It’s 8.20 am I’m on a 2 € and 2 hour bus to Toulouse. Mask on surrounded by people I felt uncomfortable with especially as several were coughing!!!
What a true cauchophony of experiences and I have not laughed so much in a very long time. Staying with James and Rebecca I always provides many laughs and interesting cultural experiences, this time was no exception.
Leaving Mane late after coffee and a healthy breakfast of watercress salad tomatoes, coffee and fruit juice I was given the task to buy some bread on the way to Biert as an artisan Boulanger had a 4 for the price of three offer. Setting the location on my GPS I was soon there parked directly outside. Of course the obligatory expresso. Loaded up using my sea to summit (Swiss army) bag and some rope, the bag again coming in useful. Riding slowly (remember slow travel Ewen) I noticed many things that would not usually and have passed this way many many times in the past 10 years. Arriving in Biert I rode up the steep windy car width track in first gear with 180 degree turns that required slipping the clutch and careful balance of throttle and brake. More cars than before with many looking like they had been there for a long time. Someone had parked an abandoned a huge bus in my usual parking place. I messaged James
who responded he would come down. We ended parked on a grassy slope and I left her in gear,
Walking up the several hundred metre steep donkey track carrying all
my belongings wearing full Moto gear including motocross boots was challenging and I wheezed & breathed heavily having to stop several times. By the time we arrived at James house at an altitude of 800 m I was fully soaked in sweat and glad to have arrived. A truly warm welcome from Becks and got to meet Gerauld their live in English language student.
A young man some 15 years old he was going to a school with a skiing scholarship.
Soon it was time for lunch and oh my word Becs put on a veritable feast…
A warm salad all fully organic home grown salad with toasted nuts, home grown berries, topped off with a freshly picked free range egg. Washed down with a nice beer it simply does not get much better.
Now time for a nanno nap in the mountain cabin awake and soon off to the cultural music festival in St Girons and two Ludo musical performances firstly Clarinet Classical music in an small orchestra. Then secondly flute Renaissance 14-17 th century traditional music and dancing at St Girons music festival. I got dragged in to Dance by Becs who would not take no. Recall one song one hand Becs one hand a young woman with a child on her back very similar to how African women carry their new borns. Could not be more different one hand tills the land with hard calluses the other gentle and soft. Funny dance very similar to folk dancing, one dance you ended up wagging your finger at your dance partner. Both myself and my dance partner fell about laughing as we made fools of ourselves being out of step, but I enjoyed the experience and laughing as can’t recall the last time I laughed so much. Note to self laugh &!live more.
Being open minded to new experiences, connecting with locals, having time for spontaneity is all part of slow travel and this experience ticked those boxes and more.
We watched ludo perform twice. Drank a few local beers, then back for sleep in my chilly mountain hut.
Before returning we dropped into the music festival in Biert, which is where I am staying lots of ferals & misfits, and very strange folk consequently we did not stay long, in fact one beer.
Returning to park … unhappy to see a lock that could not park was parked inches away from my bikes front wheel we will park her away in a remote friends garage tomorrow.