Sep 25, 2011

We enjoyed the walk around Pau last night and discovered some lovely old buildings though a lot in a sorry state and now undergoing some refurbishment as well as a big project of the municipality in paving some streets and establishing foot traffic areas which show real promise around the old heart of the city including some lovely large public spaces with water features as well. They have their work ahead of them!



A view across to what was a palace on the river in Pau

The ride today was spectacular! The temperature remained a comfortable cool for riding for the majority of the day with hand grip warmers on low early in the day and didn’t need to remove the jacket lining until after lunch to be comfortable.

The views for the day started off in flat to rolling country with corn and grapes leading to leafy hills and this progressively changed to fewer crops and more grassy fields progressing to steeper more rugged and stony hills into the very inhospitable Pyrenees Mountains which depending on the altitude were well covered in foliage (sometimes eucalypts once we were in Spain) or sparsely covered. The foliage no matter where we looked today was a delight and looked to be dusted with gold or mulberry powder and every hue in between giving shape and form to so many different trees and shrubs and in some places we even began to get a bit of yellow confetti of early autumn leaves falling around us.

Once we got into Spain proper we started to see some magnificent views to the ocean as well as climbing up and around more mountain ranges. It seems surreal that we have moved from the Mediterranean to Atlantic Ocean in a matter of a couple of days. The Motorways have been awesome again today. They may be expensive but they get us the distance we want to go in the time we have.



A view across the beach and peninsular to the harbour in Santander

Santander was burnt to the ground pretty much in 1941 with massive bushfires and pretty much the only building surviving was the Cathedral which we might get to see tomorrow, though this was gutted, so has been rebuilt since then and is now a city of 183,000. It was a comfortable ride to our hotel and we were pleased it was on the side of the hill closest to the ocean as the area definitely looked more agreeable and we have lovely views of the ocean from our room and enjoyed a stroll down onto the peninsula and an ice-cream before we returned to the hotel.

Bits and Bobs:
Norm now has my cold bug and I’m driving myself silly with a dry irritating cough as well as a leaking tap for a nose….just delightful. NOT!

Last nights’ accommodation:

Best Western Intercontinental Hotel
2 Rue Marechal Foch
Pau France

A reasonable price and a lovely old building with beautiful old furniture and surrounds which has been well cared for though showing its age. We had a large refurbished room so they are gradually upgrading. The staff was friendly and helpful and the dinner we had at the restaurant was one of the best we have had in France.