The penultimate day! A cool start but lovely when the sun arrived. Today's loop was Chatburn, Sawley, Grindleton, West Bradford, Waddington, the TT triangle, Whalley and home via Four Lane Ends. Our virtual journey would be leaving Larroque and continuing gently uphill along the ridge with spectacular scenery on both sides. We pass through the Gorges de la Salve where local children learn to rock climb. The gorges of the Save are a defile carved out by the Save through a limestone fold in the Pyrenean foothills . The gorges and their karstic relief are of geological, archaeological, ecological, faunistic and tourist interest. The area has been inhabited by humans continuously from the Paleolithic to the present day. Then along a long flat road in the valley with mountains on either side and down hill into ... read more

Windy again today and much cooler than yesterday. Today it was up to Cowark via Waddington, past Marl Hill Farm, Newton, Dunsoo Bridge and home via Whitewell, Middle Lee's and Cowark. So a little hillier than some of our loops but fantastic views. Our virtual journey would be leaving Berat still on the D23 and heading west. Another day of quiet roads through pretty farmland, villages and undulating hills. In the distance we can see the mighty Pyrenees. On both trips through this area we stayed a few miles outside the tiny hamlet of Saint Frajou. The first time the B&B was called 'Chantelle's Buttery'. The attic of the farmhouse had been converted into luxurious accommodation. The evening meal was superb and then we finished the bottle of wine sat outside in the evening sun. Chantelle ... read more

Wow, what a superb day. Lots of sunshine and no blinking wind. We went to Chipping via Cowark, Parsonage Lane, LTD for an early lunch, Ribchester, Billington and home via, Whalley, Barrow and Four Lane Ends. A little longer than some of our rides but such a nice day and had to justify the cafe stop. Our virtual journey would be leaving Villefranche and staying on the Canal du Midi slowly descending all day. The canal begins to head north and right into the centre of Toulouse where it ends. The Garonne Canal then carries boats all the way to the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux. Toulouse is the capital of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the region of Occitanie. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne. It is the fourth-largest city ... read more

Amazingly we stayed dry this afternoon but the wind was horrendous. Our route was Four Lane Ends, Barrow, Wiswell, Whalley, Mitton, Bashall Eaves, Waddington, Bashall Barn, and home by the Pigeries. Our virtual journey would be leaving Carcassonne on the Canal du Midi. The Canal du Midi is a summit-level canal, and from Carcassonne it is slowly climbing up until the Seuil de Naurouze or summit level, which is beyond Castelnaudary, our destination tonight. We are on the canal all day in the shade of the plane trees. There are many barges on the canal and numerous canal boats hired by tourists. The landscape has becomes more pastoral with corn and sunflowers replacing vineyards. We have impressive views of the Black Mountains( Montagne Noire). In reality on our journey in 2008 Castelnaudary was a lunch stop ... read more

We left our ride today until this afternoon for the chance of better weather. We got glorious sunshine but also got some very strong cold winds. We did stay dry, so that's a bonus. From home it was Chatburn, West Bradford, Waddington, Bashall Barn, some looping round the TT triangle and Great Mitt... read more