Some of the roads we've been on so far are just insane! For the Taswegians, imagine the narrowest parts of Paradise Gorge at Orford, make it a thirty km stretch, with tunnels, and up and down hills! Some parts are so narrow, we've had to stick the nose in to the bank on one side just to let other cars past, and I've no idea how we still have a driver's door mirror!
Please note the locals drive on these roads like it's the Midlands hwy, baguette in one hand, argument in the other, full noise in a Citroen van!
This is the Millau(sp?) bridge, built to relieve holiday traffic congestion in the town of Millau. Crikey that traffic must have been fierce, because the bridge is bloody enormous. Standing under and looking up, it's hard to take it all in, but as an indication of it's height from the valley floor, there are strobe lights on it to stop planes flying into it!
One of our twenty euro hotel room picnics, that's a genuine four euro bottle of wine there kids. Actually we didn't like this wine so much, but it's the first bottle of two buck chuck we haven't enjoyed, seriously the winos here have got it so good!
The cheese is a few bits we picked up in a little place called Roquefort, you may have heard of it? Big on sheep apparently. And just to make the meal a little healthier, duck saucisson (salami).
This is the hilltop castle in the town of Carcossonne, a massive tourist trap (4 million people a year!), but still quite delightful. Wouldn't want to go in the high season though!
Below is the meal we had at one of the many restaurants inside the castle, Pork and Duck cassoulet, a beany stew with oink-oink and quack-quack in it. Adding the duck is a regional thing, because apparently pork by itself wasn't quite rich enough. Another delicious triumph of French cuisine.
Does make you fart lots though!
This is on the road through the Pyrenees into Spain. Most of the towns we passed through were ski towns boarded up for the summer, but we found a hotel in a lovely little town with two trout streams right in the middle of it, the balcony of our room actually hung over one of the streams. I was thinking what a lovely place it would be to live, and then we went to the (very small) supermarket in the town and saw this.
Our house is going on the market as soon as we get residency!
Apparently the hooves are left on to prove that the pigs are free range, and by the way, just check out the price! A trout stream in the middle
of the town, dirt cheap jambon by the leg in the supermarket, and tight twisty mountain pass roads to fang on, what more could you want!
Adios, Dave.
You sure are traveling in style these days, aren't you. Love the pics, the scenery and the food ! Travel safe and stay well,
ReplyDeletelove Mum and Gino xxxx