Oldwineaux in Europe

This jewel of a city is overshadowed by the famed walled city of Carcassone which lies just a half hour's drive to the north.  However, Limoux has walls of its own.  And, just as Carcassonne has been inhabited for a couple thousand years, so has Limoux.  In fact historians say there has been someone living continually on this spot since Neolithic times.  The western side of the city is nestled up against the lazy curves of the banks of the Aude river.  The Aude gets its start in the Pyrenees, flows past Limoux and Carcassonne and eventually empties into the Mediterranean near Narbonne which is an hour or so away by car. This village whose population hovers just below the 10,000 mark has the traditional square. The numerous restaurants serve their patrons seated out in the open space. Here is a sample of a street in the village.  They are so narrow two cars cannot pass each other.  Any parking is done with the car taking up the space of the na...

Two evenings ago the hostess at Idiartekoborda B and B said that a guest had just arrived on bicycle and she had to drive him to a restaurant in the village for dinner.   It was understandable since the nearest place to eat was over two miles away, the road leading to the B and B was quite steep, and he had already spent the day riding over mountains    I told her I would drive him to a restaurant and have dinner with him.   It turns out he spoke very good English and was a vegetarian to boot. So, having considerable bicycling vittles in my larder I said I would prepare dinner for both of us in the B&B's communal kitchen. Being no stranger to the best foods to consume for long distance bicycling (I did one across the state of Massachusetts long ago) I told him I would prepare a dinner of carbohydrates. A half hour latter we sat down to a plate mounded with boiled potatoes, a huge salad, baguette, and a large plate of sliced fruit for dessert. He is r...

I left Andorra Saturday the 14th bound for Saint-Lary Soulan in the French Alps.  The plan was to stay there for five more days of mountain hiking.  So much for plans. The guy who rented me the ski condo on line showed up an hour late.  He opened the door and ushered me into a space that would have made a monk feel claustrophobic.  No bed, only two couches.  Next time I'll read the fine print.  It did have an impressive view.  The building which had many many many units was perched atop a cliff and you got the expansive view out the window of the valley that dropped away below.  The good news was that you could not open the window and tempt fate.  The bad news was you couldn't open the window to get any air in the Lilliputian dwelling.  But, let's not dwell on it any more other than to say it was non refundable, so goodbye Euros. I got back into my trusty Ford steed and drove on to Pau (pronounced like Edgar Allen's last name) where...

Imagine being in a country without litter, walking among people who are rarely overweight, meeting natives who offer guarded smiles to a stranger, a country (of sorts) a thousand years old that has never been to war. Immerse yourself, inhale that pure air cascading down mountain sides carved in part by immense glaciers. Wake up on cool mornings.  Have a bite of breakfast. Wait for the strong sun to warm the day then head out for a three hour or so hike.  That's why I'm spending two more weeks here, not to mention great prices on French wines. Speaking of Andorran mountains, one of the best descriptions of their formation I have read is 'intensley folded and thrusted rocks formed when the Iberian peninsula was rotated onto the European continent'.  Another way of saying it is rarely do you find a flat place in this country.  It is why you see neighborhoods like the one I am in right now with houses and apartment buildings stair stepped up a mountain side....

For those of you not acquainted with the website Booking.com it is a reservation service for hotels, apartments, etc. in many countries.   It’s website boasts the availability of 1,933,421 hotels worldwide.     I have been abused at the hands of this website in several countries over the years.   I have sat on a curb outside an apartment in Hungary for hours only to be rescued by a couple who lived across the street and called the landlord to come let me in.   Ditto for nightmares in Southeast Asia, and other countries. My most recent experience in Andorra should have been a vignette in the movie ‘Brazil’.   The condo owner was emailing me (I think in Catalan) that the key was at a certain location.   It turned out to be a car dealership across from a roundabout. The Google pin showing the location was stuck at the edge of the roundabout.   Further the address was ‘no address on the building' or some such words.   That fiasco ...