’t have it in the right size so I walked for a good hour or so until I found what I wanted. To the person I bought it for: you better like it, or at least pretend you do!

When the bus drove over the River Seine, I noticed sand on the banks and people stretched out on deck chairs like a beach. It looked like a bit of fun so I strolled along there for a bit and managed to score a chair for a bit, so I may have had a little nap. Kamel told me later that they do that for one month every year and becomes Paris’s beach. It wouldn’t have been set up when I was here last month. It seems like a strange thing to do but when the beach is 200/300km away, I guess you make do with what you’ve got.

After my little nap I made my way to La Chapell to meet Kamel. This area is up where I was yesterday at Sacre Coeur. We had Indian for tea, and both ate so much we thought we should walk a bit. We ended up at Sacre Coeur, but this time there were a lot less people. We sat for a bit on the steps looking over the city. A lot of people had taken up a few drinks and food to eat up there, and there were people walking around selling beer. We kept walking and ended up in the area near the Moulin Rouge. While this area used to house a lot of brothels etc, it’s not really designed for tourists. There are still plenty of peep shows and sex shops, even a sex museum. There are also plenty of pubs, it’s sort of the nightlife area. We went to an Irish pub and had a drink and although there is a club attached and we’d planned to go dancing, I was a bit tired so we left, making it home about 1am.

paris from above

Despite some concerns that my train trip might turn out like Agatha Christie’s novel The 4.50 from Paddington, I arrived in Paris safe and sound. I had read the station had showers and luggage storage so I went off in search of both. The showers were really close to the arrivals terminal so I parted with 6 euro and had one there. It turned out to be the best 6 euro I have spent all trip. Each cubicle had a big change area and then a separate shower and toilet so there was plenty of room for all my luggage while I got ready. They provide towels, shampoo and even hairdryers.

The luggage storage was also easy to find so it wasn’t long before I was clean and bag-free. It was only past 8am so I headed to a Maccas from breakfast and free wifi before walking to Notre Dame to catch a hop on/hop off bus. Mum and Dad had suggested riding them and Shirly also recommended one company that has four routes going in different parts of the city. I got a two-day pass for 30 euro and got on board. It was a bit windy so up top was a little chilly, but it was a great way to see the city. The first route went past all the major attractions, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower etc. I rode that until it came to an area where it joined another line so I hoped off, ran into the post office, and jumped on the line which explores the area near the Moulin Rouge. It was night when I was in this area last so it was interesting to see it again. There are so many cabaret places and sex shops, but still plenty of families walking around.
I got off near Sacre Coeur and walked up the hill to the church. There are about 200 steps just to reach the church so I probably worked off the chicken baguette I had for lunch in no time. I walked through the church and then went looking for the entrance to the Dome. The ticket box was closed but the ticket machine accepted credit cards so rather than wait for the office to open and more people to arrive, I just used that. And up I went, another 300 steps.

The stairwell was very narrow, and gets more so the closer you get to the top. But one of the best things about the ticket office being closed was that I didn’t see anyone until I got near the top. I was counting the steps but lost count when a woman moved aside to let me pass and I said thank you. The dome had an amazing view of the city. I had thought about going up the Eiffel Tower but the problem with that is once you’re up it, you can’t see it. At least this way I could see the Tower. It really does standout against the rest of the city. The view made this the second-best 6 euro I’d spent all day. Sacre Coeur is just over 100 years old but it looks a lot older. The edges of the steps are worn smooth from the years and the people. I ran my hand on a lot of the surfaces in the dome and struggled to find anything rough. The stone seats up there are so worn and smooth they are almost slippery to sit on. Unfortunately there is quite a bit of graffiti up there too. T + M 2000, GS FOREVER 26.09.10. Very mature stuff. Meegs was ‘ere in 2011, but I didn’t feel the need to carve that into the building.

Although a lot of the buildings in Paris are several stories high, they are really quite short compared to a lot of major cities. In the distance I saw a few modern skyscrapers, but almost everything you can see clearly is very old. It was a bit overcast so I don’t know if it was the weather or the city that caused the haze in the distance. Kamel, my courchsurfing host in Paris, told me later that building too high is prohibited, I guess to maintain the very beautiful city they have now.

I rode the bus back to where I changed before, used an Internet café to print out some bus tickets for London and Scotland, and headed back to the Notre Dame. Here I changed to another bus that would take me past the station. I had to meet Kamel, who very kindly replied to my post on the Emergency couch needed forum, at Saint Lazare station so I got my luggage and headed there.
Kamel has lived in Paris his whole life and joined couchsurfing initially to improve his English, before he started hosting. He’s a financial controller and works rather long hours. When we met just after 8pm, he’d only just finished work. We caught the train to his place in the suburbs. It was really nice to get out of the city. He made a traditional Moroccan tea (his parents are Moroccan) with mint, which was delicious. Kamel has a lot of strong views on the French media so it was really interesting talking to him about that. He said the media was never very critical of the French government, which made it very hard to get accurate reports.  I think he missed his calling as a journalist.
We finished the night with an episode of Entourage. Great show!

farewell barcelona

The pattern on the seats in Park Guell.

After a bit of a late night last night, and a snorer in our room that really takes the crown, I decided to take it easy this morning. Shirly told me that one guy in our room actually got up and tried to shake the snorer, and they were throwing things at him, but nothing work. He slept like a log...the only one in the room to do so.
I bumped into Alex as I was about to go to Park Guell, so he joined me. Park Guell was to be a residential estate built by Gaudi, however it failed miserably. He only built a couple of communal buildings and three houses (for himself, Guell and their lawyer) before the project was scrapped because of lack of interest. Apparently it was just too modern, and too far from town, at the time. A few years later the council decided to turn the area into a public park. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Area. From the metro station it's a bit of a hike, but well worth it. The views over the city are great. It isn't a really built up city, not a lot of sky scrapers etc. But it covers a lot of ground. From here we can really see how unfinished the Sagrada Familia is.

There are eight towers missing from the Sagrada Familia.

The park is quite incredible. My mind still boggles at Gaudi's creativity and vision. Although one look at the buildings there and I have to wonder what he was smoking. I have nicknamed them Gaudi's gingerbread houses.

Aside from the Sagrada Familia, this is the place I have seen the most tourists. There are also a lot of street sellers - scarves, magnets, earings etc all laid out on a blanket, ready to fold up and carry away when they are told to move on.

We spend an hour and a bit there before deciding to walk around the neighbouring suburb in the direction of the metro. Alex decides to keep going while I head back to the hostel. Another new friend farewelled. He's been working in southern Spain for the past month and is on his way to meet a friend in Italy. He's been accepted into the Peace Corp, which he'll go to when he gets back to the States.

Back at the hostel I make some lunch and charge my computer. Shirly returns from her adventures so we hang out a bit before I go to the station. Alex (who speak Spanish) helped me buy my ticket earlier. Shirly is in Barcelona for a few more days before she goes to a delegation for two weeks in France. It's for international students who speak French. Her mother is French so she speaks it, but wants to improve her reading and writing. She's then off to hike in the Alps for two weeks. It's been really interesting talking to her about Israel. I didn't know anything about the country except for what I'd seen on the news. When Israeli teens finish school they all have to join the army. Two years for girls, three for boys. I asked her what she thought of having to do that and her response was 'it's just what you do'. She said bombs were common, but since you never knew when it might happen, she doesn't worry about them too much.

I make it to the station with plenty of time to spare and safely get on my train to Cerebere. To avoid catching the really expensive overnight train hotels, I'm catching a regional train to Cerebere (on the Coast just inside the French border) and will then get on a night train to Paris. This worked out a lot cheaper than catching a night train from Barcelona. Cerebere is, in a word, a dump. I'm almost too afraid to sit down for fear of catching some life-ending disease. Luckily, I'm only there for an hour. Unlike two English boys whose train has been delayed and will now have to find a place to spend the night.

I have my sleeping carriage to myself for a good while so I hop in my pjs and get into bed. There were no second class sleepers or seats left so I'm in a first class sleeper. It's the most comfortable bed I've had for a while. I write some postcards and call it a night.

Climbing one of Gaudi's 'cliffs' in Park Guell.

and back on our feet

When Shirly and I went to Sagrada Familia yesterday, the line was so long and it was so hot, we just thought stuff it. Our grand plan was to get up early and be there when it opened today. Joined by Alex from Oregon, we set off about 8.30am. We arrived at the Sagrada Familia to the pavement that was full with people yesterday empty. Yes, our plan had worked. So we walked around to the ticket office. Hmm, turns the line was just running in the other direction today. And a lot of people also had the same idea. The one saving grace was that it wasn't that hot at all. We waited only for about 30 minutes and just as it started to rain a little, we were let in. The towers were closed because of the weather so we could't go up, but staying on ground level was enough. 
I was blown away by the attention to detail on the exterior, but inside is just as impressive. It's huge. Shirly got an audio guide but I settled for reading the signs around the place. To give you an idea of the scale, inside, the choir galleries can fit 1000 singers. Underneath is a museum that has a range of pictures and models of the building. A lot of Gaudi's orginal models were destroyed during the Spanish civil war, so there is a fair bit of work in trying to work out what the guy had planned.

Because it was a week day there were quite a few workmen about. Apparently July/August is a bit of a slow time because of the heat though. Can you imagine the conversation at dinner? `So honey, what did you do today?' `Oh, just working on the Sagrada Familia, same old.'

I had arranged to meet a guy from Barcelona who contacted me through Couchsurfing, so Shirly and Alex tagged along. Xavier is studying English, for no reason other than he wants to, and is keen to practice. Although he was quite modest, his English was pretty good. He has an exam coming up to reach the second highest level he can in his studies. I had a look through his text books, which were quite interesting. They are really quite advanced and it really made me realise how silly our language is. It was also interesting talking to him about the Catalan and Spanish languages. He speaks Catalan at home, but Spanish is getting more widely used. He also isn't religious, which he said is very common among his generation. This is a little surprising given how God happy the country seems to be.
When Xavier left we realised we were about on time to make a walking tour that Alex had suggested. This one was of the old city and Gothic quarter. Our guide, Chris, is a Brit, who moved to Barcelona four years ago. He was very interesting but also very laid back. We walked around for about 2.5 hours. It was great to see some of the back streets as so far when I've been in the centre, I've stuck to the bigger streets.
When the tour was finished a few of us decided to do a pub crawl with the same company that night. Shirly, Alex and I returned to the hostel for dinner and found some other girls who were also going, so there were about 7 of us heading along.
I'm really turning into a weakling in my old age. I was yawning when we arrived. Shirly and I stuck it out until the last pub but caught a taxi home before they moved to the club.

new faces

First of all I will apologise if the fact that I am not using any contractions. Everything will be spelt out (I am, I could not etc) because of this stupid Spanish keyboard. To disappoint all of you who feel I should be out partying it up, I am actually having an early night. In fact, I even had a nanna nap in my hostel today.  Last night, the fun guys from Quebec who were having a quiet one, were not so quiet when they came into the room about 4am, so that was a little disturbing. I also had to get up early to change hostels. I am close to where I was before, just a little closer to the station that I need on Wednesday afternoon.
When I was leaving my luggage here this morning I got talking to a girl from Israel, Shirly. Sort of a `I am alone in Barcelona, you are alone in Barcelona, why not be alone together?`
Shirly, who arrived today, needed a backpack for her hike in the alps in a few weeks so that was our first mission. We also had to kill a few hours before we could get into the hostel so after we got the backpack we went to la boqueria, a market near La Rambla. The market sells fruit, vegies, meat, seafood, spices, nuts - well everything. We bought some stuff for lunch and dinner and caught the subway back to the hostel.

la boqueria

We both wanted a bit of time to relax so we made lunch and hung out for a bit before deciding to go to Sagrada familiar. Shirly had not seen it yet and I wanted to go inside. Unfortunately the line was huge and it was so hot so we gave it a miss and headed to La Pedrera, which I went to yesterday.

Two kids cool off in a fountain near Sagrada Familia

My guide yesterday told me about an exhibition there which means you can see part of the building for free, so we decided to check that out. The exhibition, by Catalan photographer Francesc Catalá-Roca, had great photos of people and places all around Spain in the 1950s and 60s. It was really interesting to see actually - a surprise treat given I only wanted to see inside the building for free.
There was a documentary showing at the end so we sat down and watched that. I felt my eyelids getting very heaving (not because it was boring, but because I was exhausted). As we left Shirly admitted she was having the same trouble so we came back to the hostel and had a little nap.
I woke up at 8pm and decided to cook dinner. Just some sort-of roasted vegies with balsamic. The best thing about the hostels is they attract so many solo travellers. Over dinner I met Alex, from the US. He has been working in hostels in southern Spain for a month or so. We ended up talking for most of the evening. It is really nice to hear about the adventures other people have had. Even if I am not learning about the place I am visiting, I am still learning about a lot of places I would like to visit.

crazy genius

Casa Batllo. The family that invented the chubba chub once lived here.

Apparently it was said of Gaudi that he was either a mad man or a genius. After touring some of his works in Barcelona today, I am no closer to knowing which it is.

After the rest of the family dropped me at the train station at Tarragona, I made my way to Barcelona. I know they were happy to see me go. I've been hogging the front seat of Louis for a month and they were going back through the Pyrenees. I navigated the metro easily enough and found my hostel without much stress. The guy on the front desk was really helpful, giving me some maps and marking out the best places to go. After getting my bearings I set off for La Rambla, to catch an afternoon walking tour with RunnerBean. I arrive early so kill the time walking down La Rambla. The main stretch is lined with tacky little shops and people selling things in the streets. A lot of men had these whistle things they make a sort of bird call, so that's about all you can hear as you walk down.
The walking tour was a free tour of Gaudi's buildings. We don't go inside, but our guide, Ann-Marie, gave us all the details of costs and hours, so we can decide what we might like to see later.

Not knowing much about Gaudi at all, except that he was hit by a tram, I found the tour pretty insightful. It's one thing we've missed out on these past few weeks. We've walked through some amazing places, but not known a thing about what we were looking at. We started at Placa Reial, before moving to Palau Guell. The tour involved two quick metro trips, the first to Casa Batllo and a short walk to La Pedrera

la Sagrada Familia

We caught out second metro, came up the stairs, and wow. La Sagrada Familia (lit, Holy Family) was right behind us. This place is bloody amazing. Excuse the French but it just is. It was started in 1882 and is still going. They expect it to take another 22 years or so. We saw a drawing of what the finished building is expected to look like, and well, lets just say, it's not surprise it's taking so damn long to build. The attention to detail in this building is incredible, and to have such vision and creativity, Gaudi was certainly one very special man. We finished the tour there and feeling very hungry after all that walking, I joined an English girl, Ayra, for dinner. We ate in a little square not far from her hostel before I caught the metro back to my hostel. In my hostel room are three guys from Quebec. They were asleep when I arrived (big night last night) but at up now and invite me to join them for a drink on the terrace. I last until about midnight.

paella in peniscola

A photo from Toby of Peniscola

After learning my lesson with buffet breakfasts in Andorra (eating so much I had to put my pj bottoms back on), I'm secretly thrilled to learn there isn't much on offer at our hotel in Peniscola. I have very little will power. We eat, dress and then chill out for a bit. I do some trip planning for my solo adventure (no luck finding a couchsurfing host in Barcelona, so I'm staying in hostels for a few nights that I needed to book). Mum's feeling a bit off so the rest of us decided to explore the old town. Again, there is some bit building on the top of a hill with a windy little village nestled under it. And again, we want to explore it.

We walk along the wharf and then up into the village. Most of it is lined with shops but they have some great stuff. All of us (except Dad who waits patiently outside) pick up some things. We find a great ceramics store that we take Mum back to later. Dad and I lose Kim and Toby but find them again a little later. We keep walking around then venture back down into the 'main' part of town in search of a grocer to get some lunch things. We pass a woman on the beach making the most incredible sand sculptures of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and the dragon. We toss some money into the blanket on the sand and take a few pictures. Her work really is quite amazing.

We make it back to mum in time for lunch and to stream the tour on our laptops. The broadcast here doesn't start until about 4pm, hours after the actual start so we watch on our computers for a while, then turn it on the tv but continue listening to the commentary in English on our computers. I have a little nap and wake up as Cadel is racing. Mum can't watch and is pacing in the other room. I also find it's a bit too much and distract myself on the computer. But it doesn't take long before we're celebrating his yellow jersey. And it's about time too. Mum rings Judy in Tassie to share the win.

After we come down off our le tour high, we start our big pack. Mum is giving me one of her little day packs and her other one is going to Kim so we all have a major repack and do some washing before dinner. We leave a little bit early to make the ceramic shop, where we all buy some more stuff. Mine will be going back to Tassie with Mum and Dad. I'll get to be all excited again in a couple of years when I reopen it.

Mum has been hankering for a paella since we got to Spain so tonight we must eat one, it's our last night. Luckily, she's feeling better so we find a place overlooking the water and order two. Each paella requires two people to eat it, although Toby looks like he could squash that rule pretty easily. The dish is everything we'd hoped for and as flup as we are, we still enjoy an ice cream afterwards.

We walk back along the beach and find the sand sculpture are still going. It's finished now, there's a Puss in Boots too. The beach was still packed when we walked to dinner, but the crowds are moving off the sand and onto the streets now. Along the beach further there is a bit of a public space where there are some buskers...a puppet show for kids and some young guys break dancing. Then it's back to the hotel for our last night in Spain, and my last night with the family.

a sea change in peniscola

Our aim today was an early getaway. This time we're heading for the beach.
Farewell orange houses with terracotta roofs. Hello white houses...with terracotta roofs.

Our early getaway isn't as early as we would have liked. We packed up Louis and head in the opposite direction for Cascada de Calamadre, a waterfall about 15km from Albarracin. The waterfall, at which you can get close enough to feel the water droplets, was a welcome change after such dry landscape. We walked around for a bit, tried to photograph the rainbows behind the water with average success, and it was back to Louis. Rather than drive back through Albarracin and along the same road we drove in on and drove to Teruel on, we decide to keep going and hook abck around later. Unfortunately this detour took a little longer than expected. Mum and Kim had hoped to be in Peniscola to watch the tour in the afternoon, but it was not to be.

Instead we drove though some different landscape yet again. And several signs warning of deer, although I never did see one. And I was looking! We stop at a supermarcado for bread and ham (Mariah Carey's Hero is playing in the store), but fill up on biscuits and chips and ice cream so no one wants a sandwich. We drive along windy roads and then out of no where come across someone's vegie patch. A few more kilometres down the road there is a small village. And more vegie patches on the way out.

There's a sprinkle of rain as we near the coast, which is expected given the dark clouds ahead of us. Soon the landscape changes again. This time to orange trees. I only see one or two pieces of fruit on the trees. It's a good thing we are driving otherwise they too would have ended up in Dad's pocket. We spy the sea in the distance but still have a while to drive up the Coast. We eventually turn off. We are quite close before Kim sees the humour in the town we are staying at. Peniscola. Don't get it? Break the name in two.

We check in at our hotel just in time to watch the last 11km of le tour in the hotel bar. We unpack, settle in and then walk to the beach, which is about 1km down the road. Despite the late hour and fading sun, there are still plenty of people enjoying both the sand and water. It isn't very deep...people out quite a way are still only up to their waists in the Mediterranean sea. Kim picks a place for dinner. Despite it being quite late for us (after 8pm) we are still the first customers. We have this problem every where we go. Most places don't even open for dinner until 8pm. No matter how late we leave it, we are always eating early compared to the Spanish. Tonight after dinner and dessert, a walk across to a small fair by the water and back into town, we still pass people just about to dig into their main courses. And we're heading home to bed.

first impressions deceive

As we drove into Albarracin two days ago, mum said "What a dump".
At the time I had to agree. Nothing but old industrial buildings, service stations and the like on the way into town. Our hotel is also at the bottom of the hill, and until today we hadn't explored into the town.
We followed a rather lazy evening last night with a lazy start. But around lunchtime we though we better make a move, so with hat and camera in hand we set off to explore Albarracin.
The best way to describe this town is that it is one to get lost in. Not in the romantic sense (oh I could get lost in Paris, I just love it), but literally. There are very few streets wide enough for a car, although the odd smart car and tiny Peugot seems to fit. They wind up and down, a staircase here and there. Before you know it you can't work out where you are and whether you've seen that tapas bar before. There were a few more touristy stores here selling some quality and not-so quality items. Kim, Toby and I lost mum and dad early and started out way through the town. There is a quick walk up to the top of the hill where there are some remains of the wall that once enclosed the whole village. But in the midday sun I thought it best to stay in the shade. Kim and Toby were also rather protective of their ice creams. So we weaved our way back through, sometimes coming out on a street only metres from where we got off it in the first place. It didn't take long to realise our first impressions of Albarracin were misguided. It is a beautiful town.

We had the hotel key so decided to head back there and have lunch while we waited for the folks. The afternoon continued with streaming le tour on our laptops. We couldn't be bothered messing around with the kitchen again so we opted for tapas. Since we introduced Kim to them in La Fresneda she has become somewhat of a convert. We again made a fair selection and again had to order seconds...twice. The plaza, which had been quite empty earlier in the day, filled up over the evening. As we came past later there were even more people out. Many of them not dining at any of the bars or restaurants, but having come out of their houses to suss out the news of the day and no doubt talk about us visitors.

After we were all quite flup (full up) we ventured up the hill. This meant a second hike for mum and dad, who braved the heat earlier in the day. Kim, Dad and Toby walked up the front, behind the village, while Mum and I stuck to the road around the back of the wall. We made it up with just enough light to take some quick photos and make it back down again.

a surprise at teruel

Our apartment in Albarracin has a kitchen, which we would like to make the most of. Unfortunately, we don't think the town has a very good supermarket. Since we chose this place to be a base to explore other places near it, we decide to drive to Teruel, in the hope of also finding a supermarket.
We have no idea what to expect at Teruel. The signs indicate it's a pretty big town. And it is, compared to the tiny villages we've been staying in. We park the car and set out in search of a supermarket. It isn't long before we find ourselves in a plaza filled with photographs. As any explanation would be in Spanish we don't know what it is all about. They are just blown up photographs, apparently from around the world. And quite significant photos too. There's even one of the Beatles, which is fitting since there is a busker there playing Let it be.

We walked around the town a bit. As usual we managed to hit it right on siesta time. We decided to have lunch at a cafe (very disappointing service unfortunately) and then hit the road. Our search for a supermarket didn't really happen and we ended up finding one at Albarracin which was opening at 5pm, so we stocked up there.

Teruel was a bit of a surprise really. I later read it is one of Spain's best kept secrets. It was quite a pretty town. The same narrow streets winding about, but some beautiful architecture too. Some of the buildings had a very mediterranean look to them.

After dinner in our apartment, I had grand intentions of going for a walk around the village after dinner but this was one night it got dark sooner than I expected.

horsies and doggies

Natural swimming pool in Beceite

The horse riding place the others found yesterday can't fit us in for a trail ride, however Kim is having a lesson today with the instructor - an English woman who moved to Spain seven years ago. The school is in the next village so we decide to explore some of the other villages near by and then we'll all go to Kim's lesson. The owner of our hotel told us that Beceite was lovely and that's just past where we need to go later so we head there first. We're not sure if there are actual 'attractions' at any of the places we're visiting. We're happy enough to walk around and see what we see. Beceite, like all the villages seem to be, is quite small. There are a few shops but we find that we are mostly walking through residential areas, although it's often hard to tell. Most of the doorways have beads hanging down across them to keep flys out. It's only if we glance through a window that we know if we're passing someone's home, or the butcher.

How much is that doggie on the roof top?

After walking through Beceite and Valderrobres we go to the horse riding school. We're a little early but Tamzin, the owner, had told Kim she could arrive early to look around. There are four dogs running around, one of them is a litle shy and doesn't want a pat like the others. It doesn't take long to win him over though. While Kim gets ready I play with the doggies in the shade. Later we go over to the arena and watch the lesson from there.

I won Rosco over, even though he played hard to get.

Albarracin, our stop for the next three nights, is about three hours drive away. The landscape is pretty barron, with the occasionally rocky hill popping up. There isn't much sign of life except for the occassional ramshackle building, which I assume are shelters for shepherds, and some industrial buildings.

As we arrive in Alabarracin, we're a little disappointed in what we first see. Service stations, old buildings...really not much at all. This was touted as a beautiful spot to see, a 'hidden treasure' in Spain. We check in at our hotel, which is a two bedroom apartment, and hit the streets in search of dinner. We struggle to find much that is open but later we realise it's because we're too early. We end up at a bar and order off the menu: grilled vegetables of our region to start and lamb with garlic and olive oil for mains, ice cream for dessert. The first two dishes are delicious but we pointed to the wrong thing for ice cream and end up with some sort of apple crumble thingy. Occupational hazard.

now that's real tapas

After a failed attempt to find the 'old town' in Andorra la Vella, we set out for our next destination, La Fresneda in Spain. It doesn't take us long to get out of Andorra, that country is ridiculously small. It also doesn't take long for the scenery to change. We spend a little while weaving through the mountains again but soon it's flatter, drier and hotter.
I didn't think I had any preconceptions of what Spain looked like, but I found that I was surprised with the landscape we were driving through. I kept waiting for the Road Runner and Coyote to race past. As we drive more through the Aragon region, which is where La Fresneda is, we came into a bit more vegetation. Mum offered a drink for the first person to spot an olive tree. It was me, and come to think of it I still haven't got my drink.
All the buildings we past are terracotta coloured - the villages just appear out of the ground when we come across one. We stop at a supermarket we past on the route and buy some lunch supplies and eat in the car park.
As Charlie (our sat nav) lets us know we are close we spy a church and some ruins on top of a mountain that looks rather interesting. The buildings are on the top of the hill with a village creeping up to it. Turns out that village is La Fresneda.

Three local women enjoy a stroll through La Fresneda

The village is tiny, apparently home to about 450 people. The rest go in search of horse riding to book a ride for tomorrow but it's a bit hot for me outside so I stayed at our hotel, Fonda la Grancha, which is a cute little place.
The hotel restaurant is closed so the owner sends us to another place, which is also closed. So we settle for a pub that does tapas. Tapas is turning into a bit of a trend in Tassie but I'll tell you now: a plate of garlic prawns does not tapas make.
The menu is in Spanish but the owner speaks a little English so we just told him to bring out whatever he recommends until we're full. Out comes a plate of break with a tomato spread, a plate of cheese, a plate of prosciutto, little pastry pockets with a sweet chilli-style sauce inside, octupus, calamari, potato thingys...oh the list goes on. The owner was a little surprised at how much we could eat. We were all completely stuffed by the end and the bill only came to about 50euro.
We work off dinner with a walk up the village (I would say around the village but the only way is up). At the top is the fortified church and the ruins of a calatrava castle we could see from the road. With the sun setting behind us, the place made for some lovely pictures: the village on one side and a great spance of rocks and olive trees on the other.

exploring andorra

A few days ago I didn't even know Andorra existed, but I found it to be a pretty fascinating country. It doesn't seem like a country anyone actually lives in. Driving to Andorra la Vella, it seemed like the entire country was established to cater for tourists. The streets are spotless and every building is either a hotel, restaurant or service station. Well, that was the case until we hit the capital, Andorra la Vella. Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at 1023 metres. It's a tax haven and as a result the streets are lined with duty free shopping. The country relies on tourism (it attracts more than 14 million visitors a year) and isn't a member of the EU but enjoys some EU benefits and uses the euro. The country has about 88,000 people and is only about 35km from end to end. There are two heads of stage: The President of France and the Bishop of Urgell (Cantalan, Spain), a reflection of Andorra's past, however they are just figureheads and the head of government is the Prime Minister of Andorra.

Andorra la Vella is an odd city. It isn't very big, either in size or population, but is lined with duty free shops. The shops also sell some items that you wouldn't see in many other countries. Cross bow anyone? A sword? Oh and also super cheap grog. Bombay Saphire gin for 16 euro.
It is one city that lives up to its reputation as a tourist destination. The shops are open quite late, even on a Sunday, and most of the restaurants offer menus in Cantalan, Spanish, French, English and even German. Most of the staff we dealt we at the hotel, eating out and shopping all spoke at least a little English.

The streets are narrow, parking is at a premium (with a premium price attached too), pedestrian crossings are frequent and the city is spotless. From what we can gather there are few 'attractions' in the city. There is an old town but we only ended up driving past that. There was a lot of construction happening, I guess because they only have the summer to work.

We decided to come to Andorra after thinking that perhaps three days in Audressien would be too much. Also our first stop in Spain wasn't too far away so we just cancelled the last night in France and the first in Spain and had two nights in Andorra. After breakfast (where I ate so much I had to take my jeans off back in the room and put my pjs back on) we were all pretty lazy. We updated our photos, checked emails and generally relaxed after a hectic few days. We set off to explore about lunchtime but didn't get much further than one of the large duty free shops, where we spent a good hour or so. Then it was time to return to the hotel for le tour. we had access to Eurosport on the tv so could get the broadcast in English for the first time.
In the afternoon Dad and I visited the gym, sauna, pool and spa before we returned to the same restaurant as last night. Unfortunately, there must have been a different chef.  

on top of the world

In the 24 hours to 3pm on July 16, I learnt a lot.
1. No matter how comfy a car may be for a nap while on the road, it is not a comfortable place to spent the night.
2. If a track up a mountain "doesn't look that far/hard", it is at least 65% further and harder than your prediction.
3. Sometimes the rewards are worth the effort.

After a grocery shop in Saint Girons (about 10km from Audressein), we headed up to the Col de la Cote to check out the course for Stage 14 of le Tour de France. We'd passed a lot of campervans in Saint Girons and found out when we got up the mountain where they'd all went. The road closes at 10am the day of the stage but if you want a good spot, you've got to get in early. The peak was already filling up with vans and a few tents so we had a decision to make. Either get up super super early, with still not guarantee of a good spot, or camp. We chose the later. The plan was that Kim, Toby and I would camp the night and Toby would drive down to pick up mum and dad in the morning while Kim and I manned the spot. 
We headed back down to Audressien and prepared for overnight: loaded up with food, hid the blankets from the hotel in our luggage and dug out all our warm clothes. We arrived back at the peak shortly after 3pm and got a spot on the inside of the road (the outside didn't appeal to me given it's a long drop down if the brakes don't work) about 200m from the top. A great spot to watch them coming around the corner and up the hill.
We folded up the seats we didn't need and swung the front passenger seat around to make more room for activitites. Then we passed the time with cards, exploring, walking down the road, walking back up the road, eating snacks etc. About 9pm we all snuggled in and tried out best to sleep. Unfortunately, between the bells around the necks of the cows in the paddocks above us, and the cars that raced down the hill in the middle of the night, horns blaring, it wasn't the best nights' sleep any of us have ever had. Add to that I kept hitting the door open button with my butt and it would beep because the doors were locked.
At 5am Toby kicked us out of the car and we retreated with a sleeping bag onto some towels by the side of the road, using the Aussie flags to mark our territory. He returned a little while later with the parentals so Kim and I had breakfast and had another nap in the car while Toby slept outside.
After the best crepe I've had in France (so much nutella I couldn't finish it) we found a way to work it off.
"Look at that guy in the yellow up that mountain. That doesn't look that high up."
"I think it's a lot higher than it looks"."
"Na, it's not. Look how fast that guy is going up, he's at the rock already."
"Ok, well lets go up after our crepe."
"Ok."
It doesn't matter who said what, the plan was sealed and up we went. The mountain, which looked more like a hill from where we were, was above the paddocks behind us. So we left a note for the parents (we had both car keys and couldn't find them), grabbed the Aussie flag and an umbrella so they could see us and set off.

At the summit

I won't relay all the details, but lets just say, it was not as easy as the little yellow dot of a man climbing up before us made it seem. Legs were burning, chests were heaving, and feet were trying to avoid stepping in cow poo.
We'd estimated it would take us about 40-45 minutes based on how quickly we'd seen the other guy go up and we weren't far off that. It was just a few tough 40-45 minutes. But the view at the top was unbelievable. A marker at the top told us we were at 1873m. The Col de la Cote was 1300m. We caught our breath at the top, took some pictures, tried to work out where Spain was, and then raced back down to see the caravan.
Racing down wasn't as easy as it seemed either...step, step, slip, land on bum, up again, step, step, slip...you get the picture.

Our own mountain climb

Seeing five stages of the Tour has taught me a lot about waiting. Not all waiting is created equal. There's waiting for Christmas, waiting for bills, waiting at the doctors surgery etc. Some of it's good, some of it's bad, some is plain annoying. But waiting for the tour is different. It doesn't matter how long it takes, how hot it is, how wet it is, how hungry you are, how badly you need the toilet - you spend hours standing at the roadside but it's irrelevant. The fun of the tour makes it all worth it.

Soon enough, the caravan arrived. The five of us spread out and managed to secure our biggest haul of freebies yet. Hats, lollies, cakes, bandanas, things to wave, magnets, newspapers etc. Some things were thrown straight in the car window. Because of the windy roads below us we had a bit of warning of when the riders were near. First came the helicopters, in such number that any Vets with PTSD

Here comes the peloton

After the last official had driven past we packed up our camp and set off for Andorra. Unfortunately we had to follow the same route as the tour and when we got to Tarascon we found the road to Andorra was closed. We drove through some back roads for a little while but got held up again at Omolac. This time there was no escaping it and we were directed to wait on the side of the highway. The wait turned out to be for three hours as every car involved in the tour (tour buses, officials, caravan floats, police etc) came past. It was a double lane highway so we couldn't understand why we couldn't go yet. But once the road opened at 8pm we saw why, the road out of the finishing mountain of the stage was ahead of us and had a backlog of traffic coming down. Traffic heading in the opposite direction to us was still held up beyond this point, waiting for it to clear from where we'd just come.
It made the slow trip to Andorra even longer, but the scenery through the Pyrenees was enough to entertain us. We climbed to a top of 2020m and at some points it seemed like the clouds were level with us. Once we hit Andorra the roads were fairly impressive. Very nice roads, although the speed limit rarely hit over 60 or 70kmh. This country, only 35km from border to border, has about 88,000 people and is basically built to cater for the ski season. We just passed ski village after ski village on the way to the capital, Andorra la Vella.
We arrived late but luckily for us, the Andorrians? Andorrites? The people of Andorra don't mind a late tea. We found a restaurant that was open until 11.30pm.

The road to Andorra

and into the mountains

After a late night getting back from Rocamadour, the last thing we really needed was another early start, but that was what we got. Afterall, le tour beckons. Our destination today was Audressien but we detoured to Cugnaux for the start of Stage 12. Given it was Bastielle Day, the people of France seemed to have nothing to do except for heading off to the Tour. There were people everywhere. We walked around the team buses for a bit and only just made it back to the start in time. Since we were late in arriving all the best spots were taken so we couldn't see anything. Just hear them set off and then see the tops of all the team cars as they follow behind.

The tour start at Cugnaux

We went in search of a McDonalds in the hope of getting wifi, but at the one we found the Internet wasn't working so we continued on the road to Audressien. We were venturing into the Pyrenees so the roads were rather narrow and windy. Every now and then we'd come across a lovely village and leave it a few metres later. We didn't climb as high as I thought we might, but I think the roads just snaked around the valleys.
Audressien turned out to be a tiny tiny village. We booked this hotel in the hope of accessing one of the mountain stages nearby and what do we find when we arrive? Signs warning of a road closure on July 16 because the tour is going straight past our hotel. The exact stage wasn't released when we booked so this is pure luck at work.
The hotel isn't open until 5.30 so we head back to a village we passed on the way in and have a drink and use their wifi. Nothing much was open anywhere because of the public holiday so we had dinner at the hotel.
The hotel itself is fairly basic so we weren't expecting much, but dinner turned out to be the best meal I'd had in France so far.

the tour starts climbing and so do we

It's an early start for us as we drive a couple of hours to Blaye-les-mines for the start of Stage 11 of the Tour de France. We wake to rain outside our windows - no surprise after having my hotel room lit by lightening for most of the night. We park as soon as we arrive at the village but find we are still a couple of kilometres walk from the start. After we start to walk, Kim and Toby head back to bring the car closer while Mum, Dad and I keep walking. It was drizzling most of the morning but it as umbrellas up when we hit the start line, and it didn't stop.
After watching the caravan come through (my umbrella interfering with my efforts to get any freebies) I went to explore away from the start line and came across the team buses. I walk down until I found BMC and saw Cadel signing autographs on the other side of the road, so raced (as much as one can in rain, thongs and a crowd) up to get on the other side. By the time I got there he'd gone back inside the bus but I joined the small group of Aussie's hanging near the bus. The BMC crew was quite friendly and a few Aussies dressed up as Steve Irwin and another one in a crocodile suit were making conversation and attracting the attention of the roaming media. Cadel had apparently promised the fans coffee earlier so the crew came out with little cups of coffee for us. Very nice really. I stood there for a while and watched them all get organised - the crew double checking the bikes and organising the team cars - and then the riders, one by one, came out. Once Cadel headed for the start line I popped next door to the HTC Highroad bus and waited for Matty Goss to head out.
At the start line the riders are introduced as the sign in but the presentation is in French so it was easy to tune out. Then the rides all bunched up for the start. Despite the ride ahead (167.5km) and a few mountains, not to mention the fact it hadn't stopped raining since we arrived, the riders all seemed very relaxed. Happily chatting with each other and waving to the crowd as they waited for the start.
It was great to see the riders close up, not that there's much to see. These riders are tiny. Nothing much of them in the arms or the legs. 

The Crikey Cadel Aussie's with the BMC crew

Cadel at the start of Stage 11

After looking in vain for Kim and Toby at the start line after the riders had left we headed back in the direction of the car. Turns out they had been blocked off so left the car where it was and watched the stage from up there. We then headed off to our next attraction for the day - Rocamadour. This village was suggested to me by Judy at work and I have two words for her - thank you. After two hours in the car, the sight of the village sticking out from the mountain was well worth it. After pizza for lunch/afternoon tea/dinner, we drove to the base of the village and found a narrow street with shops either side, with more buildings and the chateau towering overhead. It reminded me a bit of Salamanca in that it is very touristy, however it's easy to overlook that to enjoy where we are.
After browsing through the shops, Dad, Toby and I started the climb up to the chateau. It was a fair climb, and 2euro to get to the chateau once we reached the top but the view from the top was spectacular. I won't bother trying to describe it and will instead post a couple of pictures. There is a sound and light show each night but if we'd waited for it to get dark to see it we wouldn't have made it back to Revel until midnight. As it was we had an ice cream (Bounty flavoured, yum) and drove back, arriving at the hotel at 10pm.

Rocamadour