25.07.08 Friday. Cauterets Walk Valley de Lutour. A good night with no more thunderstorms, good if a bit cloudy today, we have another “training walk” just to keep the legs in trim – up on one of the local minibuses at 50cents each to La Railliere. A motley collection of elderly ?locals got on and were …
24.07.08 Thursday. Cauterets to Pont d’Espagne. And back. A brief thunderstorm with about 10mins rain last night just shows how unpredictable Pyrenean weather can be. A gentle day today, we walked up the GR10 trans Pyrenees route from Cauterets to Pont d’Espagne. Neither of us could remember doing the part from Cauterets to La Raillerie, …
23.07.2008 Wednesday. Cauterets Cirque du Lis. A grand day out, up to the town and bought breakfast and lunch, croissants etc on offer (probably yesterday's but tasted fine) and a coffee then waited 10mins for the ski lift to start. It's open July to Sept then closes until the snow starts, less and later each …
Especially for blog addicts, a few extra photos from the past couple of weeks. Where next? Running repairs Camino waymarking This how they really look now! The Harris Butchers bag is still in use every day
22.07.08 Tuesday Ayzac-Ost to Cauterets. Cauterets is a spa/ski town well up the valley du Gave de Pau, walking today includes another 4-5 miles on the flat up the cycle path, converted railway track and then another 6 miles or so up a track in the narrowing valley with a climb of about 400 metres. …
21.07.08 Monday. Lourdes to Ayzac-Ost A damp evening and night, not heavy rain just low cloud, we got up about 07:30 to strike camp having taken our little Laser Competition tents down as soon as it started to rain yesterday. Our ladies' tents are returning with them and can be dried at home, we prefer …
20.07.08 Sunday Lourdes. Again. Still on the Municipal Campsite Domec in Lourdes, this is a pleasant site in earshot of the station announcements but not obtrusively so. we have as neighbours a French couple who have done the Camino and who welcomed us to the site with the traditional greeting: “Do you need anything, are …
19.07.08 Saturday. In Lourdes a true rest day no forward progress. Woke late, got breakfast with jam bread Croissant and coffee, and were joined by Graham and George. We then meandered slowly into Lourdes and had lunch before Graham & George went back up north to Bergerac. Lourdes is the ultimate tourist trap (the French …
18.07.08 Friday. Juillan to Lourdes. Last night we made contact with Graham and went out for a meal at the Argentine grill down the road. We walked out after paying for our pastis, the tapas starters were indescribably bad fast food deep fried breaded mush, never ever done that before but feel it was well …
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 …
16.07.08 Wednesday. Marciac to Montaner via Maubourguet. After breakfast from Rob Robinson at the great little campsite run by him and his wife, and advice as to possible next stops, and being very aware of the distance to be covered in order to meet up with our friend Graham with George the dog on Friday …
15.07.08 Tuesday. Montesquiou to Marciac. Another good day start after breakfast at the Chateau le Haget, then a great walk over field and forest to the little hamlet of St Christaud with its 11th century church – unfortunately closed but with a disused funeral carriage, under a lean-to shed. Just before this we were joined …
14.07.08 Monday Bastille Day. Auch to Montesquiou. A grand day out Grommet. After a slightly noisy night in the campsite, some people celebrating Bastille day a bit early, we started with clear skies and a fresh cool morning. After getting out of Auch, we had breakfast in a lavoir. These are the refurbished public washing …
13.07.08 Sunday. Roquelaure to Auch (rhymes with gosh!) A short day after yesterday's 22 miles, so we planned to stop early in Auch at the Municipal there and shop before 12, Tomorrow is Monday and Bastille day so no chance of shopping in Isle de Noe which is where we hope to be. During the …
12.-07.08 Saturday. Lectoure to Roquelaure via an assignation in Fleurance. We rose early after a noisy night in the world's most expensive campsite, some of the local staff were up and playing with the machinery for mowing etc at 06:00, still we did not mind but would if we were staying. The whole place is …
11.07.08 Friday Set off this morning from La Romieu, up early but had failed to note time of opening of boulangerie, still making interesting noises and smells at 07:05 so went on our way without breakfast, chocolate bars essential after one and a half hours. La Romieu has an old Abbey we could not go …
This is a post for those who have not experienced walking along the great range of French foot paths, in the hope that it may be useful to someone. These waymarks are intended to guide a walker or mountain biker, VTT Velos Tous Terrain in French on a given route cross country. I will cover …
10.07.08 Thursday. Aubiac to La Romieu. A very good night's sleep in our little suite in the La Metairie du Chateau, and a chance to chat with M. Marraud in the morning. He is the facteur or manager for the chateau estate, his uncle and aunt still live in the chateau and a good part …
9.07.08 Wednesday. A Field near Bernadette Farm to Chateau d’Aubiac via Agen. We met the farmer later in the evening, before pitching tents, his thick country accent and our lack of French meant communication was minimal but we understood he wished to put the cows in the field the next day (a ploy I think …
8.07.08 Tuesday. Villeneuve to A Field just south of Bernadette.. A very good day for walking – not too hot, with cloud cover, our only problem we don’t know where we’re going to stay tonight. No campsites available to break the 25 or so miles between Villeneuve and Agen. Still we started out anyway with a …