September 2026 – Back to Veendam
Two stops that I scheduled into our journey through France were (1) the Canfranc International Railway Station. (Now a luxury five star hotel, during the second world war the station became a center of espionage for Nazi and Spanish authorities. Officially, neutral Spain had formed an operational agreement with the Wehrmacht which saw freight trains carrying mined tungsten northwards while French grain along with trans-shipped Swiss gold was carried southwards. Passenger services also continued during the conflict, providing an escape route into Spain for both Jews and Allied soldiers) …
… and (2) the Millau Viaduct, a cable-stayed bridge spanning the Tarn Valley in the Aveyron department, 2,460 meters long and 343 meters deep at the highest point, and with winds likely to blow at more than 200 km/h. An amazing and awesome feat of engineering.
Unfortunately, in between visiting these two attractions, I had a rather traumatic driving ‘incident’ when I lost consciousness as I drove along a road in the town of Albi resulting in a few days spent in hospital whilst they checked me over for a suspected heart attack! Despite ECG monitoring, blood tests, etc, and two days of observation, the results were inconclusive and I was discharged with instructions to see a cardiologist as soon as I got back home … and no driving for six months. So, from thereonin, Nicki had control of the wheel.
Leaving Albi and with Nicki now driving. we headed up to our ski apartment, managing to make the whole seven hour trip in one go, and with both of us relieved to at last be in our own home again. After a good nights sleep, we began prepping the apartment for a visit from a local Immobilier (french for estate agent) a few days later, to get the apartment on the market.
Everything signed and then the challenging task of going through all the stored items to see what we could take back with us on this visit and what we could just bin.
Still finding time for the odd trip up and down the mountains with associated dog walks.
