A votre sante!

Le bien-etre, or the well-being is the theme of our current home, Bagneres de Luchon.  We are nestled in a lush, beautiful valley, surrounded by the Pyrenees. It is a spa town with a very famous "wet cave" for the respiratory ailments and the hot thermal pools for the aches and pains.  There is a steady parade every morning at 7:30 with the over 60 crowd carrying their plastic bags holding their swim suits, plastic shoes and swim caps, on their way to take the "cures", which are prescribed by the many doctors in town.  About 1 hour later the streets are filled with large groups of cyclists taking off for their day on the hills.

Ready to take the cure...

Luchon is stately and old, and definitely La Grande Dame de Les Pyrenees.  She is like your great aunt who had the old family home, with the fading Persian carpets, slightly shabby furniture and a bit of peeling paint on the side of the house.  The streets are wide, lined with magnificent tall trees and grand old apartment buildings and hotels.  It was the first ski area in the Pyrenees, with a gondola that starts in town and ends at the base of the ski area 4,000' above us.  It is quite the bike ride; 18k long, but the skiers are zipped up there in 20 minutes. So civilized!

Looking out from the top of Super Bagneres.

The Pyrenees are vast and rich in history.  There are small towns that dot the hillsides and hug the banks of the rivers.  There are post card perfect towns everywhere you look that you will have never heard of.

Cierp-Gard. 

As very few Americans will ever visit this area unless you are a crazy cyclist, here is a link for some armchair tourism.  http://www.luchon.com/

We have been doing our share of cycling here.  The well know cols, the Peyresourde, Portillon, Super Bagneres and Col de Bales have all been in the Tour de France (TdF henceforth!).  We did all of them, one at a time, over the week.  On Saturday as we slogged up the Portillon from the Spanish side, we met this guy at the top....

I am in awe!

He was doing all of the above, in one day. And the Port de Bales from both directions!  Over 12,000' of climbing.  Equivalent to the death ride, only by himself and just out for a weekend spin... Also, he told us he was 48 years old....Looked 32.

Relaxing at the top of Port de Bales.

Most of our rides have gone well.  Then yesterday we had some technical problems.  Larry snapped his rear gear cable, of course in the highest gear, and couldn't ride up the Col de Mente.  It was very steep and 11 K long.  Also about 100 degrees in the sun.  Fortunately, we got a ride to the top from a good Samaritan.

Off tomorrow for 10 days in Argeles-Gazost, another biking, hiking and skiing mecca in the Pyrenees.  Less like your stately old aunt, and more like that fun cousin who is always ready to play. It is very close to Lourdes, the town like your sleazy uncle who always is trying to sell you a bad deal...