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Latest Pau hotel reviews
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Since I live in Pau, I was twice at the races, and, if not fun as in the Marx Brothers movie, as a totally non-competent and non-involved (I do not bet) I find it interesting to spend one or two hours in this special ambience, walking around, and watch as much at the people as at the horses. . . .
Pau is a quite important place for races in France with 30 “meetings” per year, and, mainly in Winter. The Pont Long racecourse and the Sers Equestrian centre are the second equestrian complex of France just after Chantilly. The Steeple chase is said to be one of the most feared in Europe! I am not specialist. . . . I just tell for the interested people that the races are important, and yes, I have some fun watching. . . .
The following website http://www.hippodrome-pau.com/calendrier/fr_contenu.asp gives the dates for the meetings.
More information about the racecourse on the website below.
I look at the race of course (picture2), but the horses ran too fast for my cheap camera that cloudy day, and steeple chase is more spectacular live (Picture3), but I also like to walk around, look at the horses when they are prepared for the race just before they are geared (Picture4), or look just before the race, when the riders are concentrating (Picture 5). . .
HIPPODROME DE PAU
462, boulevard du Cami Salié
64050 PAU Cedex 9
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Phone: + 33 (0)5 59 13 07 07
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At the races, the horses are interesting but the people in the audience are worth a look too!
First of all, it seems in Pau, people like to go to the races as you see on the main picture where the 3500 places gallery is crowded.
Interesting characters can then be observed here or there, with all sorts of people in the audience from very young to old, wearing hats, caps, or just hair. . . (picture2).
Binoculars are of course a must at the races (pictures 3and 4). It is not as “chic” as in Longchamp or Auteuil (the most famous Parisian racecourses) but interesting hair make-up can be seen here or there. . . . (picture5)
HIPPODROME DE PAU
462, boulevard du Cami Salié
64050 PAU Cedex 9
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Phone: + 33 (0)5 59 13 07 07
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Ah, what would a trip to a French city be without acquainting yourself with the public restrooms? This is a cleverly disguised one - and one that requires payment to use. If you know that you can't hold it very long, make sure that you have plenty of small change. These booths aren't cheap, and they don't accept cards or bills.
Written Dec 30, 2008
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Modern vintage, I mean that the cars here are less than 10 years old; these are formula 3000 cars and they are quite powerful vehicles. As like most of the time during that week end, it rained and the cars just threw water from their wheels (main picture ), and they take the curves cautiously (picture 2 and 3). Good they have red light when they brake, the follower may see there will be a turn very soon (picture 4). . . .
These cars are tuned and prepared like formula one cars (picture 5)
Free where access is allowed or 10-12 Euros for access to the paddocks or galleries; 17 Euros for the week end.
Written Jul 1, 2007
Website: http://www.grandprixhistorique.com/
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There is also a race for the “gentlemen drivers”. This is a race with cars powered with monocylinder engines, and the cars look generally like wheeled torpedoes; they do not go very fast and they look more like soap case rather than racing cars.The engines, making prrrrt, prrrt, transmit movement to the wheels via chains and at the end I think these things are closer to four wheeled motorbikes rather than to car. . . if this could be. . . On the main picture it looks really like a wheeled torpedo. Another torpedo on picture 2 , and a group of those taking the turn up the palm grove (picture 3). Having a close look to these vehicles show that the drivers comfort is really minimal (picture 4 and 5) as the mechanic seems to be very simple (I like mechanics without electronics!).
Free where access is allowed or 10-12 Euros for access to the paddocks or galleries; 17 Euros for the week end.
Written Jul 1, 2007
Website: http://www.grandprixhistorique.com/
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If I had to tell which car I like the most, these ones would be my choice; the roadsters from the sixties like the Ferrari on the main picture , but the other ones on pictures 2 and 3 look very nice; they also make a lot of noise, but I have a little preference for them because they look so old-fashioned but also so powerful, compared to the cars with the engines at the back.
And there are much older cars, which I did not see compete like the Ferrari on picture 4 and this GT car looks nice as well ( picture 5)
Free where access is allowed or 10-12 Euros for access to the paddocks or galleries; 17 Euros for the week end.
Written Jul 1, 2007
Website: http://www.grandprixhistorique.com/
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The last week end of may, are vintage car races in Pau, and it is fun to look at some of the old fast cars.
There are mainly old formula 1 cars and grand prix cars from the 5ties to 7ties ; other cars were also running this year but the weather as usual in Bearn, totally unpredictable, was quite capricious and it rained a lot!
Here (main picture ) are formula one from the sixties, turning at the railway station turn. From the tyre type of this car (picture 2) you can suspect it is raining, or at least it is not far from raining, and here on the ascent of the palm tree grove the pack (picture 3) is projecting water , making a sort of a fog on the street. Great names of motor racing are on the two last pictures.
http://www.grandprixhistorique.com/
Free where access is allowed or 10-12 Euros for access to the paddocks or galleries; 17 Euros for the week end.
Written Jul 1, 2007
Website: http://www.grandprixhistorique.com/
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For me walking between the stands and workshops is at least as much interesting as the races (not only because of possible encounters like the two from the last picture of the previous tip!!!); there is a special ambience, a special busy ambience. And I was amazed how people worked here with high technology and also very basic work; I even remembered when I was “tuning” my Citroen 2CV, 25 years ago, some gestures are still the same, only the cars are not (really not!) the same.
main picture : Cleaning tyres with hot burning iron! Did you think of doing it on your own tyres?
picture 2:Preparing the car, changing wheels, checking brakes. . . .
picture 3: A view through spokes of a wheel, and busy mechanics.
picture 4: What is this guy checking in the engine?
picture 5: Cleaning the wheels has to be done very carefully it seems.. . . .
Entrance fees: from 10 to 50 Euro per day, depending where and when.
Asac Basco Béarnais
1 bd Aragon
64000 PAU
tel. 05 59 27 31 89
fax. 05 59 27 61 69
A.S.A.C.BASCO-BEARNAIS@wanadoo.fr
Written Jul 1, 2007
Phone: 05 59 27 31 89
Website: http://www.asac-bascobearnais.asso.fr/
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Grand prix de Pau, Mit’Jet series and Peugeot spider
Other cars race during the week end in Pau. The Mit’Jet are rather small and spectacular cars, interesting to watch, expecting a crash(which luckily did not happen), and the spiders are strange unusual cars. Just a few pictures.
main picture The Peugeot spiders at the upper end of the “palmeraie” (Palm tree grove).
picture 2:Mit’Jet on the Poeymirau descent just after Parc Beaumont.
picture 3: Mit’Jet on the Poeymirau descent just after Parc Beaumont.
picture 4: In the parc Beaumont; in the background is the Hotel du Parc Beaumont; there are night races, the residents must be happy. . . eh, yes, because almost all hotels are occupied by people coming for the races. . . . .
picture 5: Did these two walking between the stands come because of their interest for mechanics and the cars or for the drivers. . . .?
Entrance fees: from 10 to 50 Euro per day, depending where and when.
Asac Basco Béarnais
1 bd Aragon
64000 PAU
tel. 05 59 27 31 89
fax. 05 59 27 61 69
A.S.A.C.BASCO-BEARNAIS@wanadoo.fr
Written Jul 1, 2007
Phone: tel. 05 59 27 31 89
Website: http://www.asac-bascobearnais.asso.fr/
Helpfulness
International Formula Masters cars are like the former Formula 3 cars, more or less (What competent people tried to explain me). I was myself not interested in the race itself, but liked to walk in the stands with my journalist colleagues of the day, and near the curve of the rail station.
main picture : Few minutes before start, last cars go into they slots and last advices from engineers. . .
picture 2: red cars but not Ferrari; my “colleagues” are making pictures.
picture 3: The pack after start; hell of a noise and lots of dust, small stones and rubber projected into the air; would like to tell about the smell also, mixture of burned rubber, petrol, . . . . .
pictures 4 and 5 : in the curve of the railway station, two fast cars, but I have no idea which one won. . .
Entrance fees: from 10 to 50 Euro per day, depending where and when.
Asac Basco Béarnais
1 bd Aragon
64000 PAU
tel. 05 59 27 31 89
fax. 05 59 27 61 69
A.S.A.C.BASCO-BEARNAIS@wanadoo.fr
Updated Jul 1, 2007
Phone: 05 59 27 31 89
Website: http://www.asac-bascobearnais.asso.fr/
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