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Way home…

 
 
1. Last boondocking with view on the ocean, not far from Bilbao, while it is raining…
 

 
 
2. Starter with local products!
 

 
 
3. Emile’s happy!
 

 
 
4. Quietness…
 

 
 
5. The rain stops, giving way to a few colors at sunset.
 

 
 
6. …
 

 
 
7. …
 

 
 
8. …
 

 
 
9. … The Basque coast falls asleep..
 

 
 
10. I wanted to discover Canfrang train station for a long time, this curiosity nestled on a pass of the Pyrenees, at an altitude of 3,900 feet elevation. I had seen images when it was disused and I’m surprised to discover that it had been completely renovated and rehabilitated into a luxury hotel!
 

 
 
11. Surprising to find such a building in the middle of the mountains, isn’t it?
 

 
 
12. We reach Pont d’Espagne where we cannot sleep, the bottom of the valley having been closed to traffic after a huge paid car park in which it’s forbidden to sleep. Here the Cerisey waterfall going down towards Cauterets where we spend the night in a campingpark.
 

 
 
132. We head back towards Switzerland along the northern foot of the Pyrenees and discover a beautiful cave on our route: the Mas d’Azil cave. The cavity was dug by the river which runs through it and it’s so large that the road also crosses it.
 

 
 
14. We sleep north of Carcassone to discover the ruins of the Four Castles of Lastours.
 

 
 
15. It is the small roads of the Cevennes that bring us back home…
 

 
 
16. Crossing the village of Mourèze…
 

 
 
And that’s it for these too short summer vacations where VivaLaVida has covered 2,600 miles.
 
The next articles will tell you about some fall outings…
 
Thank you for your loyalty to this little blog! 🙂
 

Loarre Castle

 
 
1. We stop to discover the superb castle of Loarre.
 

 
 
2. Its fortified walls are still almost intact.
 

 
 
3. The main porch…
 

 
 
4. …and the staircase which leads to the different courtyards and interior buildings.
 

 
 
5. Gallery…
 

 
 
6. View on the plain.
 

 
 
7. Marble stained window…
 

 
 
8. Glow…
 

 
 
9. Nave…
 

 
 
10. Within the walls.
 

 
 
11. Last look as we leave to find a boondocking place.
 

 
 
12. Nice trail in the pine forest…
 

 
 
13. Quiet place under the pines. The shower will be great after a new hot day.
 

 
 
Discovery of the Mallos de Riglos and other curiosities in the next update. 😉
 
 

Southern foot of the Pyrenees

 
To protect ourselves from the heat wave that has been raging for a few days, we decide to discover the Ordesa valley, hoping to find some freshness there. In the summer time, access roads are closed to individual vehicles and after a night in the small campground of the San Nicolás de Bujaruelo refuge, we take the shuttle to the valley.
 
 
1. After an hour of hiking, we are in front of the “Cascada del Estrecho”.
 

 
 
2. Continuing up the river…
 

 
 
3. Emile playing at our picnic spot. I won’t bring back other images, a heavy rain shower forcing us to shorten our walk.
 

 
 
4. Boondocking near a small river…
 

 
 
5. My son happy to play with his feet in the water. 😉
 

 
 
6. The next day, the track rises in a limestone range.
 

 
 
7. Landscape and geology change rapidly.
 

 
 
8. We reach the “Mirador de Los Buitres” shortly after noon and enjoy a magnificent view on the “Mallos de Riglos”.
 

 
 
9. As we eat, many vultures fly over us.
 

 
 
10. Squadron…
 

 
 
11. Glider…
 

 
 
12. Ruin along the trail…
 

 
 
13. Late in the afternoon, we arrive in sight of the “Castillo de Loarre”.
 

 
 
Images of our visit are coming in the next article… 😉