Saturday 10th May - Lourdes and the Pyrenees

Rise late – breakfast on coffee and croissants on the square - find the supermarket – get lunch and breakfast –– head for Lourdes.

Approach Lourdes through beautiful Pyrenees valley – magnificent river with lots of rafting

Enter Lourdes – surprisingly easy to find parking at hospital

Take public lift down to old street level below

Shock! – horror! - how could people be so crass – everything kitsch related to the Virgin Mary for sale – too painful to describe – others should avoid the main street at all costs.

Recover from shock and enter the shrine itself – lots of people – more smiling faces than Fatima – many more infirmed than Fatima – many large pilgrim groups from European countries – no sign of anyone asking for money – no entry fees. Much less kitsch than expected – interesting to observe the people – all ages – all nationalities – remarkable number of people from the sub-continent.

On to the Pyrenees. Through countless small villages. Lunch in a light mist of rain on entry to the Pyrenees Atlantique national park

Smile as the we see the French cousins of our top guns on their Sunday ride .

Encounter the rain and clouds - Admire the scenery and the villages

Climb to Col du Soulor of Le Tour fame.

Descend through Valle de-Ossau – remain in awe of the Pyrenees – love the rain and mist but wonder about the majesty that this scenery would display on a bright day.

Home to Pau – dinner with nice wine - a wonderful day – love the Pyrenees –love to return .