Almost the end of the Pyrenees

Saturday 3rd June 

Market day. Cheese, ham, baguette, strawberries, cherries, paella, ratatouille and pork ribs. We enjoyed just wandering baround the market checking out all our options. I could happily shop at these little markets every day. Lots of people just standing around chatting and enjoying the nice weather. Shopping done and it was time to just sit outside in the village square in the sun and enjoy a coffee and cake.

Waiting patiently with dad outside the butcher.

The French are so patient - they just form an orderly queue and wait their turn.

Enjoyed watching these two playing with a ball.

The newsagent cat quite comfortable on the counter.

Part of the town of Ax les Thermes with the cable car
heading up the mountain to the ski fields.

Lunchtime came and the cloud moved in and the rain came. We decided on a short drive to check out the the town surrounds. We drove up to the nearby ski fields, only 10k. Very steep road and very twisty. Cyclists again out on the road, in spite of the rain. Driving along and there was some lightning and huge claps of thunder that made us jump. They have some doozy thunderstorms here. We were hoping to get a photo of the town from higher up but every possible viewpoint was blocked with trees.

But these ski resorts are amazing - dead quiet at the moment but can only imagine what it would be like in snow season. There is a cable car from the town up to the resort. I'm imagining that in winter the cable car would be like a shuttle bus service as the roads would be closed.

Sunday 4th June 

Another day to explore the area. We took a drive up over another mountain pass. What fabulous scenery at the top - 2001m. Then looking down the other side, the road was amazing. Switchback after switchback and much narrower than the road up. But the roads were in great condition and everyone was driving very responsibly. 

Check out the road down - really only one lane wide.

Spotted these castle ruins along the way.

Pretty impressive.

This is what Dora dished up for us.

We reached the town at the other end (Querigut) where we'd hoped to find coffee, but nothing open - it is Sunday. Two choices of way home - either loop north, or loop south. The south loop was longer and would take us almost down to Andorra so we opted for the northern loop, first stop Axat for lunch. Gee we put a lot of faith in Dora - on the way to Axat we came across a route barree so took the deviation. Without fuss Dora found the way onward, and it was quite a long detour. Almost into Axat and the road took us through a gorge with rock carved away for the road. Only one place open in Axat for lunch and it was lovely to sit outside on the terrace in the sun. Until the cloud moved in around 1.30 and down came the rain. We were lucky as we were seated under their awnings but their was a major shuffling of tables to get everyone seated under cover. 

This is a tourist train that runs from near Perpignan (Rivesaltes) over towards the coast, to Axat where we had lunch. There were quite a few people arrived at the restaurant who had come off the train. 

Homeward via a town called Belcaire. We didn't see a road on the map but just asked Dora to go home via Belcaire and she obliged. The road heading towards this town was gently meandering, wide enough, following along a river valley. At one point we found ourselves again driving through a road carved out of the rock. Height restriction 3.5mt so we were unlikely to meet any buses or trucks. Then onto a more major road that went up and over the Col d'Chioula (1400m) and only a few k from Ax les Thermes.

Finally a view of Ax les Thermes - no trees, no rain.

Rob and Odette enjoyed soaking their feet in the thermal pools.
I'm a bit wary of this because I'm allergic to sulphur
and a visit to Rotarua had my legs burning and itching for hours.

A visit to the thermal pools.