Trip to France

[colinm]

We’ve driven up and down and round and round the various Ballons d’Alsace today. Being Ascension Day the world was out in force but what really got me were the hordes of what I consider to be crazy cyclists taking on these really steep ascents. I presume they get some form of enjoyment from it.

Well Donatien Alphonse François de Sade was french.

 

[saxonborg]

Anyone know what these are please?

View attachment 131105View attachment 131106

Looks like an insulator for an electric fence.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Stupid boy.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Looks like an insulator for an electric fence.

You could be right, the perimeter of the forest has one, and not far from the road there is an small fenced off area about 20x20m so perhaps they had a small electric fence too.

Funny thing, Liz and I have always had a thing for walking in forests if we can and last night we ventured in, not too far as it's very uneven but it's nice to get in amongst the trees anyway Liz had been looking up if there were any bears or wolves in France which there are, then she asked me what I would I do if a wolf came after us, so I said I'd run back to the road, then she asked what I'd do if a bear came after us and I said I'd run back to the road, then she said it, you wouldn't be fast enough, I of course replied, I dont have to be fast just faster than you, seems she'd never heard it before and bent double and couldn't stop laughing.

 

[barryd]

You could be right, the perimeter of the forest has one, and not far from the road there is an small fenced off area about 20x20m so perhaps they had a small electric fence too.

Funny thing, Liz and I have always had a thing for walking in forests if we can a d last night we ventured in, not to far as it's very uneven but it's nice to get in amongst the trees anyway Liz had been looking up if there were any bears or wolves in France which there are, then she asked me what I would I do if a wolf came after us, so I said I'd run back to the road, then she asked what I'd do if a bear came after us and I said I'd run back to the road, then she said it, you wouldn't be fast enough, I of course replied, I dont have to be fast just faster than you, seems she'd never heard it before and bent double and couldn't stop laughing.

We heard wolves howling near the French Italian border one night 5000ft up wilding. They weren't far away either. I went out for a fag about midnight. You never seen someone smoke a cig so quick.

Brown bears were reintroduced I believe some years ago in the Pyrenees with bears from Slovenia. There was a funny story (well I thought it was funny) about one that went a bit rogue and started smashing stuff up and killing livestock apparently just for fun. He was called Franska and I also remember seeing protest graffiti about him. The French are good at Graffiti.

 

[trevskoda]

We heard wolves howling near the French Italian border one night 5000ft up wilding. They weren't far away either. I went out for a fag about midnight. You never seen someone smoke a cig so quick.

Brown bears were reintroduced I believe some years ago in the Pyrenees with bears from Slovenia. There was a funny story (well I thought it was funny) about one that went a bit rogue and started smashing stuff up and killing livestock apparently just for fun. He was called Franska and I also remember seeing protest graffiti about him. The French are good at Graffiti.

Im sure the french just grin & bear it.

 

[Gadabout2]

Slightly off thread, but as we are going to France in a couple of weeks, is it still easy to get Gaslow bottles filled with LPG at the pump in French supermarkets and petrol stations ?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Not everywhere but keep your eyes open and use the apps top up every few days in a night town and you'll be fine we only have a single 6kg and not got near running out.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We are still on our way to Millau, and we just drove down into a George towards Le Rozier and Liz didnt like it at all so not doing any more of those, although we still have to drive out yet...

From here you can just make out a bit we drove on, right at the top of the picture.

Later.

 

[mark61]

Great roads round there. Good view of bridge from D41 and D992.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

We are still on our way to Millau, and we just drove down into a George towards Le Rozier and Liz didnt like it at all so not doing any more of those, although we still have to drive out yet...

From here you can just make out a bit we drove on, right at the top of the picture.

Later.

Who's George? Did you meet him over there or take him with you?

 

[barryd]

One of my favourite wild spots of all time is about ten miles west of Millau at St Rome de Tarn right on the river. If it's still available and it's still hot it's a cracking place for swimming, kayaking etc. Did you come via the Tarn gorges maybe? Not scary from memory but some overhanging cliffs.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

One of my favourite wild spots of all time is about ten miles west of Millau at St Rome de Tarn right on the river. If it's still available and it's still hot it's a cracking place for swimming, kayaking etc. Did you come via the Tarn gorges maybe? Not scary from memory but some overhanging cliffs.

I tent camped all around the Lot, Tarn et Garonne and Lot et Garonne with my parents.

This was when I was sweet (yeah, right - honest guv, I was once! ) seventeen on a six week long holiday touring around France. I think we covered around 3,000 miles all told at the time.

It's a really lovely part of France. The roads mostly follow the rivers along the gorges (not Georges!) if memory serves me right? Could be wrong though, but then if there were any "high up" bits on the road they wouldn't have bothered me as I've never suffered from a fear of heights/vertigo etc.

It's a long, long time ago, so Barry is probably the one to advise you best on any scary "hilly bits"!

​

 

[Pudsey Bear]

One of my favourite wild spots of all time is about ten miles west of Millau at St Rome de Tarn right on the river. If it's still available and it's still hot it's a cracking place for swimming, kayaking etc. Did you come via the Tarn gorges maybe? Not scary from memory but some overhanging cliffs.

The George we went through was enough for Liz she was almost in tears so we abandoned that, we saw the Millau bridge.

 

[colinm]

I think going down along the gorge towards Millau in a coach-built could be 'interesting' with the rock overhangs, we drove into the gorge from the west which was fairly steep with hairpins, took a trip out and back to the east onto the patau which was very steep, but well worth it seeing the black vultures being fed, and cave complexes.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I forget the actual route, but we set off from.

44.269225, 3.871124 and had a coffee in le Rozier then on to millau.

But for tonight we've gone right up market.

For the shade:-

And for the view:-

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Just got this from Google.

 

[Tonybvi]

You really need to do a little bit of research using the various apps, Pudsey. This is the view from our free park up tonight and we’re in the shade.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I'm just struggling a bit in the high 20s low 30s heat, and I'd had enough today, also usually we admire a view, but mostly we play cards or watch some Netflix stuff.

We've stayed on industrial estates few times, usually to get off to an early start but some times just to stop driving any further.

Wheres that one Tony?

 

[Tonybvi]

I'm just struggling a bit in the high 20s low 30s heat, and I'd had enough today, also usually we admire a view, but mostly we play cards or watch some Netflix stuff.

We've stayed on industrial estates few times, usually to get off to an early start but some times just to stop driving any further.

Wheres that one Tony?

The parking for the Chateau at a little place called Belvoir high up in the hills in the Doubs (department 25) just north of Jura. Fantastic views over the valley.