I set out the 10th toward Paris, roads were not as well as Germany till it hit the toll ways. Hate toll roads, you have to stop, take off glove, find some change, try to get coins in to slot with gloved hand, drop coins, get off pick up coins, back on bike, put coins in machine, take change, drop change, get off bike pick up change, then bundle up stuff and pull to side of road to reconnect coat plug and put the gloves back on. Spent about 10 E$ on tolls getting to Versailles.

On the road somewhere

Weather has been a mix, cold this morning with heavy fog, (4C), then very nice this afternoon.

I could spend a month in each country I have ridden in. Versailles and the palaces there are fantastic but without a place to park I just rode by. Then south to La Mans where I spent a half hour trying to get close to a fantastic looking Church. The building style changes I think depending on the time period that each country was doing well politically and ergonomically.

Versailles and the palaces

From La Mans I set the GPS to avoid toll roads and had some wonderful riding through the country side. Ending up in Saumur. Now I will wander towards Lourdes and the Pyrenees mountains. If the weather allows I will ride the Pyrenees for a few days.

Castle on the hill, hotel in building behind right ear

Up for breakfast and hiked up to castle on the hill. Building started m/l 900 with peak in 1500s.

Then off toward Lourdes, traveled about 600k staying off the freeways. This is kind of like taking old 99 from Salem to Canada only the villages are closer together.

The Basilica of Lourdes is built next to a sacred spring and is a pilgrimage site for Catholics. The city has more beds, (hotels), than any other city in France other than Paris. Many of those coming are nuns and those hoping to be healed. Was difficult but made it by the Basilica then headed out of town, into the Pyrenees mountains.

Basilica

Amazing area to ride a motorcycle in, I could have stopped and taken pictures a thousand times.
They say the best motorcycle roads are in the Swiss Alps but it will be hard to beat these roads. I found a camp site and pitched the tent with intentions of writing down where I had been, then someone offered me a glass of wine. Oh well I will have to ride it again to find out.

There were five switch backs to the bottom but is so steep that I could not see any from top.

The road through this canyon was simply magical

Monastery started in 920, rumor has it that the Holy Grail was hid here to protect it from invaders.

So little traffic on this road today that I stopped and eat lunch here and not one car passed.

The camp and tent turned out to be a poor choice as we had thunder, lighting and down poor. So up in the morning trying to get stuff as dry as I could. Said good buy to friends from the night before and headed out to discover what Andorra was.

Andorra is a very small country between Spain and France. It appears to be one big recreational facility, sking, hiking, bicycles and a place to get away from the heat. It is also not part of the EU so its banking and finance rules have made it a place for the rich to hide money. Andorra was doing well with building going on everywhere, great roads and gas much cheaper than the rest of Europe.

Then I circled back around into Spain again along more great roads. Ending up in Ainsa. This is off season, after the summer run and before the snow crowd starts coming, so traffic has been light. One more day of running along the Pyrenees Mountains then I head south. Thought about running along the north coast of Spain but only so much time.

Wonderful day, a little cold sometimes but still an A+ day. Found another road to enter into the top ten rides, Hecho to Isaba. Some of the road was well wore but some was perfect. One section followed the top of a ridge with both sides of the road dropping off sharply, reminded me of the “devil’s backbone” in Mexico, (one of my top five routes). Came into Isaba which is a wonderfully preserved/restored village and found a room at Hostal Lola with great accommodations. The small towns have been preserved by the tourist trade and in high season this place may be a zoo, but today it is a lazy little village.

Streets of Isaba

Church in

Date on church, the history here is amazing. There must have been a contest to see who could build the biggest, best church back then, every small village has a big old church.

Tomorrow I burn south toward Morocco. Will find a BMW shop along the way and get moto serviced before I cross to Africa.