Ok, so I didn't check... The only reason that I am putting this into the "journal", is that someday as I go back and read this I will remember just how absent minded I am sometimes... Yesterday when I went into the internet cafe and asked for help, the first thing he asked me was, "where is the battery pack for your computer?"....Well, suddenly I felt silly...I hadn't noticed that it was missing. Not only missing, but it was in Nimes and now we are just 35 kim outside of Cannes (about 4-5 hours away). Not only that, what is the guarantee that they will take my word for the missing battery pack not being recieved by me in the first place? Monday morning I will call and see just what we can do and what they will do for me. Until then, the weather is still hot and showing no signs of changing. This afternoon we checked into the Antibes campground that we stayed at in February. In a funny way it is kind of like "coming home"... Our second stop was at Geant (the grocery store) and then back to get a little pool time. Louise happened to hear a couple that is parked across from us speaking, and as she came back to the van she said "I think they are from the US". Well, I just had to go right over and find out...yep, they are from Colorado and have rented a camper in Germany for 4 months. Tonight they have gone into Monaco by train to do a little gambling...I had to hold your mother back... instead we enjoyed a great crayfish salad, and a bottle of the sparkley for dinner. I can guarantee you that this great dinner didn't cost near as much as going to the casino... "Bumble Bee ran just great this morning and afternoon, except when we came up to a stop...she is still stalling damn it... Oh well, I just can't let it bother me now... Tomorrow...Sunday...
3 September '05, Saturday.
Ok, so I didn't check... The only reason that I am putting this into the "journal", is that someday as I go back and read this I will remember just how absent minded I am sometimes... Yesterday when I went into the internet cafe and asked for help, the first thing he asked me was, "where is the battery pack for your computer?"....Well, suddenly I felt silly...I hadn't noticed that it was missing. Not only missing, but it was in Nimes and now we are just 35 kim outside of Cannes (about 4-5 hours away). Not only that, what is the guarantee that they will take my word for the missing battery pack not being recieved by me in the first place? Monday morning I will call and see just what we can do and what they will do for me. Until then, the weather is still hot and showing no signs of changing. This afternoon we checked into the Antibes campground that we stayed at in February. In a funny way it is kind of like "coming home"... Our second stop was at Geant (the grocery store) and then back to get a little pool time. Louise happened to hear a couple that is parked across from us speaking, and as she came back to the van she said "I think they are from the US". Well, I just had to go right over and find out...yep, they are from Colorado and have rented a camper in Germany for 4 months. Tonight they have gone into Monaco by train to do a little gambling...I had to hold your mother back... instead we enjoyed a great crayfish salad, and a bottle of the sparkley for dinner. I can guarantee you that this great dinner didn't cost near as much as going to the casino... "Bumble Bee ran just great this morning and afternoon, except when we came up to a stop...she is still stalling damn it... Oh well, I just can't let it bother me now... Tomorrow...Sunday...
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2 September '05, Friday.
Just a little catch up. We have moved onto Frejus, which is 35 km west of Cannes. Unfortunately we had a couple of unscheduled stops because of "Bumble Bee" getting caught up in a vapor lock. It wouldn't be too bad except that we have to completely unload the back, get into the HOT engine compartment, let her cool down a little and then try pouring water onto the fuel pump. All that accomplished, we arrived at our campground. Our spot is located at the very top of the hill and right next to the restaurant. Our walk to the potty is long, and with the heat of the days here now...we had better have to go... We did "treat" ourselves lastnight and went out to the restaurant for dinner. I had a Chefs Salad and Louise had a Frog Legs Salad. Yes, real legs... and it was really good... A real good dark beer for me and a glass of vino blanc for her...a banana split for me, and a dish of icecream for her. This morning we were told about this internet cafe just a couple of miles from the campground, so off we went. I was hoping that someone there might be able to help me set up this new computer. Well, let me tell you, he really has been a life-saver and has helped me a lot. Now all I have to do is remember just what he taught me. Tomorrow...on to Antibes 31 August '05, Wednesday.
This is the first time we have been able to communicate with you since my computer gave up. We have had to go out and purchase a new one. We debated for quite awhile before finally making up our mind wheather we really wanted to make a major purchase like this or not. It really is amazing to see just how the price of the computers have come down and with that the more power and accessories that you get. Unfortunately, the big problem with this whole thing is we have had to buy this in France. Not that buying anything in France is a bad thing, it's just that with a laptop computer EVERYTHING is in French... The keyboard is the first noticable thing, as just about all of the keys are different or have a different meaning. Then comes the basic usage areas of the computer, such as the "START" button..it says "démarrer" instead. Then it is all the rest of the catagories that sit above the start button, from programs on. Another interesting thing that I hadn't thought about was the "Spell Check". As you might assume, I can't write a word with out it underlined in red (for a misspelled word). And then, you will just have to put up with all the misspelled words I will be writing because I'm not going to the dictonary everytime I feel I might have misspelled a word...sorry. After all the conversations that Louise and I had prior to finalizing on this purchase, like do we go back to England or maybe The Netherlands to get an "English" keyboard and etc... We are going to continue as best as we can, and ask for your understanding. 24-27 August '05
The sun is out bright, the wind is slight, a gentle surf, perfect sand... Yes, we have been putting this off too long. We are located right on the beach and within an easy walk to some beach type restaurants, stores, etc. At the campground we have a beautiful swimming pool, restaurant, bakery, wine shop, and a whole lot more. In the evening we even have a different entertainer that comes in and produces a good show for everyone. Right now, we are geting spoiled and loving it... Yesterday as we were passing through the southern side of the Pyrenees, the weather cleared up and openedf the skies to a beautiful blue. The whole terrain has changed as well. It is kind of like going through a mix of Az and Mexico. Thre are things that wake us up to the fct we are still in Europe, and the Villa Franch de Confluent is one. We were traveling a little road that as I had mentioned may times before, was testing my ability to handle curves, and all this was inside of a long passageway between one mountain and another. I thought we would be doing this all the way to the Med. All of a sudden,we were comiong around a corner and sitting i front of us was this huge medieval fortress...Villa Franche de Confluent. It was a walled town that was even today as it was centuries ago. Yes, the products sold there and the people buying and visiting we much different, but there wasn't much other change. We walked the narrow streets and walkways for about 2 hours and enjoyed this opportunity very much. Back on the road again, we finally pulled into Perpignan and then turned and headed up the coast to find that perfect campground right on the water of the Mediteranean. Finding our spot, we have settled in for a few days...Saint Maries del Mer
22 August '05, Monday
Can it be true that everyone in France and Spain head for Andorra on Mondays??? It has to be true. When we left our campground this morning the weather looked a little overcast, but that didn't disturb us one iota. We were in to seeing one more "Principality" and Andorra we were going to see. The roads didn't disappoint us, as they were one switchback after another just as we had anticipated. one thing we did't anticipate was that Andorra was the destination for half of France and Spain. We hadn't but made it halfway up the mountain and the traffic got so bogged down it came to a total stop. From that point on we would go a car length or two and then stop again and again. The handwriting was on the wall...if we continued doing this, we would be over heating very soon and overheating was something we diffently didn't want. So, on the narrow road, on a curve, traffic stopped (going up hill annyway), we made a decision...we go back down and go all the way around the mountain and come in fromn the other side. So down the mountain we went, found the road to Barcelona, went through a very long tunnel, paid the toll of $10.20, and made it around to the otherside. All this took us about another hour and a half, but we thought it would be worth it. Now we headed off to find the road from the otherside. Finding the right road was no trouble. This time up it wasn't near as twisting or as steep. But on the other hand, there were many more heavy trucks and just about as much other traffic. We stayed with it though and finally made it at Saint Julia, Andorra, which was about 6 km away from our determined distination. In finally getting there and seeing what we had in front of us, we looked at each other and said "we've been and we've seen, let's get the heck out of here"... Back down to Pugcerda and from there onto Perpignan and the Mediterranean. 21 August '05, Sunday.
After some early morning "last minute" shopping in Lourdes, we headed out. We had tried to get some gas (petrol), but all we could find in Loiurdes was those stations that use credit cards only...ours doesn't work for gas only. It could have been a problem, but fortuntely we still had half a tank and that will get us as far as we need. We have decided to visit a "Principality"...Andorra. Hell, I had no idea where it was until this morning. I think it is Andora that follows the host nation on the opening parade of the Olympic Games. Our route takes us east to Foix, France from Lourdes and then turns south for about 50 miles to Andorra la Vella. About 3 this afternoon, we decided that we had traveled enough, so we found ourselves a campground for the night. We are located in a very remote area of the Pyrenees with a small river at our door. The mountains go straight up from here and there is a small village hanging onto the hill above us. Tonight we are going to barbecue a felet magnon of pork, and compliment that with a 4 cheese ravioli and wine fof choise...man do we eat good, and I'm beginning to show it. The further we get away from Paris and deeper into France, we see more and more vehicles pulled to the side of the road for the "French Potty Break". Now some are very discreet, and then there are most of the others. Louise told me this afternoon that "apparently that man knows us because he is "waving" at us"...It wasn't too much further and we had the pleasure of 2 ladies who just hd to stop...bare butt and all... Don't they know they have roadside stops that provide potties? It is amusing, and it makes uis even more curious about what we may find once we get bck to the states and travel the roads there. Tommorrow's drive will be interesting. Normally when Louise is reading a map, the map shows the road to be straight with maybe a curve here and there, even when we are winding all over the place. Well, for the trip to morrow we may be in for a winding and twisting road trip from what we have never seen before...the map shows nothing but hairpin curves and almost straight up to the 7100 foot elevation to get into Andorra. My job driving will be tested and I can just hear Louise being "very silent" as we negociate the narrow roads with all the curves. 20 August '05, Saturday.
i am very proud to say that today is our 45th Wedding Anniversary, and we will be spending it together in the back of a 1985 VW Van. All this and we are in the French Pyreness...it can't get any better!!! To test out our new ride (new tires), we drove up into the Pyrenees to see what was at the end of route N27. The day started out partly cloudy with the possibility of rain, but it was perfect for what we wanted to do. Our destination was a little village at the end of a valley deep in the mountains called Cauterets. Louise had heard and read somne interesting things about this village. As a lot of our drives, it was a winding and twisting roadway all heading up and up. There were timnes where the road was very narrow...so marrow that I would have had to stop if another car had been coming at us. The outside curb was a rock wall about a foot tall that you wouldn't want to bump. As you made your way up the mountainside, you did so very carefully. As you might imagine it was a little white knuckle and absolutely beautiful. Cauterets is a "quaint" French village that is nestled at the convergence of 3 mountains. All th area around is a natural hiking, climbing, skiing,and biking habitat. It is also known for the hot springs that abound in the area. unfortunately, we didn't take the opportunity to enjoy them this trip. All the buildings of the village were beautifully old and of course, up hill...our walks never seemed to go downhill.. Seeing as how we were in the mountains and it was cool, we decided to find a restaurant that served the best Onion Soup...we found it...wonderful soup, baguette, and a carafe of wine... Oh yes, we found it !!! 19 August '05, Friday.
We've stayed in Lourdes but found a new campground. This one is much smaller and further outside of town. Unfortunately, it is a long walk into town and the grotto. I am still fighting the stalling problem with "Bumble Bee", so I took the carburetor apart again just to see if I had missed something. i did find a "jet' that I hadn't found befoe and that has helped a little ...still isn't perfect, but close... WE tried to find a garage again, but they are still telling us they don't have time to look for us... They would however change our oil and filter and sell us $380.00 in tires... Oh well, it will all work out. I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but Lourdes is located right in the foot hills of the Pyrenees Mountains. The Pyrenees seem to be a little smaller than the Cascades, but I know that they are much deeper and divide France from Spain. Lourdes is a year around area for the pilgrimage and they have about 5 million visitors a year to this area. I did't mention earlier that at the base of the Basilica is a spring that was found just after the first vision of the Virgin. This spring is still running forth and has had many ""healings" of the "faithful" and the ill. Inside the Basilica of the Rosary, we saw some of the most incredible mosaics of the Virgin and other saints. There is no doubt, this Basilica made a stunning impression on me, and others around me. Candles...they are sold at vending machines all around the grotto, sold in every store, campground, and...amazing.. I must say, this was an amazing experience 18 August '05, Thursday.
W left _Pau first thing Thurday morning and headed for Lourdes. I know I should have stopped many times when we saw a service garage, buy "I" didn't, and now I'm in deep trouble with Louise... We are still fighting the stalling problem and now we can't find a cechanic that will take the time to even look at our problem. One thing I did do before we left Pau, was to take a look at the carburetor myself. I unloaded al the "stuff" we have in the back end and got my screwdrivers out. I was expecting to find a ton of "junk" in the bowl of the carburetor, but that wasn't the case. I did a little cleaning and blowing out of the jets, and then put it back together. It started up ok, but after it warmed up it just wouldn;t idle. Pissed, I put everything back into the back and said "let's go". I was hoping to find a mechanic here in Lourdes. When we pulled in here, we were overwhelmed with what we saw. On the road we saw a fw cars, caravans, and camper, but when we pulled into town...Geesss...You could hardly move towards town, and when we looked down into this huge field, we saw approximately 5-600 caravans and campers parked in this one open field. our first guess (and it proved to be right), was they must be "Gypsies". Actually, I think there was a mix of "campers" like us, and the "travelers" that filled this field. As we had the opportunity to see the rest of the town later, we saw that every little area where there could be a caravan or 12, there were "Travelers" living there, at least for a while... Electrical cords were strung to the telephone poles to just about every corner you could imagine. Cars and the "Gypsie" vans were goingin and out like it was a major highway. The young people were dressed to the hilt and were wondering the groiunds, the streets and the town throughout the day and late night. We found a campground right next door to this field and decided to stay at least one night. After setting up, we walked into the area of the La Grotte de Massabielle (The Grotto of the Virgin Mary, where the Virgin appeared to Bernadette in 1856. We were camped only about 300 yards away, so it was a short walk. This was the first of 2 walks to this area today/night. It's an amazing site... There were many church groups and individuals by themselves, that were on a pilgrimage to the Grotto. They had set up lines to go into the Grotto of the Virgin Mary and let me tell you, they weren't short... It was also humbling to see all those in wheelchairs and hospital beds making their visit. We tood this opportunity to go into the Basilica of the Rosary and the Highter Basilica. Mass was being said throughout the entire complex including the basilicas most of the day and night. For some reason I wasn't expecting too much out of the town of Lourdes, but what a surprise ...The commercial areas right around the grotto was as you night expect. These stores were offering all the metals, books, p[ictures, and all else religious. As you walked further into the town, it changed to a more modern commercial outlet. After our usual visit to the TI and a few of the "shops", we wondered on back to "Bumble Bee". Our plans were to take in the candle lit procession of those on the pilgrimage at 9:30 tonight. In getting back to the campground, we met a fellow from Seattle that was backpacking for 3 months. He has had quite a story to tell... interesting... At 9:30 we excused ourselves and went to the procession. As we walked around the corner of the basilica, we were taken back by the sight of all the pilgrims coming down the "Boulevard de la Grotte" with candles in hands. We wandered around and I took pictures for a while and then we just had to find a curb to sit on for things to see and things to hear. |
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