Pyrenees Tour: Biert and Massat

OK, no art history, cathedrals or architecture today.

Today's ride was short, just to Biert, where I'm staying at Les Deux Velos, a cycling lodge and chambres d'hote owned by a Dutch expat couple who have been here for three years. It has been a cycling lodge much longer, and the Tour de France sometimes passes immediately in front of the house (on the road pictured here, in the photo from my balcony.) The photos and signed jerseys on the walls are very cool to have a look at.

The ride followed the river gently up the valley, close to where tomorrow's climbing will begin. There were several trout fishermen, and spots in the river I think designed for fish steps, as in the photo.

Spent the afternoon riding around unloaded, ate a delicious lunch, without almost any ham ... have I mentioned the ham? Well I do like ham, especially dried ham, the prosciutto type. But after 15 days of hardly a meal without it, either plain, fresh, roasted, dried, dried country, bacon etc., I can't forget my friend Ed's song, with the refrain, "please, no more Rembrandt's today." Substitute in jambon (French for ham) and you know what I sing before meals.





I took a few photos of water sources in town. Some in use, some not.

After the very delicious lunch, with no ham (ok, a little piece of excellent bacon on the top of a vegetable dish) I went or an easy ride around the towns in the valley here.


With a left turn, the main road turned into this road













I love French round-abouts, especially this one













And the road became this














Spent a profitable hour or more wading in the river,













Before passing this bat cave,













Then these thirsty horses. They are a Pyreneean breed named Merens.















Before returning to the lodge.









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