Summer 2010 - Vacation in France

In July I traveled again, but this time for my own vacation – two weeks in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France. It was a chance for me to totally relax and unwind, and to stay in one place. After spending the last few months travelling 60-70% of my time, I looked forward to sitting still a while and not working.

Ah, but vacation is not always as easy as we would like, is it? I flew from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan and stayed there overnight. The best part of that was watching the World Cup finals on a huge screen with about 100 people on the terrace of my hotel, eating great local food. Then I flew from Amman to Paris, arriving at 5am, and waited out some fabulous thunderstorms (I hadn’t seen rain in months!) before catching a flight down to Pau. As we flew south, the peaks of the Pyrenees could be seen poking up through the cloudy sky. We began our descent through marshmallow clouds, and came out in a green valley at the foot of the mountains. As we landed in this tiny airport, we taxied past a couple of old planes that looked like they belonged in Iraq instead of France.

At the airport in Pau, I headed for the Avis car rental counter, where I had reserved an economy car for the two weeks. The agent at the counter asked for my driver’s license, and I searched my bag… only to realize that I did not have it! Apparently while I was packing for vacation, I was thinking that I would not be going to the US, and so I took all of my frequent flyer cards and credit cards, but left my license behind. Fortunately, I have friends and family who are willing to help out, so after many phone calls and emails I was able to get a copy to the agent in time to rent a car that day.

Ah, but the fun does not end there! As an economy car, they gave me a Renault Megane – a rather sporty car but with 4 doors and a large trunk which makes it a long car. And I was headed for the villages of France, and the village roads that are made for animals and bicycles, and… you guessed it! I turned a corner around a stone wall -- the wall never moved but the car was redecorated, and I was left shelling out more money. After a week of trying to negotiate these small roads and parking spaces, I returned to the airport and exchanged the car for a Renault Clio, which is shorter and more compact.

So, the real reason for being in the Pyrenees in mid-July is, of course, the Tour de France bike race that takes place every summer. They say the race is won (or lost) in the high mountain stages, and this year that was happening right near me. On three different days I checked online and in the papers to find the race route and schedule, then drove out to small towns in time to find parking and a good viewing spot, waited to see the “caravane” (publicity vehicles that parade along the race route an hour before), and then waited for the whole group of cyclists to ride by at high speeds in a matter of minutes. It’s really a bit crazy to see thousands of people lining the streets of small towns and villages, waiting for hours, trying to find the best place to stand or sit, often looking for an uphill section, sharp turn, or feed zone – areas where the riders will slow down briefly. I was lucky on my second day to get a close-up shot of Lance Armstrong!

The 3rd rider (in black/yellow helmet) is Lance!

In addition to watching the Tour, I also did some hiking in the mountains, enjoyed views of waterfalls and snow-melt rivers, drove or hiked up to a couple of the big mountain peaks, and had some great picnics (ham, cheese, bread and wine).

That's my picnic on the balcony of my hotel room!

Beginning a long hike:

Soaking tired toes in the icy cold water!

I stayed in two wonderful guesthouses with lovely French families and shared a lot of conversation with other French guests. I highly recommend La Ferme de Soulan, here: http://www.pour-les-vacances.com/sanssite/detail-uk.php?id=2513

At this last guesthouse, I met several very nice French couples, earned an invitation to dinner with one couple, and a great day of hiking with another!

To top it all off, on my last day, after a morning at the spa, I went parasailing! What a blast!!