A French Loop - Aston Style

[cardigankid]

Looks fantastic, and great to see an Aston being used for its intended purpose. Must have sounded A1 going through the tunnel.

The views look extraordinary. Is it as solitary as it looks?

The Church would convert into quite a place by the looks of it.

[mikey k]

cardigankid said:

Looks fantastic, and great to see an Aston being used for its intended purpose. Must have sounded A1 going through the tunnel.

The views look extraordinary. Is it as solitary as it looks?

The Church would convert into quite a place by the looks of it.

Its almost monastic!
We've seen 3 people all day including our host
Not heard a car, a phone or anything else such like.
The odd bird and one cat.

[Jockman]

mikey k said:

My word, you really need to get some exercise matey

[mikey k]

You are probably right!
But that was a bit of a climb
Off to do a few lengths of the pool then

Edited by mikey k on Sunday 16th September 00:28

[mikey k]

So it ended up with both days 6 & 7 as "down" days
Day 7 in a different sense

Felt good on Day 8 and hit 2019 miles from Chester
I moded this route a bit as I was feeling a bit rough as a knock on from Day 7

Leaving the Casa 1km in to the 10km descent!

French Loop 567_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

A surprised GT6 owner!

French Loop 626_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Headed out of Tremp early to miss the Barcelona mob heading to Andorra for shopping on a Saturday (who's idea was it to do this route on a Saturday )
Plan worked for the most part and we mananged up an down the 2 best passes in Andorra relatively unhindered

French Loop 677_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Took in a few more French Passes rather than use the motorway, happened on to this nice little lake!

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One of our favourite signs!

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Another favourite

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Because it means views like this!

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And stuff like this to get down

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Outside action shot from Mrs K

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We arrived at the villa in Prades early and refreshed enough to spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool.

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Day 9 (ended at 2262 miles) was a trip over to a Spanish cliff village then up the coast route from Spain to France another nice relaxed day!

Car is looking REALLY dirty but I'm not washing it until I can do it properly

French Loop 896_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Jockman do you think I've lost weight yet?

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Now the real beauties!

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Saw this in drought torn Spain and thought it was a great effect but not good for water usage

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Down at the coast the weather was scorcheo (29C) and the water very blue!

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The road soon got very good as well

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Off for a vino by the pool.

Edited by mikey k on Sunday 16th September 18:27

[mikey k]

just spotted the Monaco Boat Show is on the same day we were going have run round the tunnels and F1 circuit

Edited by mikey k on Tuesday 18th September 20:52

[cardigankid]

Winding Alpine passes, silver Aston Martin, what an effect!!!

[mikey k]

cardigankid said:

Winding Alpine passes, silver Aston Martin, what an effect!!!

We haven't got over to the Alps yet!

Day 10 (2530 miles)
The dirt has built up some much I'm starting to understand Yeti's stratergy - leave it long enough it just falls of in chunks
Started out the day in the mist, we were soon crossing the Languedoc region at grape harvest time what a fantastic smell for hours on end!


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The Gorge de Galamus and "road of the road testers" were great, but the best was for last.


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Didn't bother stopping at Carcassone as it was heaving with coaches and OAP's too busy for my liking.
We got to the Milau bridge and as I've been over it before we went under!
Stopped off at the info centre and found a French guy drooling over the car.
I got him and his wife to sit in it and took some pics for them - made his day!


French Loop 1069_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr


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Following the Gorge du Tarn up to our next over night stop was fantastic what an amazing place. More than once I wish Yeti was with us to explain it all!


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We are arrived at La Maison de Marius to find we had it to ourselves with a bedroom view down the gorge and home cooked dinner on the terrace - fantastic we can highly recomend this place!

http://www.maisondemarius.fr/

On the terrace before dinner - PH & beer


French Loop 1184_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Edited by mikey k on Wednesday 19th September 18:34

[mikey k]

Day 11 (?? miles)
Started out in the mist from the Tarn Gorge, I love the window & boy painted on the wall


French Loop 1201_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Woke the whole village up

French Loop 1206_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

off along a 5* biking route the N106 - bloody fantastic. I noticed something about my driving as well, I have got in to the habit of lifting my right heel off the floor to try and get the "loud" pedal to work quicker, then I remembered the Sport button Soooo much better for over takes and twisties!


French Loop 1211_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

This is rare in France only around 300 ever registered!

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I love the look of these tree lined roads

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We soon found ourselves traversing Lavender fields to get over to Mont Ventoux. The benefits of a roadster - what a smell!

Mont Ventoux was not what I expected, it was swarming with cyclists and "sunday drivers", the scenery was fantastic though. It is like a lunar landscape above the coulds! Nearly all the "sport photographers" taking pics of the cyclists went mad with their cameras as we passed.
The car generally gets a great reaction every where there is the occasional green eyed monster


French Loop 1279_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr


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Aston above the clouds

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Yeti - what the hell type of rock is this?

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We cut out the Verdon Gorges from today's route and will do them tomorrow as I refuse to trundle round Monaco whilst the Boat Show is on
The Route Napoleon is EPIQUE - a very good drivers road (with scenery for the wife )


French Loop 1361_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Lovely place we are stopping in but not so impressed with Grasse though

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Edit to keep EPIC John happy

Edited by mikey k on Wednesday 19th September 18:56

[johng39]

Sorry Mikey, you can't use EPIC, I used it yesterday to describe SPA.

Route Napoleon is a fantastic road, how far up from cannes did you get?

[mikey k]

Edited it for you

Day 12 3019 miles so far
Had a leisurely day back up the Route Napoleon to do the Verdon Gorges in the reverse direction, along with the Route des Cretes, Aiguines and lunch by lake Sainte-Croix.

Pics to follow!

[George H]

mikey k said:

Day 12 3019 miles so far

Wouldn't like to see your fuel bill!

[mikey k]

George H said:

mikey k said:

Day 12 3019 miles so far

Wouldn't like to see your fuel bill!

finger in the air it is ~£80/day over 18 days

[Pie n Chips]

Did you go wading again Mr K? Wish we were there

[Jockman]

mikey k said:

Jockman do you think I've lost weight yet?

A photo-shopped picture of oneself does not a skinny man maketh Mr K

If you require assistance with your chipex on returning.....who you gonna call

[mikey k]

Pie n Chips said:

Did you go wading again Mr K? Wish we were there

nope
Did contemplate it when it hit 29C though!
Found a couple of bits we never did as well
Went past THE hotel it was absolutely packed!

[mikey k]

Jockman said:

A photo-shopped picture of oneself does not a skinny man maketh Mr K

If you require assistance with your chipex on returning.....who you gonna call

I've no idea how to use PS even if I had a PC here with a copy on
I may need your cleaing skills as well
Will definitely need JCTs help though

[Jockman]

mikey k said:

...Will definitely need JCTs help though

Don't like the sound of that matey

[mikey k]

Jockman said:

mikey k said:

...Will definitely need JCTs help though

Don't like the sound of that matey

The list is growing

[mikey k]

Sorry for not keeping this up to date we had $hit wifi for the back end of the holiday and the roaming charges were getting a bit high

So Day 12
This was going to be a trip in to Monaco around the circuit and through a few tunnels
When it dawned on me the boat show was on all week we decided it was a bad idea
So we fell back on an old favourite - Verdon Gorges, Routes Des Cretes and lake St Croix
We used the route Napoleon to get to and from Verdon - weather was great and there was not too much traffic.
Mrs K did give a German woman some abuse for cutting a corner in her camper van and nearly crushing us

I love the over hangs but this one looked a bit tight!

French Loop 1407_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

The gorge is so deep the views are stunning from the Route des Cretes

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This is a hotel we stopped in on a previous trip the views from the bedroom balcony are amazing, shame about the rest of it

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The lake it feeds is also stunninf the water is just to blue to be real!

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Saw this winding it's way round and thought it was a great idea (until you see the first pic and realise the trauma's of threading that through the overhangs and blind corners!)

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We got back to Grasse in good time and parked up for a meal outdoors in the sunset

French Loop 1601_resize by mikey k V8VR, on Flickr

Edited by mikey k on Wednesday 26th September 10:10