October, 2024
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Back in France…
As announced in the previous post, we are back in France, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees. We go to discover Navarrenx, a pretty fortified little town about 25 miles West of Pau.
1. One of the entrances of the city.
2. Patrol path…
3. A beautiful courtyard.
We had promised ourselves for a long time to share a campfire with friends from the Pau area, Fred and Martine. A few years ago, they bought a small camper that allows Fred, an accomplished landscape and wildlife photographer, to travel for his passion.
Passing through the region, I texted him and the stars aligned so that we could share a nice altitude bivouac. Fred sent me GPS coordinates of a spot easily accessible by a good trail where we could meet up.
4. In the middle of the afternoon, we are the first on site.
5. A few Pyrenean peaks surround us.
When Fred and Martine arrive, the last section was a little too rough for their little camper and we go back down a mile to meet them and find ourselves a spot easier to access.
6. After the aperitif and lighting the campfire, it’s time to prepare the dinner.
Photo FredW
7. On the menu: melon and ham starter, then lamb chops with ratatouille cooked over the wood fire. Yum!
Photo FredW
8. Cooking…
Photo FredW
9. What a great evening with friends! Martine and Fred, thank you for your kindness and for this great time.
Photo FredW
10. Time to go to sleep…
Photo FredW
11. The next day, I get up before sunrise to enjoy the morning atmosphere….
12. First rays on our camp.
13. The plain North of the Pyrenees. The city of Pau is hidden by the mist.
14. On the other side, the first peaks of the Pyrenees.
15. I go back down to our camp.
16. It’s time to pack up camp and say goodbye. We promised to do it again another time!
Photo FredW
More soon with the discovery of a rougier and an impressive bridge…
Thank you all for your loyalty to this little blog.. 😉
Picos de Europa (continued) and back towards East.
We go up the valley towards Sotres and leave the road on the right to discover a trail which climbs to almost 6,000 feet above sea level.
1. Alpine pasture at the bottom of the valley, before the climb.
2. As VivaLaVida gains altitude, the landscape becomes more arid.
3. Snack break!
4. At the end of the afternoon, the convection of the day brings us a beautiful thunderstorm, forcing us to turn back.
5. Going down in the rain…
6. After the storm, we go up to discover a viewpoint on the opposite slope.
7. Small mountain church.
8. Then we head back east. Emile wants to go back to sleep at the surfing spot where we already spent a night.
Along the road the next day, we make a quick stop to discover Santillana del Mar which also turns out to be a real tourist trap….
9. Village house.
10. Church porch.
11. Entrance to the inner courtyard.
12. Large traditional house.
We continue on the road and reach the Spanish Basque country.
13. Nice bivouac on a ridge…
14. The sky is heavy at the end of this day.
15. A visitor who comes to observe us closely at our camp.
16. Last image of Spain in a pretty Basque village, the next morning, just before crossing the French border.
To be continued shortly with the rest of the trip: a stop in Navarrenx and a lovely bivouac with friends, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. 😉
D5 Creation