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| Taken from just in front of the Hotel in St Savin |
I have been on a number of bike trips with my wife and friends. In my experience when you go with a few buddies everyone assumes you are just regular guys out on a fun vacation, but if you go with just one guy many assume something more complicated, something perhaps more erotic. Two middle aged men, reasonably fit and traveling together, look like a modern day couple on their honeymoon. John and I flew non-stop to Barcelona and made our way to the French Pyrenees by car. Why fly to Barcelona and not somewhere closer? Switching planes while checking a bike is a no-no, as you can easily wind up on a bike trip with no bike. Besides, Barcelona is wonderful city with high energy, unique architecture and is home to my favorite restaurant, Cal Pep, a walk-in, primarily seafood, Tapas style restaurant. Two nights in Barcelona, two nights at Cal Pep. It was here in Barcelona that we first learned everyone assumed we were "together." "Not that there's anything wrong with it."
John was confident the misconception was due to my small, round, tortoise-shell traveling glasses. I had a different theory but who cares. The issue of whether John and I were a couple followed us on the whole trip, and increasingly took on a life of its own. At our small hotel in St Savin, south of Lourdes, we pulled our two single beds apart every night only to have them pushed back together by the staff each morning.
John was confident the misconception was due to my small, round, tortoise-shell traveling glasses. I had a different theory but who cares. The issue of whether John and I were a couple followed us on the whole trip, and increasingly took on a life of its own. At our small hotel in St Savin, south of Lourdes, we pulled our two single beds apart every night only to have them pushed back together by the staff each morning.
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| With Pierre, proprietor of St. Savin (and my 'friend' John) |
The rides were the classics: Col du Tourmalet, Col d'Aspen, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam and Col d' Aubisque. Four climbs are " Beyond Category " and one is a Category 1. This classification system dates back to earlier days when describing a type of car you would need in order to get up a particular mountain. Category 1 was the most difficult; " Beyond Category " meant it was impossible for a car of that time to make it. All the climbs were about 10 km in different directions from the hotel which is a perfect warm up before reaching the mountain. We were so happy to be there as well as overwhelmed by the surrounding beauty that we would not have minded an old guy or woman passing us. Besides who would know, unless we told, and that wouldn't happen.
As you likely know, the great climbs of the Tour de France are split each year, approximately half in the Alps and the other half in the Pyrenees. The degree of difficulty is similar but the backdrop could not be more different. The Alps are stark, grey, hard, gothic exposed, and intermingled with small towns that are typical ski villages you could find anywhere in our Rockies. I love the Pyrenees because the mountains, though equally long and steep, are verdant, soft, sometimes shady and intermingled with ancient towns you would only find in areas of the world that have had a stable reasonable prosperous population for over a millinium . The population of St Savin is 300 to 400, the same population it had when their church was built in 1100 AD.
As you likely know, the great climbs of the Tour de France are split each year, approximately half in the Alps and the other half in the Pyrenees. The degree of difficulty is similar but the backdrop could not be more different. The Alps are stark, grey, hard, gothic exposed, and intermingled with small towns that are typical ski villages you could find anywhere in our Rockies. I love the Pyrenees because the mountains, though equally long and steep, are verdant, soft, sometimes shady and intermingled with ancient towns you would only find in areas of the world that have had a stable reasonable prosperous population for over a millinium . The population of St Savin is 300 to 400, the same population it had when their church was built in 1100 AD.
Each night Pierre, the hotel owner and chef, prepared us something to eat which was, in Pierre's words:
" teeeepical of the rrrregion ".
His son would assist, home on break from from culinary school in Paris. When the son eventually takes over he will be the 8th consecutive son to run the only business in this small town. President Sarcozy stays there when he visits the Pyrenees. If my arithmetic is correct, it is possible Napoleon stayed there when Pierre's great great great great great grandfather was the proprietor.
" teeeepical of the rrrregion ".
His son would assist, home on break from from culinary school in Paris. When the son eventually takes over he will be the 8th consecutive son to run the only business in this small town. President Sarcozy stays there when he visits the Pyrenees. If my arithmetic is correct, it is possible Napoleon stayed there when Pierre's great great great great great grandfather was the proprietor.
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| The highest point on the highest paved road in all of France |
On the plane ride back across the Atlantic we were sitting on the first row of economy. We could see the first class section when the curtain was pulled back and likewise we could be seen if anyone wished to look down upon us. After a typical so-so steerage meal, John asked the flight attendant for another small glass size bottle of wine. The request was denied for some technical reason that she enjoyed describing. Her body language was such that even at some distance any observer could accurately surmise the encounter as negative. John was on the right side window seat and does not hear well in his left ear.
"What did she say?" he asked,
"She said 'no' " I replied.
Before I could repeat the explanation the steward from the adjacent 1st class galley, having witnessed the exchange, walked over to us.
"Don't mind her. She's an anti-gay Nazi," he counseled us, before heading back to his work station.
"What did he say?" John again asked
"I think he said he would take care of us " I suggested.
Soon the Steward returned with a newly opened bottle of wine and two very large glasses, real glasses, each potentially holding a third of a full wine bottle. Ceremoniously, the steward set up the glasses and generously poured a better quality wine than any we had enjoyed in our week long trip to France.
"Guys, this is for a lifetime of oppression" offering me a knowing smile.
"What did he say?" John asked again.
"He said he will be bringing more."
Came across this by accident. The writing is really good. I felt like I was reading a book of adventures. You should do a book! I felt like I was right there with the descriptions and photos. I don't know if I could find my way back to this site as I was trying to find the landscaping site in Baltimore County, Maryland, but you tell a good yet humorist story. All the best to you on your journey!
ReplyDeleteTom, what irony that an anonymous reader from Baltimore(I assume)would serendipitously come across your blog. The irony, for those who know not of T Dom Hope, of course, is that your daughter, adopted daughter (to be seen in future blogs), ex future son in law, and good friend & ex roommate all live in B'more. I am reading the blogs from Day 1 of the trip, backwards to the first entry. The "Spirit of the Wind" above is absolutely correct. You should do a book. I know the audible voice and storytelling voice of Tom Hope, and you are doing an exquisite job of putting your voice into the writing. This was sage advice that some friend of Henry Miller told him when he was trying to write his first novel.
ReplyDeleteAnd, upon reading this stuff, I begin to imagine Groucho Marx on a cinematic bike adventure. Keep on blogging through the bike world....and ride....