31 Juillet

31 Juillet
Tardets a Gourette (on the ascent to Col d'Aubisque, elevation 1350 m)
About 90 km
Via
Col de Lie, 600 m
Col d'Ichère, 674 m
Col de Marie-Blanque, 1035 m
Total ascent: 2395 m
Woke to bright cloudless sky, and a tent sodden with dew. Used tent drying as a justification for a relaxed morning during which I made considerable progress reading my book.  Her Privates We, by Frederic Manning, considered the most honest account of a soldier's life fighting in the Somme.
Rolled out at 10:30, passing through quiet villages (it is Dimanche, after all) until Arette, at the base of the day's first climb.  Arette is clearly a hub for cycling and walking, and being open on a Sunday is good for business. The marche de velos had a lot of carbon on display. People must spend considerable sums in this little town! Around the corner a wall displaying the photographs & statistics of local heros made it clear that, in Arette at least, cycling surpasses rugby in popularity. 
Choosing again to depart from the beaten track, I went over Cols de Lie & d'Ichère as opposed to riding the main highway around to Escot and the base of Col de Marie-Blanque. No surprising incredibly steep pitches. Just quiet, narrow, gravelly roadway and the sounds of happy cattle.  With empty water bottles, I gathered my courage and knocked on a door in the small village of Lourdios. These people are so kind. Even though my French was better than her English, the matron of the house immediately saw my need and asked her daughter to fill the bottles de le cycliste. Merci!
The climb up Marie-Blanque (which is the local name for the Egyptian Vultures who migrate here evey spring to raise their young) begins promptly at Escot.  There is fantastic signage, displaying the average gradient for each kilometer of climb. Two gents from Barcelona were examining the sign as I approached (later I was to get to know Ramon y Ramon a bit better), and asked if I planned to ride up it. A look at the sign explained their question.  12%, 13%, 11%. A grin and a wave, and off I went. Still not as steep as that pitch out of Etxalar. Several English cyclists passed me on the climb, giving much needed encouragement. At the summit, on the warm sunlit grass, putting my legs up on a pannier and closing my eyes, I was Tres Content. About 20 minutes later, who should arrive but Ramon y Ramon. We shared mutual admiration for each other, and discovered a common profession. One of the Ramons is a teacher of 12-16 year olds. They gave me some tips about camping, and were off to Laruns.
The descent was free of cattle, but thick with people enjoying the expansive meadows.  While searching for the back road to Laruns, I stumbled upon "La falaise aux vautons": a visitor center devoted to the vultures, particularly the Griffon Vulture. It tells the story of bringing these huge birds back from the brink of extinction and, through a camera placed high on the cliffs, allows visitors of observe the vultures in their nests in real time. Completely worth the visit! www.falaise-aux-vautours.com
Stepping out from the center, there was Georges examining my bike with much scrutiny. He spoke no Anglais, so my Francais had to do.  He wanted to know how many teeth were my chainrings, how many kilos moi velo weighs, where I started and where I am going, and what those things were on the frame (the couplers).  I learned that he is 85 years old, and was tres sportif in his youth. 
A few km later, in Laruns,  I got to answer the same questions for a couple attracted to the astonishing velo.
The church bells rang in 6 o'clock and it was decision time. Camp in Laruns, or head up to Gourette, most of the way up Col d'Aubisque. The evening ws so pleasant, it was "what the hell, why not!" Quite pleasant climbing in the coolness. 
And the camping is excellent in Gourette. Quiet, cool and dry.
I will post photos when I have a better internet connexion.