Friday, and it was raining, so I donned my waterproofs and bade farewell to Dédé, whose treatment at the Refuge de Soula had been so friendly and helpful. I continued my northerly progress, initially towards the hydroelectric power station at Pont du Prat. In spite of the drizzle, I found myself really enjoying the walk. Much of the time, the descent was gradual, and it was much less rocky than the path I had followed the previous day. Although the scenery was less dramatic than I'd become accustomed to, it was still varied and interesting. I even found the 6km road section that took me from Port de Prat to Loudenvielle enjoyable. It was good to be strolling out on a flat surface for a change, and fewer than half a dozen vehicles passed me during the one and a half hours it took to cover the distance.
Loudenvielle, however, initially disappointed me. It was obviously a ski and outdoor activities resort still under development, with lots of new houses but very few people because there was no snow. There was more going on in the very centre, with a Carrefour supermarket and some restaurants open...and some very, very expensive hotels. At least I could now get data on my smartphone, which enabled me to book a 6 bed apartment for the night, Les Jardins de Balnea, close to the town centre, for a slightly more modest 122 Euros. One night would be enough as there wasn't enough here to keep me here any longer.
The bad weather was expected to continue for another couple of days, so I discussed various options of what to do next with the ladies in the Office de Tourisme. I eventually decided that it would be best to take a taxi directly to Bagneres de Luchon, where plentiful cheap accommodation is available. I would then have a base from which to go out on day walks as the weather permitted, unencumbered by my large rucksack. I would also be in the right place to get transport back to Toulouse. One of the Tourisme Office ladies kindly booked the taxi for me for the following morning.
After buying a few items for next morning’s breakfast from the supermarket, I booked a table at the nearby Brasserie L'Escapade for supper and enjoyed a tasty salad dish accompanied by a half litre of beer.
The next morning, I tidied the apartment and returned the key in good time to meet the taxi. The journey was like riding a helter-skelter, given all the switchback hills and hairpin bends that the driver had to negotiate. I was slightly relieved when he dropped me outside the Office de Tourisme in Luchon. I had already identified a place to stay, a small studio apartment called 'Les Myrtilles'. It was basic, but cheap, because no bedding or towels were provided. Of course, my rucksack contained all I needed in that respect. It also had a kitchenette that would help save money, but I couldn't get in until 4.00pm, so I spent a few hours dodging the rain as I explored Luchon. I found a lovely little restaurant called Les Poké Fa, where I had an excellent cheese and ham panini with salad. It was so substantial that I decided that I would only need a snack for supper. That came from the local Lidl, along with a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.
There was no hurry to get up on Sunday morning as it was raining again. I revisited Les Poké Fa for breakfast, and then returned to the apartment to read the two English language papers I had acquired. Once the rain had stopped, I took a stroll to the north-east of Luchon, following the GR10 route to the Cascade waterfall in Juzet-de-Luchon. On my return, I watched a live folk singing and dancing show at the local theatre called ‘Les Fils de Luchon’ – all free, but I gave a donation. Then it was back to Les Poké Fa (again) for a poké bowl supper before retiring for the night.
Rising early on Monday, I breakfasted and tidied up the room in readiness for a 10.00am visit from Marion, whom the apartment owners had sent to check that I hadn't wrecked the place before I left. I had never been the subject of such an inspection before, but I passed. I wasn't going to leave Luchon for another day, but I was changing my accommodation to Gite Le Lutin (meaning 'The Elf'), just around the corner. The Gite had been recommended to me by the Loudenvielle Office de Tourisme, and I would have stayed there for all three days had the place not been full over the weekend.
Although the room wouldn't be ready yet, Russell, the owner of Le Lutin, was happy for me to deposit my big rucksack in the morning so I could spend the rest of the day more lightly loaded. I then purchased my SNCF ticket for the following day's journey to Toulouse. Next, I took a stroll down to the 'Les Thermes de Luchon', a 2,000-year-old thermal spa, famous for its therapeutic treatments. I didn’t enter the water, but I did drink it, enjoying a hot infusion of lemon, ginger, honey and verbena. Great for a sore throat, even if it didn't include whisky.
Lunch was a Croque Madame at Le Poké Fa (yes, again). It would be my last visit and I think they were sad to lose their best customer.
The weather was good for once, and there was time for a walk, so I struck out on a 10km loop that would take me across a newly built pedestrian suspension bridge to Cascade Sidonia, and back. I also found myself passing Gite Skioura, where I had stayed 10 years before. The walk took four hours, and I was surprised at how high I had climbed because getting back down to Luchon took ages. The ground was still a bit wet in places, so I had my first slip on a wet rock and bruised my thigh. Nothing serious, but you really have to watch your footing all the time on these steep slopes.
For my evening meal, I picked up a tinned cassoulet and the Petit Casino store and cooked it in the kitchen at Le Lutin.
After a shower and a bit of blog writing, I was ready for
sleep.