Last summer, guiding a group of motorcyclists, I had the chance to discover a region that was brand new to me: the Pyrenees. And I can tell you right away that this is an absolutely fantastic playground for bikers. I was stunned! Pure WOW all the way!
Located in the southwestern part of France, the Pyrenees run between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. They act as a natural barrier between Spain and France. Somewhere in between, you’ll find the small Principality of Andorra, which is also a renowned shopping place. With summits reaching 3,000 m (10,000 ft), the Pyrenees mountain range is a paradise for motorcyclists looking for adventures, great roads, and exceptional panoramas.
For this trip, I’ll be sharing fine rides and great memories with Chris, Shirley, Éric, Brigitte, Martin and Michel. This time, the rental bikes are mostly BMWs: two 750 GS, a 1250 GS and a 1250 RS. The other two are a Honda Goldwing and Afrika Twin.
It’s so exciting to discover a new circuit! Plus, we’re just out of the pandemic period and we all feel the febrility and the intensity of the moment. The participants made their reservations for this trip in 2019 and they had to postpone it to two years in a row, so everybody is thrilled!
The program is simple: a superb seven-day ride through the highest summits of the Pyrenees mountain range. From Marseille, we head west towards our extraordinary playground. Our first stop will be Montpellier for the night. I can’t wait until tomorrow!
That first day was scorching hot, with some 35 degrees Celsius. And to make it even more special for me, a wasp decided to ride along inside my jacket. I ended up with three stings on my right arm. These are the risks of motorcycling…!
The next morning, we gradually enter the Pyrenees. The landscape is changing and the road gets more and more curvy as we happily ride up to Poujol-sur-Orb, a small village in the Occitanie region. We stop by the suspended bridge and take time to enjoy the scenery. It’s also time to fill up our gas tanks. In France, the fuel nozzles are not the same colour as in Canada, so you have to be careful! One of the participants did not take care and inadvertently filled up his tank with… diesel! It’s Sunday in a small 600 inhabitants village and everything is closed. But miracles do happen for motorcyclists: we found a siphon tube, a few buckets and that was it! Luckily, the rider realized he had made a “small mistake” before starting his engine. Ha! ha! ha! We got away with this one. That’s adventure!
Back on the road, we then stop in Mazamet for a panoramic photo break and a little shade to cool down. One of the participants suffered a heatstroke earlier. That’s something to be taken seriously; so we make frequent stops in order to rehydrate.
Then it’s Carcassonne! We have lunch in the imposing celebrated medieval city. There are a lot of people and it’s still very hot, but it is MAGNIFISCENT. Unfortunately, we can’t stay for too long because we’re a little late on our schedule and we must continue. In Mérens-les-Vals, the traffic comes to a stop. I wonder what’s happening, so I chat with a few car drivers and learn that there has been a major accident involving a motorcycle; the road is closed for at least two hours. Unfortunately, there’s no possibility for any plan B. We are trapped in the mountain and we’ll have to be patient, it’s hot, we have little water left and we are tens of kilometres away from any sort of services. After a long wait, we can finally climb back on our bikes and head to Andorra la Vella. The road is superb but it’s getting late, and I am stung by a wasp once more, this time in the neck… After that long and memorable day, we finally get to our hotel for a well-deserved rest!
After breakfast, we leave Andorra and enter Spain. We ride with our eyes wide open to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery and the charming and typical little towns: Baqueira, Tredòs, Salardù, etc. A really fine section, with many ski centres along the way and lots of tourists. We stop for lunch in Bossòst where I use up all of the little Spanish vocabulary I got… Fifteen minutes or so after leaving the restaurant, we cross the border back into France through the Portillon mountain pass. All we see at the top is thick fog. There are sheep and cows wandering around freely – well, we cannot see them, but we do hear them…! Ha ha! ha!
With my fellow riders, we then cross the Aspin pass and the Tourmalet pass. Made famous by the Tour de France cycling competition, the Tourmalet is particularly impressive with its smooth, top quality pavement and stunning viewpoints. The spectacular roads and tight mountain pass roads of the region make for a unique experience for seasoned motorcyclists. We spend the night in Lourdes. Each year, millions of pilgrims invade the city looking for miracles. So, oodles of tourists…
The next day, we are riding right amidst the clouds on the mountain tops. The few raindrops and light drizzle somewhat fog the landscape, but what a unique atmosphere! Once again, we hear the typical sound of the bells hanging by the neck of the sheep and cows. Fine Pyrenees music! All our senses are solicited to the point that we lose our landmarks: that’s the fun and adventure that come with motorcycling! Then more winding roads, the Soulor and Aubisque passes and a stop for lunch at the Restaurant Les Pyrénées in Tardets. Unfortunately, it’s full. But when they hear our French Québec accent, they manage to find a table for us…
Sunshine is with us on the way down! Around here, it’s not unusual to see temperatures go from 40 to 12 Celsius, and vice versa, in a few hours…
We then enter the Basque Country with its unique language, gastronomy and architecture. Remarkable! I fell in love with the small commune of Aucun. We continue on the very small roads of Occitanie, filled with natural and historic points of interest. Everything is pure enchantment for all the senses. A very enjoyable ride in a postcard-like scenery!
We then reach the impressive Millau viaduct. This very important work of art runs over the Tarn Valley in a truly majestic fashion. It is considered the highest stay viaduct in the world, and it certainly deserves a photo stop! On our way back east, the adventure continues in the Cévennes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s so BEAUTIFUL! It’s hard to explain the exaltation we feel riding our machines in such a glorious landscape! We conclude this week of adventure in Visan, just in time to enjoy the “Guinguette des Vins de Visan,” the annual local winegrowers meeting, that is also a celebration with musicians, wine tasting and all! We even had the musicians sing a Félix Leclerc song, Moi mes souliers.
After that great jaunt in the Pyrenees, a fine sunny day takes us to the French Alps for another week of fun on two wheels. New participants will join the group!
To be followed…!
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