A Perfect Day

My journey starts with multiple trips from room to bike, one of the hazards of staying in a hotel, but returning for the last bag I'm faced with a now closed, electronic garage door. Can I find a switch? Is the receptionist aware of this? Ah, I'll call the hotel, except my phone is in the last bag, bugger! Somebody will come, but I'm the only vehicle in this very small underground park. Any unlocked doors I find only lead to locked doors, so I return to the offending exit as there must be an internal switch somewhere. Basically, I found a junction box with a small whole in it that looked like a reset switch so I Swiss Army knifed it and bingo.
"I thought you had left" said the receptionist,
"Not yet" said I.
"Forgotten something?" she said, "No, but I was locked in the garage".
"Oh", she said, "I thought you had left". I carried on.

Baring a few circles when a major roadworks confused the SatNav I soon got to Puigcerda which according to the map was where the squiggly bits really started, which they did, but I decided to stop for lunch in Llivia (small Spanish enclave in France).
As I have talked enough before about great winding roads and cannot think if anymore adjectives to describe various types of bends I shall let some pictures tell the story.






















Other than walking over the Pyrenees, back packing when I was 18, this was certainly my first proper venture deep into these mountains. Absolutely totally and utterly spectacular; stopping often to sit and absorb the scenery that on one occasion made the Cheddar Gorge, (which is itself magnificent) look like toy town.
I reach Axat my target for the day and although I barely did 300 kms it took over 6 hours and the concentration had me tired. Half an hour later, I found the most delightful, English lady owned, bijou campsite right by the river I'd been following most of the day

and I've just ordered a Croque Monsieur in the prettiest, leaf-shaded bar (and barn) in this wonderful, stone-built village, Alet-les-Bains. French taste really is chic.

I can't tell you how pleasantly mellow I'm feeling right now, I count my blessings.

A fabulous day's riding, relaxing supper en francais and riverside slumber ... a beautiful day, 'A Perfect Day'.

Good night and vive la France xc

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