So I’m now here in Toulouse, Managed to do a stonking 170km from Andorra felt fantastic to finally get some real downhill after all that climb. I will upload photos when things are little less turbulent here. In fact I’ll probably write more about all of it when I get the chance at present things are going… Well I have a place to stay, I have arranged accommodation and schooling from the language school. Met some nice people, it all seems quite hopeful right now.

My only real worry is French, or rather my ability to learn it. I know it doesn’t help to worry about such things I just need to do my best consistently and time will sort it all out. Well I’m going to upload photos over the weekend and try and find somewhere to couchsurf instead of staying in the auberge I’m at until the 5th.

I’m also looking at books to buy, lists of words and verbs to learn, I have a suggested book by the course which I’m buying today, I’ve also found stores stocking English language books but I guess I should pick up French versions. I feel like this is a baptism of fire, but little by little I’ll get there, it’s a lot like cycling I guess .

So while I got here days ago I’m still here enjoying myself rather than passing over the top to France. Met some great people had some good times. I’m also thinking a lot about France etc. Andorra is beautiful it’s also much like a shopping complex shoved into a mountain range.

I have been all over Andorra La Vella the ‘capital’ and have pretty much seen all there is to see, part of me might be hanging on here before I approach France and I know how tough that’s going to be (I’m not talking about the mountains in the way, I mean the larger difficulties of finding work and speaking French).

I have got a lot on my mind recently much more than I can write here or want to write here. But it’s all positive. I just need to stop thinking and start acting I think that would be a constructive first step. All the thinking is just driving me a little nuts. But hey I’m alive loving life here, only 186km to Toulouse. No problems .

I guess I’ll write the next entry from France and let you know how the getting over the final ridge of the mountains went. I’m imagining it’ll be hard as hell but very rewarding to go down the other side.

I’m less than 100km from the border and 111km (ish) from the city of Andorra La Vella. Where I’ll stay a day or two before crossing the spine of the Pyrenees and head down into France. Until then I’m busying myself trying to find places to stay in Toulouse via couchsurfing. A friend I made in Amiens said that she had contact’s down here so I’ll attempt to see what I can see .

Aside that I biked up a mountain yesterday, strangely it wasn’t so bad, that sounds odd but seriously I was amazed how easy it was to travel up for 10km on 4-5% slopes. As long as you keep your pace no matter how slow that becomes you’ll eventually get there. I know that now, it’s not a problem the mountains don’t worry me any more, they are more a nuisance that’s stopping me from reaching France.

When I get to France I know it’ll be a shock, I know I’ll need to work hard, something very different to biking hard, I’ll have to study a lot, and it’ll be difficult. But I also know that the rewards will be great and the problems surmountable. Just like the mountains, I have to just keep going, eventually I’ll get there.

Andorra is only a few nights away, a mere 340km away, however, it’s a hell of a lot of up. If my Michelin map is to be believed I’ll be travelling to the heady height of 2407m above sea level at the highest point based on me being around 334m at present that’s 2073 meters or over 2 km of up.. Not that this even close to accurate because it would assume one straight hill leading directly to Andorra, I’ll be going down and up all the way across valley systems.

I’m guessing that the number of vertical meters climbed over the next few days will be well in excess of 5 kilometres. Strangely that doesn’t freak me out. It’s just a case of keeping on pedalling till I get there. I am looking forward to getting to that summit, though, it’ll be certainly one of the highest points (if not ‘the’ highest point) of my tour. Once I’ve done that I think nothing will be beyond me, I already feel like that, but after that I’ll know.

Well off to do some much needed laundry. Tomorrow I’m off to Huelva then it’s just 242 km to go! Hah! no problem

135km no problems! I actually went higher than Agreda on the way to Soria so I’m not so phased by the journey ahead anymore. In fact I’m just looking forward to it, the hills, the challenge nothing seems to far fetched all of a sudden, just want to get to my destination, improve my French to an intelligible level (there are courses in Toulouse to help me get started).

I hope this wave of optimism lasts, but at present I feel unstoppable!