I've given the Pyrenees a fair bashing on a solo for the last couple of seasons; now it was time to give the tandem a try. Maggie and I based ourselves in Arreau for the first part of our trip - a very pleasant little town handy for a few classic passes. We had a very good time, and did a lot of what we had planned. The weather was pretty Pyreneen, which is to say hot and dry, and cold and wet, and some in between too.
Our first pass was the Peyresourde, which went off very well. The next was the Aspin, and we had planned to follow it with the Tourmalet, but a temperature of 34 degrees on the first few ramps out of St Marie de Campan led us to think better of it, so we left it for a cooler day.
The next couple of days were wet, so one day we had a good time visiting friends, and the next drove through the Bielsa Tunnel to Spain, where it was hot and sunny. Some tandemists we met told us it had been like that for weeks. Ho hum. A good ride, then back to cloudy France for supper.
Cool and clear the next morning, so we tucked in the Tourmalet while it was available. A good ride - some wisps of cloud above La Mongie, but clear at the top and applause for the tandem, which was nice.
For our journey home we had planned to take in one of the Voies Vertes, having enjoyed one in the Ardennes last season. This year we stopped in Burgundy and rode the Veloroute des Vignobles between Chalons and Beaune - fantastic riding though some of the world's most prestigious vineyards, followed by an excellent lunch in a beautiful medieval city. Sixty easy miles in the warm sunshine - we'll be back for more.
Mark
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