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| GITE D'ETAPE 'EMBARADERE |
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| SUPERMARKET SUPPER |
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| SEGWAY OUTSIDE PAU COUNCIL OFFICES |
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| PAU SHOPPING CENTRE |
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| CHATEAU DE PAU |
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| LOCAL KAYAKERS PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS IN THE GAVE DE PAU |
In the morning I checked the bus times to Pau with the Tourist Office and set off accordingly. For €2 I was treated to the most wonderful scenic joyride along the Vallee d'Ossau. By 1.00pm I was booked into the Hotel Regina, the cheapest I could find close to the city centre. It was gloriously sunny and I kept having to remind myself that the weather in the lowlands can often be dramatically different to that in the mountains.
I am not generally a great lover of cities and would certainly not want to live in one, but Pau is quite cosmopolitan and seemed to have enough to keep me interested for a couple of days. However, the number of boarded-up shops, liquidation sales and street beggars made it clear that this part of France is still suffering from the effects of the economic crisis. I managed to resist lending money to a woman who said she would pay me back double when her winnings arrived in three days time.
I spent the afternoon working out where everything was and shopping for supper. Knowing that I wouldn't find the easy camaraderie in Pau that I had come to take for granted in the refuges and gites, I decided that I might as well eat alone in my hotel room as eat alone in a restaurant - and at a fraction of the price too.
Besides, this gave me the opportunity to study some of the maps and literature I had collected.
My Salade Jambon Emmental Vinaigrette was followed by Yaourt Nature, Pomme du Limousin and Biscuits parfumes avec Earl Grey, all washed down with Eau Minerale and a cheeky little Minervois. Outside I could hear the raucus din of cars hooting down the street. The French team had obviously beaten Nigeria and were now through to the World Cup quarter finals.
Next morning I started the day by making some sewing repairs to my clothing. Then it was a walk to La Poste to send back a few items I could live without. The weight involved was only about half a kg but I wanted to ease the cramped space in my rucksack. The standard La Poste packing boxes were too big, so I made a lot of friends in nearby shops when I scrounged a smaller box, newspaper for packing and sticking tape. My grateful thanks to the Pau shopkeepers!
I took a walk around the walls of the Chateau de Pau which I thought would be worth a visit the following morning. Near to the Chateau are the very modern Pyrenees-Atlantiques Department Council Offices, in the courtyard of which some people were demonstrating Segways. They let me have a go and thought I was a natural. I didn't tell them that I had done it before in the USA.
The remainder of the afternoon was largely spent window shopping. You know you are in France when you see Galeries Lafayette. Later it rained. The mountains to the south are normally clearly visible from Pau, but by the early evening heavy clouds had descended over them and the flashes and low rumbling emanating from that direction made it clear that another thunderstorm was in progress.
Wednesday morning was cool but dry, although my early morning walk along the Boulevard des Pyrenees revealed that the mountains were still shrouded in mist.
I enjoyed my tour of the Chateau where Henry IV, possibly France's most popular king, was born in 1553 AD. Legend has it that the turtle shell on display was his first cradle. The interior design was sumptuous and the walls were adorned with the most magnificent tapestries.
Being my last full day, I took lunch at the Cafe Boutique in the town centre. The 'Menu du Jour' comprised a large slice of quiche with salad, red wine and coffee accompanied by a selection of small cakes. The latter was a really nice touch. Excellent value at €12.50, especially given the delightful service.
The sun came out in the afternoon and I thought it was time to get my walking legs into practice again, so I took a long stroll westwards beside the Gave de Pau and back, about 10 miles in all. It's a handsome river, but really fast flowing with lots of little water jumps. I wasn't surprised to see kayakers practicing their sport on it.
Looking south I could see that the mountains were still shrouded in mist. Maybe I can fix that tomorrow when I move on to Lourdes?