Final weeks in France - Dec '12/Jan '13
It's someone's birthday mid-January, so after the Christmas festivities our plan was to meander back up to the UK and be in London for that date.
But... what route to take? We really wanted to head back over to the Pyrenees and see what winter there was like so I guess that made the choice easy. A big 'L' shape across the bottom of France and then up the West coast-ish.
Even though we'd been lucky with snow in the Alps, seems like winter was late to Europe this year as the outdoors was still very enjoyable. We had some great, sunny, encounters with bird life, seeing large flocks of Flamingo in the Camargue then almost stumbling across a flock of vultures near Lescun - wonderful!
We also learned you can't go past a spot of hiking through the snow to a frozen waterfall, or, further North, lunch in an old village famed for it's wine. Lots of variety in this leg and as usual, it's all good! 
Sunday 30 December 2012
Pink Flamingos, in France, in the middle of winter? Wow! Now we know why we chose to drive through the Camargue!
Sunday 30 December 2012
Lunch in Sète. And a slightly unusual one at that... what with this being a fishing village & all!
Sunday 30 December 2012
Generous tray of tea, biscuits & hot chocolate on arrival at the B&B this evening. Giant cups of yuuuuum! 
Monday 31 December 2012
Waking up to a misty sunrise. We stayed in a beautiful B&B set amongst the vineyards near Montady.
Monday 31 December 2012
Even in winter, you have to love 'tree tunnels' around the French countryside. This one is just outside Capestang.
Monday 31 December 2012
Walking by part of Canal du Midi. Must be wonderful to cycle along here in summer - beautiful & it runs for miles!
Monday 31 December 2012
Rather be flying? Not really - more great views from the road. These are from opposite sides of the Col du Portel.
Monday 31 December 2012
Arrived in Saint-Lizier & here's the view from the front of our accommodation. Great to be back in the mountains!
Tuesday 1 January 2013
Pretty lazy today. Just took a drive through some small villages. Here's Engomer, Les Bordes-sur-Lez & views nearby.
Wednesday 2 January 2013
Bit changeable out so just relaxing 'at home'. Clouds add something to the ever changing view from the lounge window.
Thursday 3 January 2013
On the road (and in) Aulus-les-Bains. It's a beautiful day so this is the start of a little walk we have planned.
Thursday 3 January 2013
Hiking up to Cascade d'Ars. Passing other small streams then snow (sometimes deep) above 800m or so. Awesome walk! 
Thursday 3 January 2013
La Cascade d'Ars, in a semi-frozen state. And the view below. Well worth the hour or so walk.
Thursday 3 January 2013
My lil' snow angel 
Thursday 3 January 2013
Back to Aulus-les-Bains. Great trail past mountain huts, mossy rocks & crystal clear stream with it's own mini falls.
Friday 4 January 2013
A wide angle view over St Lizier rooftops... from the lounge in our accommodation. See why we extended the stay?
Friday 4 January 2013
Festive decorations in the streets of St Lizier. They've gone all out & would put a lot of indoor attempts to shame!
Friday 4 January 2013
Rolling hills around Carla-Bayle. If not for snow-capped peaks behind you'd never know it was the middle of winter!
Friday 4 January 2013
Enjoying views from Carla-Bayle, tiny village at foot of the Pyrenees. Not much going on here this time of year mind.
Friday 4 January 2013
Grotte du Mas d'Azil... why build the road over a ridge when nature has cut you a tunnel through it?
Friday 4 January 2013
Random views from the road: looking South to the Pyrenees over their rolling foothills on a misty winter's day.
Friday 4 January 2013
Back in St Lizier. That castle-like thing on the hill to the right is where home is right now. We like it here
Friday 4 January 2013
Watching the sun fall behind hills over the valley. Viewed from our lounge window. Did I mention we like it here?
Friday 4 January 2013
Small but perfectly formed. Evening treat from the local boulangerie.
Saturday 5 January 2013
Crazy scenes at dawn (if you can call it that at 8:30). Glad we're up here on the hill and not down in all that fog!
Saturday 5 January 2013
What a joy to be back cycling in the Pyrenees. Glorious mid-winter's day. Just look at that, what's not to love?!
Sunday 6 January 2013
Road to the Col de Pause. Sadly it was closed not far above here so no hiking (what we came for). Nice drive though!
Sunday 6 January 2013
Another stunning evening light & fog show here in St Lizier.
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Awoke to a misty morning. Took a drive over Col de Marie-Blanque anyhow. Wow! Above the clouds is a different world!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
L'église Saint-Laurent in Aas. Get's you closer to god?
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Last of the cloud is almost burnt off by 2pm. Lucky, because it's a great view down on Laruns from here!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Haven't been here since June & Laruns village square is a little quieter now than the middle of summer. Funny that!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
The Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Very big & smart & protective. Also very friendly & fluffy & cuddly... luckily!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Winter sunset from a random roadside location. Somewhere South East of Oloron-Sainte-Marie if I recall.
Tuesday 8 January 2013
€14 dinner in a French country hotel: bottomless soup bowl, hot cheese & bacon salad, stew then desert. Bargain!
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Picnic lunch in a field above Lescun. Such a beautiful day and so unexpected in the middle of winter. Love it!
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Went vulture spotting yesterday with no joy. But eating lunch today saw these guys on the next hill over. So lucky!
Wednesday 9 January 2013
At 900m+ Lescun is the highest commune in Pyrénées Atlantique. Behind is Cirque de Lescun, and beyond that, Spain.
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Original plan for winter was to travel Spain, but that changed & hop over the border at Somport was all we managed.
Wednesday 9 January 2013
There's some XC ski trails by Col de Somport. Was very quiet & the ice-covered car park empty. #CarControlTraining
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Aramits, in the Pyrenean foothills. Despite the hazy day... just wow!
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Another 4 course dinner of... well... I'm not sure what that second thing was, but it tasted good Yum
Friday 11 January 2013
In St Emilion tourist info. The illuminated control board for their 'light up' map makes a nice warm place to snooze.
Friday 11 January 2013
Morning wonder round a very quiet St Emilion. Plenty of locals out for lunch though. Best time of year for it?
Friday 11 January 2013
At times like this I'm rather glad not to be a connoisseur of wine!
Friday 11 January 2013
Lunch in St Emilion. The bar was crowded with people swirling, sniffing & slurping their wine. Serious business here!
Friday 11 January 2013
Late afternoon in Bergerac. Great light & long shadows so early in the day... winter isn't all bad
Friday 11 January 2013
Winter sunset among the vines in Bordeaux.
Saturday 12 January 2013
Fango the Weimaraner (think that's what he is). Full of energy, that's for sure! Lucky his garden is a vineyard!
Saturday 12 January 2013
We don't usually partake in fine dining, but it's almost end of the trip & hotel restaurant had top reviews. Yum!
Sunday 13 January 2013
Nante Cathedral: looks a bit shiny & new. Due to a fire in 1972 it seems, which meant huge restoration was in order.
Sunday 13 January 2013
Château des ducs de Bretagne (Castle of the Dukes of Brittany). On a nasty grey day 
Still looks pretty impressive!
