Tirana pics

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We're exploring SE Asia

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A Khmer Happy New Year from Siem Reap in Cambodia!  Noel and I are almost recovered from our 39-hour trip to get here and are enjoying a new region for both of us.  We're here to start a 16-day supported bike tour to Ho Chi Minh City.  From there we fly to Laos for a week+ before returning to Cambodia for a few days of island time.   We did not try these fried goodies at the spider market en route from Pnohm Penh to Siem Reap.  The food's been very good, even if pictures are lacking so far.   We spent the first day wandering around Siem Reap getting used to the tropical heat. In a park we found this pro-peace art project.  Fortunately Thailand and Cambodia implemented a cease fire before we arrived (we're staying far from the conflict area along the border). Display of 1000 Buddhas in the Angkor National Museum. Today we got up early for a birding ...
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Back to the coast

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From Haro we rode east and north to San Sebastian.  The cycling infrastructure has been very good to excellent in Navarra and País Vasco with nice rail-to-trail routes and cycle tourism support, which we needed when Stephen broke a spoke. 20+ tunnels one day.  Longest was 2.5 km and quite chilly.  We stopped by a bike shop to check out Stephen's wheel and the mechanic Pedro Lopez worked with local 5-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain! There have also been many more riders and evidence of past pro races on climbs. The area is known for its pinxtos (tapas) 😁 We enjoyed San Sebastian and have rented a car to get to Barcelona via the Pyrenees. Sand art between tides.
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Off the bike; still adventuring

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 After a relaxing week in Tossa de Mar we (me, Noel and our daughters Claire and Margo) took off for France where we visited Carcassone. While heavily touristed, it's still worth a visit if you're in the area.  The driving tour was so different than biking.  In one day we visited a small town with a big church (lots of those around), found an organic winery, stopped in Lourdes and climbed 40km to a spectacular national pack, all in air conditioned comfort :-)! We ended up in Gavarnie at the edge of the Parc national des Pyrénées with a view of the tallest waterfall in Europe (top photo) from our hotel.  I've wondered about the mountain hut hiking in Europe for years and it didn't disappoint. After this highlight it was time to cross back into Spain where we went in four different directions:  Margo to the Baltics, Claire to Seattle and her new job, Noel to Austria for a bike tour from Salzburg to Grado on the Adriatic, and my return to Boulder from Barcelona....
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