The wonders of the Pyrenees

We’re having a wonderful time here. The inn where we are staying is lovely. It’s run by a British family, and they serve delicious and ample dinners and breakfasts every day. Our first day, we spent time exploring nearby Saint Bertrand de Comminges, a medieval walled village perched spectacularly on a hillside. There are Roman ruins to be explored, as it was the site of a rather large Roman colony. It has a beautiful Romanesque cloister and cathedral, and it is also a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The kids enjoyed exploring the quiet streets and the plethora of snails.

In the afternoon, we were lucky to visit the Grottes de Gargas, It contains remnants of paleolithic carvings, paintings, and more hand prints than anywhere else (more than 200), dating from 28,000-22,000 years ago. The caves themselves are captivating, and all of us were fascinated to be in the presence of the paintings.

Yesterday, we took a trip to Lac de Genos-Loudenville. To get there, we drove over some very high peaks that were part of the stages of the Tour de France. Many bikers were braving the ascents, which looked impossibly challenging. The lake town was a paradise of diversions in a sparkling, beautiful setting. The kids adored soaring on assisted trampolines and donning wetsuits to scramble through a floating playground on the lake. In the afternoon, the boys and Carl joined Russell, our Inn’s proprietor, and his 3 sons, to play a game of paintball on a course in town, while Willa and I floated through the pools of a thermal spa facility across the street.

We have a couple more days in the area for hiking and other outdoor activities before heading to Carcassonne.