The Ages of Time

Our 20 year old miracle

When we are young, time is eternal.  Then school finishes and the race begins!  The race to get in as much as possible before the finishing line.  Children do not improve the situation!  Faster and faster fly the years, time when thoughts and dreams evaporate before our eyes!  My sigh of relief was palpable when the last child packed up for university.  Businesses were sold, banks paid off and the dream that was half tasted began.  10 years later, I cannot believe that I am 64 years into the race that I suppose, sometime, must end.

A gem for picnics in S.E.Spain

I am one of those people inevitably cursed as I wend my way slowly around the smaller B roads in Europe.    We have a motor caravan!  In fact at the moment we have two!  The original Peugeot/Talbot Elddis has done over 260,000 miles and we have just bought an American RV.  Even this is 15 years old but has only done 48,000 miles.  We only 'do' off the beaten!  Cities occasionally, but seeking out the unknown is far more appealing!  

The natural world, food and its roots, wine in its best form, and the road to nowhere, are my goals.  Even where we now live in S.W. France is pretty much in the middle of nothingness.  

Our little retreat in France

France especially in the deep south, is particularly good for Europe.  We are close to the Pyrenees and therefore Spain and even Portugal is within an easy and slow, 2 day drive.  Italy can be reached by nightfall; Belgium and northwards is more than realistic. This is why we chose this homely and welcoming part of France as a base. 

And bikes come too! Near Tavira Portugal

My Spanish Lovelies 

My head spins with memories.  Horseshoe bats picking off the insects surrounding us as we walked in the fading pinky light of a remote Spanish beach, dogs circling and jumping desperately trying to head them away from us: a lumbering old boar lazily picking his way down the mountain and across the valley in a magenta evening light.  Fiddler crabs, bow arm waving on shell covered beaches: spoonbills filtering their way along quiet Iberian estuaries.  Dusky Spanish maidens posing in a beautifully sculpted stainless steel shell on the very far north western fringes of Galicia, again in the last of the day's golden glow with dolphins joyfully flying in the waves beneath the headland.  Being invited to the most gloriously festive Spanish Romero, 10,000 Spanish, 5,000 horses and two British! Watching great bustards charge across Hungarian plains.  The largest of hares lolloping across the far northern beaches of Denmark, and yes I mean lolloping, even the dogs could not move them into any sort of speed!  Wine sold to us on Krk, the beautiful island off northern Croatia, reputed to be the favourite tipple of Cleopatra!   My mind holds on jealously to these beautiful images. 

Our new monster in the mountains above Pobla 

We have just undertaken our first trip in the new van.  Across the Pyrenees onto the Spanish side, our first night was spent by the Garonne River just before the border.  We crossed through the new tunnel at Vielha and after much map searching I decided we would take the N260 to La Pobla de Segur!  Luckily it was Spanish lunchtime and siesta as the road was not nearly as the map portrayed it!  We are very wide in this new vehicle. The road is seriously narrow in parts and naturally climbed its tortuous way to the summit.  I dont know that I had time to see the views, I was far too nervous!  We were so lucky.  We did not meet anything as reversing would not only have entailed considerable distances but difficult bends!  It was bad enough forwards!  Reaching the summit, some 1,350mts at Puerta de Perves, there is wonderful space!  With a sigh of relief we parked and really enjoyed the views.  The high Pyrenees loomed in a semi circle to the North and valleys towards La Pobla reached far below us.  We met Belgian and Dutch cyclists at the top accompanied by backup in the form of a smart new motor caravan.  The day was superb, July heat but with a breeze at the top and incredibly in mid summer with searing temperatures, snow was still clinging tenuously to the top of the highest peaks. The little road heading up and south from our parking spot, directed us to gorgeous Spanish mountain cheese.  

The simple metal sculpture

Gaudi's inspiration

La Pobla is a no-nonsense town and we wriggled our way through following the river back up towards Gerri de la Sal. There is an aire du picnic with a stark black sculpture portraying the men who used to ride the river on log jams, the only way of getting wood down the river.  The aire is just past the tunnel and the old road along the gorge before the tunnel, makes a quiet and stunning walk for both us and dogs.  The River Argentera tumbles and roars below as it forces its way through the narrow gorge.  The mountains loom above and on a stiflingly hot day, the sun hardly puts in an appearance making it a delicious haven of cool, damp bliss.  We know it quite well here but this time we noticed the rock formations across the river.  I cant think why we had not seen them before, perhaps the light was wrong. These formations were the inspiration for Gaudi's fantastic and futuristic villa in Barcelona!  They are the stuff of fantasy and quite unbelievable in shape and form.  The other pleasure is the chamois shyly springing at breakneck speed on the pointed crags above.   

The enticing little town of Gerri de la Sal

We usually cycle from the aire at Argentera to Gerri de la Sal.  The town’s entrance is narrow in the extreme and you can see the vans and lorries who are used to it, ploughing through as though there are feet to spare instead of inches!  We are more circumspect.  Whilst there would be room for us, passing is impossible, even two cars struggle.  The town is straddled out along the east side of the road and river and below is a drop from which a little further along, a road plunges below to a respectable car park where motor caravans can stay.  As the name implies, the locals still produce salt and the pans are on the far side of the car park.  It is also sold in the one local shop.  Do not try to find this from the warren of tiny passageways at the back of the town.  We did but it looks as though you are entering someone’s dimly lit front room!  The shop seems to predate both the last world wars and is a trove of all sorts.  We found, as well as the salt and some beautiful peaches, 2 or 3 more than very acceptable bottles of Rioja for minimal amounts of dosh!  Entry from the front is more easily found with a window to the little world.  But it is impossible to park or even stop here, even our bikes presented a small problem.  The car park is the only feasible place from which to explore this delightful little town nestling beneath the mountain crags above.

Seductive swimming at Gerri

Italianate Cemetery Santa Marie

The medieval bridge leads from the spaghetti streets across the river past the beautiful natural beach that invites swimming in the deep silent pools in this part of the river to the Monastery, Santa Marie.  This lovely little Romanesque jewel dates back in part to circa 850. The graveyard reminds us very much of Italy.  Water gushes down from the hills behind and has been usefully channeled into fountains and gardens.  We filled our containers.  There are also fountains in and around the town and car park.  The pizza restaurant overlooking the passing traffic and river is manned by a gent who speaks many languages including very passable English.  The ice cold drinks and delightfully welcome ice creams are a necessity in the summer and he serves them cheerfully.  Pizzas are more welcome in the cooler months but they are very good.

A haven at the reservoir near Tremp

We moved down towards Tremp so back through La Pobla de Segur and onto the pine fringed edge of the huge reservoir.  Parked in the trees overlooking the aqua waters of the lake, we spent another 2 days and nights escaping the heat by swimming and walking.  We were undisturbed in July and enjoyed the solitude and tranquility.  Speaking to some forresters one of whom had spent many years in Australia and spoke perfect English, we were told that a French style aire had been proposed with facilties for water and emptying of tanks.  I hope that they will still find the money for this and we will go back and investigate.


Returning by way of Balaguer and back up towards la Seu d'Urgell, we found the most fantastic restaurant at Cubells.  Set in the small square on the south side, there was plenty of parking for our overly large vehicle and we were welcomed not only by the staff but by all the diners at tables which were mostly full.  We discussed the recent ban in Catalunya encompassing Barcelona, of bull fighting!  Our new found friends who lived in Zaragoza were not happy!  As they said, whatever your feelings, it was part of the culture, traditions and brought in many tourists.  The debate will continue I am quite sure.  Our meal was incredible.  We had choices for all four courses, we drank local wine from Balaguer which was superb, we had coffee afterwards and had had beers to start.  The whole caboodle came to €22 for the two of us!  Incredible!  Follow the masses in inland Spain,  Overcrowded restaurants with lorries blocking the roads on both sides, indicate not only good value, but good fresh food too.  And the wine is always wonderful.

The views towards La Seu d'Urgell

We made more mistakes as I directed us away from Solsona to Berga on a red road that looked great.  That is the last adjective that could be applied.  Quiet certainly and I can quite understand why.  It took us 2 hours to undertake no more than 50kms!  From Berga which looked an interesting very old town, we took the dual carriageway up towards Puigcerda.  Wrong again!!  Tunnels were being worked on so diversions applied.  Plunging down towards bottomless reservoirs in failing light on deviations not well marked in a vehicle we are not quite used to, was not my idea of fun.  However, the road is dramatic and perhaps, perhaps I may be brave enough to do it again.  Climbing most of the time, we spent the night just through the new tunnel on an aire that is perfect for motor caravans.  We were virtually alone, sharing it with one lorry from Poland.  The aire is on several levels so it is possible to climb above and onto a quiet road leading up into remote countryside and this was perfect for our dogs and to view the last of the light as the mountains faded into a starlit sky uninterrupted by light pollution was a privilege.  Despite the very intense heat of the day, the night was cool and welcoming.  We even needed the duvet.  But then it is fairly high here at nearly 1,900mtrs.  This is a quiet route and we saw or heard very little traffic.

Tunel Cadi south of Puigcerda

Shopping was the last task in Spain and we drove home via Bourg Madam and back through Tunnel de Puymorens.  Here's to the next time!  We leave around 19th September for Northern Spain and then down the Western side of Portugal.  We have frequented this route many times but there is always something new and we will definitely be looking for that!