"A Year in Spain" My "last gasp" attempt at posting (informative info).

[jumartoo]

Our rainy night, turned into a rainy morning, so we decided to drive for an hour or so to the village of Argeles Gazost. We chose a camp site first, just after another downpour, but it was sodden, so we're now on hardstanding on a free parking area next to a supermarket, in the middle of countryside.

We had lunch and the sun broke through, so we've had a short (6km) stroll using part of a bike route we might ride tomorrow.

We passed a "farm" with Vultures and Alpaca, amongst others, and then walked alongside the fast flowing river on a remarkably dry path.

It's a lovely area underneath the Pic du Midi.

Tomorrow we're going a bit higher to a CCP aire at Pierrefitte-Nestalas. That's the plan, anyway.

 

[jumar]

Batteries,Bikes and Bums ready....bought new hose connectors and Spray/Jet nozzle in preparation for post ride clean....

 

[jumartoo]

We're now on the CCP Aire at Pierrefitte-Nestalas. Approx €13 with leccy, services and a loo.

We've squeezed into a corner for the most shade later today. We've got a good view though.

The bikes are out and Martin's fettling his, after its muddy bath and subsequent hose down on Monday. Got an easy ride for today, staying off too much mud, we hope.

 

[SMB]

Sooo, from yesterday afternoon, when we suddenly decided we could get on the road we left our golf view apartment (more about that later) and within 30 minutes we were moving. We needed LPG so, knowing of a place just off the A7 at Totana, we headed there. Road works (tarmaccing) sent us on a detour, and our our way back out we stumbled on a brand new motorhome parking area. Open for only a week, we unfortunately didn't stay to give them a boost, but Martin had a chat with the friendly ow er.

In our view it's suitable to use for a night whilst travelling along the A7 motorway, but to stay there ... not for us. But then we do have friends with farms in many parts of Totana

View attachment 747253

There's a nice new free Aire at Casas Nuevas, I've cycled to it from El Berro but not stayed there, don't know if you've seen it yet? There's some good cycling around this area as you're probably aware

 

[sueandjohn]

fabulous area and pictures

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[jumartoo]

There's a nice new free Aire at Casas Nuevas, I've cycled to it from El Berro but not stayed there, don't know if you've seen it yet? There's some good cycling around this area as you're probably aware View attachment 773034

Yes we know the area well. I have a good ride on Wikiloc that can be started at Casas Nuevas. We were riding it from a different start point when we found the camperstop.

It's a very good place to stay, we'll use it again, even though it's so close to home.

 

[Langtoftlad]

I'm sorry this thread has been a tad mundane for the last week or so

Judith, stop apologising, your threads & photos are enjoyed by many, even if they don't react

Washing done and the lightweight stuff is dry

...even your laundry .

 

[jumartoo]

We were just about to go out for our ride, my first with my new battery when the guy next to us came to our door asking something I didn't understand except it was something about a door.

They were outside their motorhome, and their dogs
were inside, and the door had jammed. Without causing damage there was no way the door was opening (Martin has got through many a locked door in the past. As a Firefighter not a burglar .) Getting in through a skylight was considered, but not possible and eventually the side window blind was opened, with one of our knives, and access gained.

The door opened immediately from the inside . The dogs were absolutely no use!

We had a nice ride, I'll post when I've downloaded my photos.

 

[jumartoo]

Judith, stop apologising, your threads & photos are enjoyed by many, even if they don't react

...even your laundry .

Haha. You're soooo kind

 

[Langtoftlad]

Haha. You're soooo kind

No, just honest & truthful.
It would be sad if you stopped posting your thread because of a lack of confidence or a perceived lack of interest.

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[jumartoo]

No, just honest & truthful.
It would be sad if you stopped posting your thread because of a lack of confidence or a perceived lack of interest.

Well, thank you

 

[jumartoo]

We headed out for our ride and picked up our route near the Pizza Restaurant .

We rode for some distance on small roads and turned left to visit a Chapel. We managed to just miss the tractor driver cutting the grass on a corner plot, but the bin lorry had to pull to one side for us Just how/why does this happen to, perhaps, the only people going up there on a particular day?

Anyway, we went up, and then back down, to arrive at the Hamlet of Saint Savin, with its huge church.

We then cycled through lots of fields being cut. Some tractors were being followed by Black, and a few Red, Kites.

We rode alongside the river in the opposite direction to our Garmin's info, but we'd walked it yesterday so we knew it was doable.

We did a bit of a flat ride, and hit a local road closure. Before retracing our route to the last bit of the outward journey.

The tower, I'd photo'd with the snowy mountains in the background, turned out to be on our route. We DID have to walk, and push the bikes uphill (thank goodness for the ebike "walk" mode). Even so it was a bit difficult but ... we made it and we both climbed up the tower (ex prison) to prove it.

From there, back here was easy. Along the Voie Vert to the old station for this village, still with the Grand Hotel next door, and still operating as a hotel (no photo of that, yet, sorry).

And one of me .... bored waiting for the photo to be taken (or I just look vacant, normally )

 

[jumartoo]

Hot here in the Pyrenees. We had an easy ride up to Cauterets (sooo many motorhomes there, paying to park on tarmac with no shade )

We are still three here. A different three to yesterday, although we are still here . The Portuguese/French neighbours (who got locked out) have just left but some Brits have arrived and parked, much to Martin's amazement, in full sun. I'm sure he'll have a chat with them sometime.

A few piccies from today's ride. I didn't take many to choose from.

 

[jumartoo]

The Brits have now erected a sunshade. That's not a bad idea

 

[jumartoo]

Heading off into the unknown this morning. Following a route from 2011.

Se ya' later ...

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[jumartoo]

Well we survived the ride. We found ourselves following a marked mountainbike route (Red route 10), until our Wikiloc route diverged. Not knowing where Route 10 would take us, we continued on our chosen course.

We DID have to walk, downhill luckily. On a narrow, water washed trail. An ex (from many years ago) walled cart track, now its a gully.

We walked (we had no option) and eventually arrived on a narrow , surfaced, road. To say we were happy to see cars for once, is to say we were happy ...

Unfortunately, my photos are locked in my now, unfunctioning, tiny camera. It's on charge, in the hope that a full battery might be sufficient to open the lense.

If not, I have an e-card reader but a receiver???

Future photos are now going to be taken with my phone.

Sooo, unless a miracle happens, there will be no photographic evidence of today.

 

[Mike Warland]

We (jumar and myself) live in Spain. We now have a "bolthole" apartment, twixt the mountains of Sierra Espuña and the med coast of Puerto Mazarron.

But ... we still have many motorhoming trips away. Local(ish) in autumn/winter/spring, and in the summer months, further afield.

In the summer I often start a thread, but, I soon give up, due to lack of inerest, maybe? to people being away on their own summer trips, and not needing info of places to go. Any other reasons, please say!

So ... I'm happy, and willing to post, a "Year in Spain" (with maybe a dip over the borders into France and Portugal).

Any interest, starting from now onwards??

Yes interested we stay in that area January to March so always looking for places to visit.

 

[flyboyprowler]

Excellent stuff Judith, we hope to follow in your footsteps on our route back to the UK in about 12 days time. Probably taking the Somport to cross into France.

 

[jumartoo]

Yay, a big of jiggery pokery (I hope that's still legal to say nowadays) and I've got the photos from the camera. I will still need to buy a new camera (Sometime. Definitely not having one delivered whilst we're travelling). I'll use my phone from now on.

So, the stunning high meadows we rode up to, through, and descended from. Well worth the climb up and the subsequent walk down. I wouldn't want to do it again though.

Looking towards the Pic du Midi

The walking bits

The Grand Hotel.

 

[Jays2]

Did wonder what type of trail you road!
we have a couple of cube electric bikes, not rear suspension as yours, just front.
So interesting to see your rides.
Does each ride us all your battery power?

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[jumar]

Did wonder what type of trail you road!
we have a couple of cube electric bikes, not rear suspension as yours, just front.
So interesting to see your rides.
Does each ride us all your battery power?

Hi...we cannot risk running out of battery, riding a 23kg bike without power and the motor drag is not advisable..
Our batteries are 540w which by modern standards is on the small size, jumartoo had a factory fresh battery given to here by the manufacturer last week, and she is a lightweight and very economical on power usage...
Early Cube bikes had a 504w battery and Bosch motors...a good combination very efficient and would out do our YT on distance but not performance...

 

[jumartoo]

Did wonder what type of trail you road!
we have a couple of cube electric bikes, not rear suspension as yours, just front.
So interesting to see your rides.
Does each ride us all your battery power?

Yesterday I used 2 out of the 5 battery segments to do the ride. Martin used more. He was carrying our (now) spare battery but he didn't need to use it.

We used to have Cube hardtails and I did well over 10,000 km on mine. We are thinking to go back to hardtails when we next change. We don't do much rough stuff now (not by choice anyway). I've fairly recently had two falls resulting in a broken shoulder and then a broken wrist. Don't want any more

 

[jumartoo]

Yesterday afternoon we spoke to the male half of the Brits parked here. We'd expected them to leave, but they'd been to Lourdes and back, along the Voie Vert. They stayed another night!

We woke this morning to mist, so we went back to get some shopping and to use the laundry outside Carrefour.

We then drove over a couple of cols. A bit scary with the lack of visibility (for the driver) but I had confidence in Martin's driving.

We're now at Laruns, from where, tomorrow, we can decide whether to continue through the French Pyrenees or to go "up and over" back to Spain, taking a visit to Canfranc Station en route.

Haha
Just had to be done!

King of the Mountains

 

[jumartoo]

There was still low cloud this morning, so we decided heading up into it on a bike ride would be a bad move. We like to see the views. So, instead we went for a stroll around Laruns. I was wearing very new walking shoes, so we turned back on the waterfall route when it started to get very muddy.

But, we then stumbled on n the small square with a memorial statue to those lost in combat.

There was also a pictorial memorial to those who lived and worked in 1920.

I'm both fascinated about, and saddened, about the past. One photo in particular got me! A young girl, working with a rake, in the fields.

I couldn't even take a photo but I did take one of a group in traditional dress.

 

[jumartoo]

We are now on a beautiful private Aire near Arudy. It has gravel parking spots with grass all around. Reasonable internet access! €9 for basic parking, with emptying/filling services

There's a tiny pebble river beach near us, with some deep, cold water swimming, for anyone that does.

Lots of shade available, when needed!

There are three of us here. Lots more across the river on the free parking.

I've found some rides for tomorrow. If it's still misty we'll ride up the valley and back.

If not, I've got one that climbs up high.

I wonder which we'll do

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[jumartoo]

Haha my Google maps says I'm in Monaco, near Aquasplash. Whilst in reality I'm at the red pin in Arudy.

It's a good job we're both here together

 

[daveinspain]

We´ve stayed on that aire near Arudy, lovely setting.

 

[jumartoo]

We´ve stayed on that aire near Arudy, lovely setting.

It's beautiful (even in the mist) isn't it?

 

[jumartoo]

We rode a valley route today because the high ground is still invisible. The Wikiloc route I'd chosen turned out to be, almost, the same route as the marked Blue Route no. 3, so it made for easy riding.

"Our" route tried to get us to do a loop in Laruns, but we saw the very wet, muddy track, yesterday, so we turned back to continue following the Blue 3 signs. Martin did get to try the moguls we saw yesterday though.

We also rode through a lovely village (Castet) with a castle in (on)? a lake. We drove past yesterday and I was sorry not to stop, so today was a bonus.

I've got a very poor upload speed, so photos may have to wait.

A bit of phone waving and it worked!!

 

[CAB96]

Is wikiloc any good for walking or is it just cycle trails?

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