One crazy hilly day!!! - A Grand 3 Month European Tour on an E-Tandem - CycleBlaze

May 30, 2018

One crazy hilly day!!!

We have had a wonderful mini holiday in Carnet en Roussilon and are ready to hit the road. We have used this free time off the bike to make some decisions and have decided to take the ferry from Barcelona to Genoa, instead of Sardinia.  We are concerned that going to Sardinia will make our time in Italy rushed and coordinating two ferries could make it a bit complicated.

Hotel Le Galeon in Carnet is a gem. The owners (pictured above) bought it one year ago and have made improvements. Highly recommended.
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We had a restful mini holiday here in our corner suite with a large balcony. It is always bittersweet to leave, but exciting to carry on.
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Along the walkway by the beach in Carnet en Roussilon, there are many sculptures. This lady looks relaxed by the sea.
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It is a beautiful day, but the humidity and dark skies are staying with us.
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A historic preserved fishing village with traditional reed dwellings.
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The climbs are beginning and we are leaving the flat terrain of the coastline that we have enjoyed the past few days. Taking a final look back at Carnet en Plage as we head up and out of this area.
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Coulliore is a place that we have wanted to visit. Locals we have met, including our host at a Gite a week ago, told us about its beauty.
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Coulliore, a vibrant fishing village.
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It was market day in Coulliore and luckily we arrived just before it started to rain. Barry loves using these wooden frogs when teaching and he bought one to take back to Canada. Apparently, these frogs are also very popular with teachers inFrance too.
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Fortifications in Coulliore. It is amazing to travel slowly through areas of such history and one can imagine that the essence of life has changed little over time.
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Who needs a gym?
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Taking a break to enjoy the view of Coulliore.
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Climbing out of Coulliore is steady with little room for us...but if this tourist train can make it, then so can we!
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Locals playing Bocci by the sea.
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Typical architecture of this area with a bit of new mixed in with the old.
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Oh yes, we are in the Pyrenees and Route des Col sums it up. After watching so many Tour de France and Giro d’Italia races, we know what Col (mountain) means!
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In the mist in the hills, making our way through this rugged and beautiful region.
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We reached the summit of this climb, and met these people from Toronto, Canada. It was fun chatting with them. They were visiting family here and teased us that we were a pair of “Crazy Canucks” touring by bike.
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So much coastline for us to explore.
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The route meanders up and down. We have come from there, but it was several km to get here.
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Gare de Cerbere
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Cerbere is close to the border with Spain and this spot shows the train station, Gare Cerbere, which was an important hub as France and Spain used different gauge tracks and adjustments needed to be made here.  During the time of Franco, 500,000 refugees escaped over the border to France in 1939, which was  known as La Retirada (The Retreat) and took refuge in Cerbere and other villages.   There is an exhibit here showing the dramatic events of this time.

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The view from our room
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Such a beautiful part of the world. This village is nestled along the sea between towering rugged hills. Cerbere attracts visitors for its renowned deep sea diving opportunities.
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We shopped for dinner and breakfast in this wee shop. Fresh bread and baking, deli and so much on offer. We eat well in Europe.
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The silence of the early evening was disrupted by the arrival of the air ambulance. Like the rest of the village, we hung out our window and watched the activity unfold with bated breath. Living in a small community in Canada, we understand the concern of a close knit community..
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The emergency was dealt with and quiet resumed.
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Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles)
Total: 1,975 km (1,226 miles)

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