Pyrenees Part 3
Departing from our B&B in Guchan, we drove over Col d’Aspin at 850m altitude. The Col is well known to cyclists as it often features in the route of the Tour de France. Watch this clip to enjoy the ride.
This is one of my favourite French Views … from the top of Col d’Aspin
There are no cafes or shops on top of this Col so bring water or a picnic and enjoy the beautiful view. It’s one of my favourites and, during the summer months, you might be joined by cows, horses and sheep that amble around. Col d’Aspin is closed in winter because of the snow and icy conditions.
Sharing the col with friendly locals
Driving over the Col, we arrived into the Tourmalet Valley. In this area, you will find Lac de Payolle, a man-made lake in beautiful surroundings of forests and mountains. The Lac de Payolle is next to the ski resort of Payolle and is used for various leisure activities; such as fishing, canoeing and hiking. In winter the lake is usually frozen.
The narrow bridge to our B&B
Our accommodation for the next three nights was a beautiful B&B, Chez Bernatou, near the village of Sainte-Marie-de-Campan. It was located along a small laneway, Chemin de Trassouet. We had to cross the small stream, Adour de Payolle, by an incredibly narrow bridge with our car’s side mirrors folded in and, holding our breath, we made it to the property intact!
Chez Bernatou
The main house was a beautiful farmhouse that was built in the 1850s. The house included a gîte but we stayed in a tiny separate building, Le Petit Nid. Anne and Bernard were our hosts and Anne provided us with the most amazing breakfasts in her huge farm kitchen. The breakfasts included home-made yogurts, crusty baguettes (that we lavishly spread with Anne’s confiture) and freshly-squeezed orange juice. This prepared us very well for the day ahead.
Le Petit Nid translates to the small nest
The accommodation was perfectly positioned for us to gain access to the Col du Tourmalet. At 2115m altitude, it is one of the highest mountain passes in the Pyrenees, iconic in Le Tour de France. Le Tour was due to visit this area the next day. Chris departed for his first ascent of Tourmalet. Sporting his Australian colours, he attracted quite a bit of attention from fans already camping on the climb.
Signage to boost ‘enthusiasm’ on the way to the top of Tourmalet
The village of Sainte-Marie-de-Campan as viewed from the crossing from our B&B
Inside Église Sainte-Marie in Sainte-Marie-de-Campan
Meanwhile, I walked across the meadow to the village shop/bar, Bar Les Deux Vallees. I purchased some food and enjoyed a glass of wine in the sun before returning to our accommodation. I explored a little further along the laneway before it was time to do some washing. Anne was happy to let me use her laundry and we had a chat while we pegged the washing on the line. Anne had a monstrous black dog, a local breed called the Pyrenean Mastiff, which I will discuss in a later post. He was in desperate need of a haircut and, the following day, the dog groomer spent hours shearing off his fur.
Another view of our B&B
On race day, we were determined to make an early start. We jumped into the car and departed, only to find that the route to Col du Tourmalet was now barred to car access. We quickly drove back to our accommodation and instigated Plan B. This involved a shady walk across the meadows, through the village and ‘just keep on walking’ up the D918 in the sun.
C’est moi crossing the meadow on race day
We had great experiences throughout that day. I was adorned with our Australian flag, which attracted much attention as we walked. We met a Dutch/Aussie gentleman and stopped to chat. He told us that he had purchased his campervan via the internet and that it lives in a friend’s garden in the Netherlands between his trips. His van was adorned with many Australian and iconic ‘boxing kangaroo’ flags. We have since seen him featured many times over the years on our local SBS TV telecast of the Le tour de France.
We saw lots of other Aussies urging us on as we trekked higher and higher. Eventually, I was too tired to walk any further. The sun was relentless and we found a spot to sit on the roadside wall. We even met the infamous Tour Devil.
Chris meeting the infamous Tour Devil
The spectacle began to unfold as we experienced our first caravan of the tour. Helicopters hovered close by and the sense of excitement was mounting. Despite the steep slope, the pro-cyclists still flew by us quickly on their race to the summit.
Eventually, the ‘show’ had passed and we made the long descent to our B&B, exhausted but invigorated by our experience. We shared some of our ‘tour caravan’ goodies with our hosts’ 8-year-old daughter and her cousin. They raced their bikes around the property wearing their oversized tour shirts and shouting “Allez, allez”.
The little girls in their Le Tour de France caravan souvenir shirts. “Allez! Allez!”
Further up the Col du Tourmalet, you can see Pic du Midi Bigorre at an altitude of 2877m. Here’s some great footage of the pic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeU6DJdNWwU. There has been an observatory here since the late 19th-century. It can now be reached by cable car from the ski resort of La Mongie. On the pic, there is a shop, restaurant, an astronomy museum, telescopes and various terraces to enjoy the view from this highest part of the Pyrenees. You can even stay overnight!
https://picdumidi.com/en/plan-your-trip/a-magical-night-at-the-summit
View from Col du Tourmalet to Pic du Midi Bigorre, which is at an altitude of 2877m.
Campan is a small village on the main road between Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and the larger town of Bagneres-de-Bigorre. It is famous for its life-size dolls, les Mounaques, that are displayed throughout the village during the summer months.
A few years later, we returned to this area and stayed in the spa town of Bagneres-de-Bigorre at Les Petites Vosges. It is an old house in the centre of the town that has been converted into a gorgeous B&B with deep red walls and bold green shutters and covered in climbing roses. It certainly stands out. Inside was a guest loungeroom, breakfast room and 4 bedrooms that were tastefully decorated with bric-a-brac salvaged from schools and dressmakers. We were warmly welcomed by our hostess. Although she no longer runs this B&B, the link above will take you to a booking platform should you wish to make enquiries.
Our arrival on 14th July, Bastille Day, meant that the town was packed with people. Trying to find a restaurant to accommodate us was a challenge and we ended up at a buffet with one of the worst meals we’ve had anywhere in our travels or at home. However, the evening finished with a sparkle and a bang as we sat on the rooftop terrace of our hotel watching the fireworks.
Next day, Chris rode from here to the top of Col du Tourmalet and I stayed in town. We both were able to experience very different versions of Le Tour de France that day. It was interesting to be able to track Chris’ progress from his Garmin via my phone and I was able to meet him at the car, upon his return, to stow his bike.
Bagneres was once a fashionable spa resort that thrived at the turn of the 20th-century when bathing in its thermal waters was ‘in vogue’. You can still visit the thermal baths, which are housed in a cathedral-like space. The complex also includes an hamman, a sauna and a spa.
Casino Tranchant in Bagneres-de-Bigorre
The town is well-equipped as a base to explore this area. There are many places to shop, including a covered market hall for fresh produce. There is a variety accommodation options in town and in the surrounding countryside. There are pretty gardens in the Parc du Musee Salies, which is next to Musee des Beaux-Arts Salies.
La Halle is the indoor market space for fresh produce in Bagneres-de-Bigorre
In 2016, we visited Col du Tourmalet for a third time. We had no bikes on on this trip but, still, were able to sit in the shade and absorb the atmosphere of this special place.
Chris absorbing the view and ambiance of one of his favourite places from the terrace of the cafe on top of Col du Tourmalet
On top of the world at Col du Tourmalet and, below, some cycling memorabilia found inside the cafe.
Our plan to return to the area again in 2020 was thwarted by the pandemic. During our planning, we had been conversing with a representative of the company Allez Pyrenees regarding accommodation in Bagneres. Their house, Les Dix Arches, which was built in 1928, caters to cyclists and includes a workshop, storage and a laundry. Bike hire can be arranged. They also accommodate hikers and skiers. Families are welcome too. Our communication with the owners was very helpful. If you are interested, here is their website:
Chris and I feel that this part of France is very special to us and we hope to return again soon. For further information on this is area of the Pyrenees, please click on this link:
I will return to this series in early 2023 to complete our journey across the Pyrenees.
Col du Tourmalet
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Joyeux Noël
Thank you all for following our journey.
Merci beaucoup et À bientôt!
