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17.07.08 Thursday.
Montaner to Juillan
After a good night once the yap dog from the family next door had been put to bed, we were up at 06:15, there has been no one around to pay any fees to so we left, a simple but adequate campsite. No shops and no food so a cup of coffee and 10 miles or so to Ibos on a chocolate bar. It was good walking along a low wooded ridge so we arrived for coffee and patisserie at 11:30. Little of note except that after a dry night and no dew it rained most of the morning, the trees kept the worst off so our luck holding really.
At one bend in the road was a 'table d'orientation'. This was beautifuly made and installed in 1952 identifying dozens of peaks in the pyrenees. It was of no use to us unfortunately as a) it was damp and the visibility was not good and b) trees had been planted in front of the table so the only possible view was of said trees!
We then went on the extra couple of miles to Juillan where our friend Graham had booked him and us into a Logis Hotel L’Aragon – it is on the main road from Tarbes to Lourdes and since we joined from the side through the old village we wondered which way to turn when we found the road, but we made ourselves understood to madame behind the bar in a local café and soon found it, they were even expecting us. Amazing how a plan made by text and email can hang together!
Had a walk around and went to supermarket to get lunch for tomorrow and on return to the hotel were greeted by an enthusiastic George with Graham who had just arrived. All set now for a walk to Loudes tomorrow.