Saint Jean Pied de Port
Leaving the Transpyrenean tour, I
arrived at St Jean Pied de Port on
Tuesday, August 12 around 14:00 to do
shopping supply of food and diesel
fuel. Then I took again the road to
bivouac at the Vault St Saver in the
clouds and in a fine rain.
Lac de Fabrèges
The rain fell all the night. I always
left the bivouac in the rain by an
outside temperature of 8°C. The small
secondary roads of the French Pyrenees
curved in rolling mountains in
forests, clouds and in the rain. The
sun appeared timidly around 16:00 at
the edge of the Lake Fabrèges and the
temperature climbed up to 21°C. The
difference in climate between the
French Pyrenees and the Spanish
Pyrenees is proven. I understand that
the slope of the French Pyrenees stops
the bad weather! I wanted to go again
to Spain.
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| Mountains about 9h00 ! |
Lake of Fabrèges |
Pass of l'Aubisque, 1709m
At the edge of the Lake Fabrèges at
8:00 am the day was announced sunny. I
decided to make the walk to see the
Circus of Gavarnie. But before I was
to cross the Pass of Aubisque. On the
way I admired the Peak of Ger, to see
the Picture in the Gallery above
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| Panorama |
Sculpture, at the glory of the
Tour de France |
Cirque de Gavarnie, 1676m
The walk of approach of the Circus of
Gavarnie is 2 hours return. In this
summer period many were the families
which undertook the excursion, but
also many were the halts in edge of
track. The day being beautiful little
imported the duration of walk to them,
it was necessary to go there. While
arriving the spectacle is dramatic.
What the mountain is beautiful, as the
poet, Jean Ferrat said. The bottom of
the circus is at 1676m high and the
tops of the wall at approximately
3000m high. Provided with my sticks of
walk I made the outward journey and
the return of the ca rpark, close to
the Statue of the Virgin, in announced
time. Admittedly at the return I had
the heavy legs! I wished to bring me
closer to La-Mongie. I found a spot of
bivouac at Super-Barèges, famous ski
station.
Pic du Midi
The day of August 15th was a strong
moment. Not without apprehension I
tookn the cable car to reach the Peak
of the South. Of course I carried a
frequency meter which I consulted
during the rise. On arrival at 2877m
it posted a pulse of 71 by going
and 66 at sited rest. I was reassured
on my health and the capacities of my
heart with the necrosis left ventricle.
The Peak was in the clouds; no
visibility on the imposing panorama
announced by all literatures. No
problem my target was reached, but
I persevered to test higher in the
Alps, to follow. I wanted to profit to
be in a city to publish the last page
of the tour in Spain. Alas the Wi-Fi
connection at the Tourist Office was needy
and limited in time and volume.
The employee indicated the restaurant
Le Schuss with an effective
connection; I decided to lunch there
by ensuring that the connection was
operational. I ordered my lunch then I
started my laptop, nothing! Then the
waiter by bringing my dish told me without
shame, yes connection
does not work well, euphemism. By
paying at the counter I say to the
owner my way of thinking. France
remains poor in hot spots.
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| Up |
Arrival |
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| In the clouds |
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| The origin |
Projection on the lift |
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| Model |
Down |
Bivouac, Louron river
Piqued I begun the road again passing the
Pass of Aspin to visit the churches in the
valley of Louron equipped with retables of the
17th century; alas they were closed, opened on
go. I found a nice bivouac at the edge of
Louron river where fishermen launched their
line.
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| Panorama from the pass of Aspin |
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| Louron river |
Saint Béat
On Friday, August 16 I made three
visits. Saint Béat is famous for three
reasons. Its white marble careers are
known since the Romans and were used
for the basins and the statues of the
park of Versailles. It is an old
fortified town called the bolt of the
Vall of Aran towards Gascogne and
finally and not least it is the
birthplace of the Marshal Gallieni .
It is built in arc of a circle at the
bottom of cliff and at the edge of the
Garonne river. Its church of
Romanesque style dates from the 11th
century.
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| Marbel of Saint-Béat ! |
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| Garonne river |
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| Castel and church |
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| Romanesque Church |
Saint Bertrand de Comminges
Saint Bernard de Comminges built on a rock
piton dominates the basin of the Garonne
river the Sainte-Marie cathedral built in
two periods has a Romanesque part, the
porch and the narthex, and a later Gothic
part the nave and the chorus of the
canons. The cloister opens on the
countryside is also in two styles with the
the famous pillar of the four evangelists.
The old chapter house exposes liturgical
objects and especially two tapestries of
Tournai. The woodworks of the stalls of
the canons are of Renaissance style.
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| Cathedral Sainte-Marie |
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| Narthex, Romanesque style |
Nave, Gothic style |
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| Cloître |
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| Tapestries of Tournai, 16e siècle |
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| Stalls of chanoines |
Valcabère, Basilique Saint Just
A little further the village from
Valcabrère is honoured by the basilica
Saint-Just, dating from the 11th and 12th
century, built with materials of
re-employment coming from an old Roman
city. In the late afternoon I establish my
bivouac at the pass of Portet d'Aspet.
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| Romanesque basilica |
Audressein
On Sunday, August 17 I moved towards
Tarascon on Ariège to find a camp-site
with a WiFi connection. On the way by
passes I stopped at Audressein to see
as strange as splendid Romanesque
church with frescos of the 15th
century. On the road of St Jacques de
Compostel it is registered at the
World Heritage of Humanity. The road
of the passes curves by mount and
valleys; very narrow it requires a
great vigilance at the time of the
crossings. My last halt before
Tarascon was a stage of pilgrimage at
Auzat which was a aluminum factory of
Pechiney Group, today alas
disappeared. The camp-site of the Pre
Lombard is at the edge of a river.
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| Fresco |
