Nth Italy (with Colin & Alison), Pyrenees, Sth France

Haven't had internet access for a while (thanks to Colin & Alison for letting me use theirs). I am now in Italy, north of Milan, near Varese & not far from the Italian lakes.

Briefly, I had to cross the Pyrenees on the outside! ie via a mountain pass because the tunnel was closed. Turned out to be a wonderful ride across the mountains which I'd have missed (photo - & there's the bike on the far right ... near the snow!).
Before this, I spent the morning birding with Joselle, looking for Wallcreeper but they weren't to be found. It'll have to be Trigrad Gorge in Bulgaria then! We did get a few other species including, Black Wheatear, Rock Sparrow and Chough as well as some spectacular places to be in.

Stayed in a hostel type guest House in the French Pyrenees with really friendly owners and guests (if you click on the photo and look closely, you'll see Annie, the owner waving... Hello Annie!). Here I met some young lads who were on some sort of escorted outbound trip but I need their parents permission to use the photo. If it comes through I'll post it cos I think they'd be chuffed! Around here it's a sort of outdoors playground for the adventurous French along with spa, indoor, natural hot waters to swim in (this town is called Les Eaux Chaude ... The Hot Waters!)

From here, after a night camping on a farm for €2, (TWO EUROS! - result!), a long ride to Millau (pronounced Meeoh, I'm told by a French cafe owner) I arived at the stunning Millau Viaduct. The photo doesn't do it justice but for a sense of scale, look at the valley floor, between the two big pillars & you'll see a "normal" road bridge - shows how huge the viaduct is. What a piece of engineering and design. It yomps across a whole river valley and is of vast proportions. I've wanted to see it for years .. ambition fufilled!

Camped in The Camargue in the south of France, had a meal and lost my phone in Arles (nice meal though!). Met a family from Canada (hello ... photo)

Damn ... just typed a pile of text and lost it! ... as brief version, fretful night camping with Camrgue frogs and nightingale singing, returned for phone (luckily, the cafe owner was there early, opened up, opened cahs box and returned said phone - relief!). Spent the next hour "being continental" (family speak for lounging over a coffee and croissant!) 

And finally for now ... at Colin and Alison's who I can't thank enough for their hospitality, encouragement and birding in the morning; Italian rice fields for waders (hundreds of wood sandpipers and others) and the beautiful White-winged Black Terns and Black Terns. We think they had just arrived on migration in a group of around 5 and 10 of each respectively. Lovely Yellow Wagtail too. Hope to get a photo on here of Colin and Ali as I leave but will need to post that later I think. For now, one of their lovely tranquil house in Nth Italy. I'll be sad to leave the comfort and company I've found here but onward and upward ... Slovenia next

PS having great trouble on Spanish, French, Italian configured keyboards so please bear with the many typos (where's that bloody @ key? ... )