After a couple of drinks that night at the camp we retired, slept, and fronted up next morning to get kitted out. Then it was down to the surf, which was pretty crap, actually - small, with a stiff onshore breeze blowing, but to first timers or old farts like me trying to remember long unused skills, it didn't matter a damn. We floundered around for a couple of fun hours, Susie valiantly trying to stand, and me doing enough to have me thinking, "Geez, where did it all go?"
We ate that night at the surf camp with the youngies (only a few at this early stage of the season, so quite convivial), and talked to three Aussie girl pro surfers who lobbed in late for a chat.
We did it all again the next day, with about the same level of success but lots of fun, then headed off to our next destination - the Pyrenees.
Susie wanted to show me Pamplona and the street where the bulls do their thing, so we checked that all out and ate some tapas for lunch before heading on to Villanua, a small village in the Aragon Valley of the Spanish Pyrenees, which was to be our base for the next week.
The idea was to get in some good day walks - training for our upcoming 2 week walk around Mont Blanc - and walk we did!
Our first day we eased into it with a tour of the local caves, Cuevas de Guixas. Nice, but not in the same street as Jenolan. A quick lunch, then off we went up a trail that led past an old fort, the Fuerte de col de Ladrones, built to stop the invading French back in the 18th century, and continued on up a gorge beside tumbling cascades until it opened up into a high valley looked down on by rocky peaks. We decided that was enough and headed back down, having climbed about 350m and a round trip of 4.5 hours.
Next day we drove north up the valley, into France, and then walked back into Spain through beautiful forest, then alpine meadows to a glacial lake surrounded by rocky peaks - Ibon de Estanes. We were both pretty warm by then, so off came the gear for a swim - brisk, but very nice - before our picnic lunch. Round trip 6 hours and 450m climb.
Feeling like a challenge, we next took on El Carreton. This trail starts just outside the village of Canfranc and just goes straight up a bloody great mountain from the road beside the remains of an old Funicular railway and a big water pipe used in the local hydro scheme. This railway, affectionately called El Carreton by the workers it carried up the mountain in the 40s, is like the Katoomba Scenic Railway on steroids. It's too overgrown and decayed now, but I can't believe some entrepreneurial type didn't see the tourist potential in it back when the Hydro Scheme closed it down. Our walking trail just kept on going up in a never ending series of switchbacks through the forest, with regular looks at the old and very steep rail line and cable, until we finally emerged above the forest onto a rocky outcrop at the top with beautiful views of the surrounding peaks. Now above the tree line, there was an old disused gravel road which continued slowly upward to the Ibon de Ip, a large glacial lake used in the original hydro scheme. We only went about a kay along the road before declaring lunch, a rest, and a return to the pool at our apartment for a swim. 7 hrs, 930m climb. A good walk, but by the time we reached the bottom, my quads were talking to me quite sternly and I was remembering a walk down the very steep Bullhead Ridge in the Kanangra area many years ago with mate Pete.
Feeling like an easy day after the biggie the previous day, we drove in to Jaca and checked out the 17th century fort still in remarkably good condition, did lunch, and looked at the old monasteries of Santa Cruz de Los Seros and San Juan de la Pena. The latter has a new building built over the top of the ruins of the old monastery with glass floors which give the visitor a look at how life was for the pious 3 centuries and more ago. Really well done. After that we drove up a deep valley which parallels the Aragon, then over some high passes and through tiny mountain villages on an exciting mountain road to finally emerge about a kay down the road from our apartment.
We finished off the week with another couple of great walks. First, we wanted to do one to another lake, starting in the ski fields at the top of the valley, but found ourselves bumbling about in thick fog (cloud!), unable to find the trail, so descended the valley a bit and went with Plan B, which was a gradually ascending trail up the Canal Roya Valley to a spectacular finish in a wide, almost flat, emerald green meadow complete with fat cows, bells a-tinkling, surrounded on 3 sides by a cirque of rocky peaks. 6 hrs and around 600m climb.
Next day we started up the opposite side of the Aragon valley through beautiful forests and ultimately onto high meadows with more views of surrounding peaks. 5 hrs and another 600m climb.
So..... On Saturday July 2 we left Villanua for Carcassonne, in the south of France, well satisfied with our week in the Pyrenees and feeling fit for our walk around Mt Blanc in a little under 3 weeks time. We drove the long way to Carcassonne, east along the Spanish side of the mountains to Andorra then north through the high mountains on spectacular roads, eventually arriving in the beautiful city of Carcassonne about 5 in the evening.
After finding our little boutique hotel in the centre of town, we met our hosts Claire and Didier, got ourselves sorted and decided on a local restaurant Claire had recommended. I forgot the map Claire had given us, trotted back upstairs to retrieve it, and back down while Susie waited in the Foyer.
And then disaster.
There was a single step about 2 metres on from the bottom of the stairs which, looking at Susie, I just didn't see, took a flyer and landed on my hip on the very hard floor. Pain. Claire got some ice from the restaurant next door, I lay on a couch in the little foyer with my pants down and iced my hip on and off for 45 mins, then, with the help of a pair of crutches from Didi, stumped out to dinner hoping it was just bruised.
No such luck. After a painful night I decided to get it checked out. Didi very kindly drove Susie and I to Carcassonne Hospital, the hip was X-rayed, and a partial fracture of the neck of my right femur diagnosed. A week later I emerged from hospital with 3 screws in the top of my leg, and strict instructions for minimal weight bearing for 3 weeks, then gradually increasing after that.
While I was lapping up the 5 star service in hospital, Susie had some work to do. First, she had to take a deep breath, get in our little Pug and start driving it. She had not driven in Europe at all after a couple of scares with big trucks in heavy rain on freeways in the States, so suddenly having to navigate the narrow, unknown streets of Carcassonne was rather daunting. But, she managed admirably, and the Pug remains unmarked. She also had to rearrange our accommodation for the next month to allow for post op recovery and my lack of mobility. There was also the small matter of my no longer being able to participate in the Tour De Mt Blanc which we had been anticipating for so long.
So, when she wasn't at the hospital holding my hand, she was a busy girl with all the above plus having to get to know Carcassonne on her own.
Susie, you were, and are, wonderful!
So what do you do in Carcassonne faced with very limited mobility, and a body which requires more than normal down time? Well, we've gained a little knowledge of how the less exercise inclined spend their holidays. On my first full day out of the cotton wool of hospital we did a boat trip on the Canal du Midi. Good. I could just sit on my arse and watch the scenery go slowly by. No bumping or jarring - lovely. Actually, it was pretty nice, and educational. We learned that the Canal was built in the 17th century by the then King to provide water passage from the Atlantic to the Mediterraenean without having to go via the Straits of Gibraltar. An engineering marvel for those ancient times, with its many locks to accomodate changes in water level, and it still works today with heaps of canal boats during the warmer months. We even met and had a drink with an Australian guy who lives full time on his canal boat!
Next day I caught the Petit Train (one of those little tractor pulled trains that take tourists around roads) up to La Cite, the old, walled medieval town, while Susie walked, then we did a horsedrawn carriage ride around the city walls. One thing I noticed about wobbling around on crutches, is that everyone stands back and lets you on first!
Lunches are good, too, 'cos again I get to sit on my arse for a while and enjoy myself at the same time. So we decided to take a drive out in the countryside with a picnic lunch and watch Le Tour de France go by. Found ourselves a spot in the country on the day's course about an hours drive out of Carcassonne with a couple of folding stools we had bought, a bottle of wine, bread, ham, cheese, tomato - heaven - and settled down to wait. Eventually the caravan, all the tarted up sponsors vehicles with people chucking freebies at the punters, arrived, and then another hour or so later - the peloton. Whoooshka! And they were gone. All over very quickly, but it was nevertheless a good day.
Speaking of lunches, we did it again the next day with Kerry and Garry, Australians who live 3 months of the year in Caunes Minervois, a little village 30 mins out of Carcassonne. A glass of Rose on the deck of their beautifully restored old stone house, then a late lunch at a canal side restaurant a few minutes out of the village. Good enough to make me briefly forget I was on crutches, especially being a non driver and able to have more than one glass!
On Thursday 14 July we finally pulled up stakes in Carcassonne and resumed our original itinerary (except for the fact that I can't do the TdeMB), driving into Provence, through Avignon to the beautiful little village of Bonnieux and our B&B for the next week - Le Mas Del Sol.
