Pyrenees pics and music

[barryd]

As you may know the French Pyrenees are one of my favourite places on the planet. In September 2017 I was laid on my back in the sunshine in the meadow grass up in the Cirque de Troumouse contemplating life and looking up at the mountains and I wrote this song. Well I say song, it’s mainly loud heavy guitars with a few words (thankfully). The night skies are so dark but full of light and the sunny days are just full of spectacular scenery. It really is a place that makes you think about how short life is and why you should fit in all those places on your “to do list”.

If you have a bucket list. The Pyrenees should be on it!

Its shite by the way, thats why I put the photos in to detract from my lack of Rock ballad talent. The next song is gonna be pure Punk and Barry the Bastud will be back. ???

Anyway I put some photos together to distract you from the dodgy music so just mute the thing and enjoy the pics.

Lyrics below

Space and time so high and clear the skies diffuse our every fear the night so dark but burning bright you climb aboard your satellite

Years drift faster time goes by its done in just a blinking eye you think about the distant past but stare ahead your mouth aghast

Days like this are few between, you breath it in its so serene, are you dreaming is it real does it really make you feel!

Do you come back down to earth or fly above for all its worth, years drift faster time goes by your gone in just a blinking eye

Fly above free your soul sit atop your mount of gold. Space above clouds below its never really time to go.

Days like this are few between, you breath it in its so serene, are you dreaming is it real does it really make you feel!



[video=youtube_share;tqnvdvtToBw]https://youtu.be/tqnvdvtToBw[/video]

 

[Wooie1958]

Recognised Gavarnie instantly :dance: we was there in October and was kept company most of the night by some very healthy looking Pottok :dance:

They scared the hell out of a young German couple who had no idea about them and they daren`t look out of the windows until it went quiet :lol-049:

Our favourite spot on there is where the Bustner is parked behind you, easy to get level, habitation door by the bank and the views work perfectly out of the windows.

Going back to the Col du Soulor and Col d`Abisque next year and we`ll spend more time up there, weather permitting :dance:

 

[Dezi]

Hi, We were not so far away from you in September.

Meandering along the road between Viella and Arreau.

Arreau tourist office unlimited free wifi.

Dezi

 

[Wooie1958]

We came back from Spain over the N-135 and dropped into Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port before making our way along the Pyrenees towards Sommières :drive:

 

[Chris356]

That looks stunning there's an English guy lives out there and does guided trail riding you take your own enduro bike them hairpins look tight would you bottom out if you had a long overhang. Oh and the music was quit good too

 

[barryd]

That looks stunning there's an English guy lives out there and does guided trail riding you take your own enduro bike them hairpins look tight would you bottom out if you had a long overhang. Oh and the music was quit good too

Not sure which hairpins you mean. This one was the road up to the Cirque de Troumouse

Its a toll road but doable in a motorhome. Parts of it are quite narrow so you would need to pick your time carefully. Ive only driven that one on the scooter but have seen sizeable vans go up there.

The other one from memory was the Col de Tourmalet which is the famous Tour de France pass.

Looks nasty but ive been up it on the bike and in the van. Coaches go over that one. Piece of cake (ish)

Most of the passes and roads in the Pyrenees are designed for snow ploughs and coach fulls of skiers to go up so are all pretty much good for any size motorhome. In fact you are probably more likely to come across much more demanding roads in the Yorkshire Dales or the Scottish mountains than you are there, they are just much longer passes and much higher elevations in the Pyrenees (same goes for the Alps).

If anyone would like to visit but are perhaps put off by worrying about taking the van up there dont be. There are plenty of good aires and good roads. You do need a good head for heights for some. A good place to start right in the heart of the Pyrenees national park and the best scenery would be either Cauterets or Gavarnie. Superb aires at both and the drive up from Lourdes is an absolute piece of cake. Very gradual and wide and no big drops to worry about. The last bit from Gavarnie village to the Aire is breath taking a few very wide twisties but dead easy and its only 1km from the village. You can however now park overnight on the edge of the village if you prefer.

In 2014 I wrote a PDF Guide for Motorhomers in the Pyrenees. Still pretty current. You can download it from here. Downloads - Adventures In Hank The Tank

 

[Chris356]

Not sure which hairpins you mean. This one was the road up to the Cirque de Troumouse

Its a toll road but doable in a motorhome. Parts of it are quite narrow so you would need to pick your time carefully. Ive only driven that one on the scooter but have seen sizeable vans go up there.

The other one from memory was the Col de Tourmalet which is the famous Tour de France pass.

Looks nasty but ive been up it on the bike and in the van. Coaches go over that one. Piece of cake (ish)

Most of the passes and roads in the Pyrenees are designed for snow ploughs and coach fulls of skiers to go up so are all pretty much good for any size motorhome. In fact you are probably more likely to come across much more demanding roads in the Yorkshire Dales or the Scottish mountains than you are there, they are just much longer passes and much higher elevations in the Pyrenees (same goes for the Alps).

If anyone would like to visit but are perhaps put off by worrying about taking the van up there dont be. There are plenty of good aires and good roads. You do need a good head for heights for some. A good place to start right in the heart of the Pyrenees national park and the best scenery would be either Cauterets or Gavarnie. Superb aires at both and the drive up from Lourdes is an absolute piece of cake. Very gradual and wide and no big drops to worry about. The last bit from Gavarnie village to the Aire is breath taking a few very wide twisties but dead easy and its only 1km from the village. You can however now park overnight on the edge of the village if you prefer.

In 2014 I wrote a PDF Guide for Motorhomers in the Pyrenees. Still pretty current. You can download it from here. Downloads - Adventures In Hank The Tank

Hi Barry just read your guide for the Pyrenees 2 years ago we was in salou and decided to go to Andorra so I put in into my tomtom and set off several hours later arrived in a village in Spain with the same name lol we then decided to head for Zaragoza and then head up to Bordeaux but will eventually head for the pyrenees

 

[jacquigem]

its been a while but thank you for some wonderful pics which bring back great memories

 

[jagmanx]

Thanks

For your film with music, your photos and other info.

Interesting/useful that you report the roads are OK

I have driven some pretty difficult roads
Scotland Applecross (full circuit) and B689 "coastal route to Lochinver"
Ireland Gap of Mamore and Skellig Ring
Norway Road 55 Roof of Norway
Austria Matrei in Osttirol road 108
all VG and no problem
However I do not have a good head for heights so near vertical drops are not good

As you post roads elsewhere are more difficult

 

[hulio]

Iwill watch this post with great interest as I would like to cross the Pyrenees from atlantic side to the med

:banana::banana::banana:

 

[barryd]

Iwill watch this post with great interest as I would like to cross the Pyrenees from atlantic side to the med

:banana::banana::banana:

Our first trip there in 2010 was exactly that but the other way around. We started around Perpignon on the French Med side and ended up in Biarittz a few weeks later on the Atlantic coast. I think you need a fair few weeks to do it justice. Its a cracking trip and you end up at the seaside!

The Haute Pyrenees IMO is the best bit from Bagneres du Luchon to beyond Cauterets really.

 

[myshell]

Hi Barry, Thanks for the fantastic pictures I really enjoyed them, brought back a lot of happy memories for my wife and I as
we got married in 1967 and did some of that trip for our honeymoon in a VW Transporter that my-father-in-law and I converted into a camper van, Happy days, (oh and nights). The music was pretty good too, but as for the vocals, well don't give up your day job just yet !

Thanks a million.
Phil (aka phydaux)