Bongo Fury

Well tomorrow starts this year's tour of France. Plans include doing some ornithology, a hoped for ride on "The little yellow train"" the little red train" and coming from Chesterfield having a go at seeing some crooked spires.

No limit as to miles and as wifey and I are retired will commence one of those totally unplanned trips with the hope that our routes will cross the paths where the hoped for entertainments can be changed from a(spire)ations to memories.

Yours FCL

Have a great time.

And please let us have updates.

Great to hear you're still out there touring through retirement (still in the much travelled Bongo?) FCL.

Jealous not I am!

if you like birds you should visit frache-comte and jura, its by far the most diverse place i've been for bird life. Also i live down that way and it would be nice to see another bongo

Well here I am at a favourite campsite Salies De Bearn.waiting till tomorrow when the local pool is opened. It is normally at 28° centigrade and so it is like swimming g in a hot bath.
One unpleasant surprise this year was the cost of diesel. Same as the uk. Usually it is about 80% of uk price. Also a lot of the aires now have barriers and charge between 5 and 10 euros for a site to park. Wot a nerve!
I am photo graphing my dashboard each morning so I can keep a proper record of daily miles covered. Usually cannot recall how many times the odometer goes round.
With regard to fuel as we are going over the Pyrenees in search of the raptors. I will be buying Repsol diesel when in Spain - it is 15 cents cheaper than here in France land.

Good times make for good memories. Sorry not all get to do what we do.
Yours Ian G.

Well done Ian.

Keep us informed.

If either the "little yellow train" or the "little red train" means the Train d'Artouste then check before you go - a few days ago the line was still not cleared all the way to the lake - still worth the trip but you don't get so far.
Loads of raptors in the Ossau valley particularly near Bielle and the Falaise du Vautours, had some great views of them from the plateau just to the East of the Col du Marie Blanque. On cloudy days they come right down in flocks of 20-30 and circle above Bielle.
Bongo is coping with the lower part of the Col D'Aubisque (we're staying in Eaux Bonnes for 6 months).
Also (just about) up the Pourtalet to Lac de Bious-Artigues but the last 3 km to the lake are pretty steep, temps up to 103C recorded on a fairly cool day so not sure about the heights of summer.
Just had a report that diesel is now 30 cents cheaper in Spain than France!

Well we are back. Disappointed! Weather just would not settle. One good day followed by one raining and then one cloudy and cold.Going as far south as the med, to find in the morning you could see the steemy breath. Just not good.
Little yellow train was not running. Birds were worth watching though but the mist on the Pyronees spoilt what could have been a great day.

Downside was the attitude of euro tunnel. Wanted to return six days early. They wanted over 100 Euro to amend the booking. Told then "no" so spent several days at Europe cite. Got to see a lot of Northern France while waiting. Weather was just picking up then.

Photo ing the Speedo each day enabled me to confirm 6862 kilometres driven over the six weeks. Got to photograph 5 spires. None were as good as Chesterfield though. Bongo did well. Fuse went when I attempted to charge the disability scooter batteries via inverter, my lithium ion battery various computers sat nav and dash camera all at the same time. Five mins to replace. Very loud bang from passenger footwell Turned out to be snapped fan belt. And a clunk ing from steering. All sorted by my friendly mechanic on arrival back home. A steering support bracket needed welding together

All ok now. Thinking about whether another trip is feesable .later this summer. Best wishes all
Ian G.

Oh dear, sorry it wasn't as good as expected.

Let's hope for a better experience next time round.