We got out on a few walks and sightseeing trips with Hiltrud and George, the first being as soon as the weather cleared up, up to the Col d'Aspen and Lake Payolle. It's such a beautiful place that all the cows hang out up there and Sophie was even brave enough to touch one on the nose.
We had a nice walk around the lake at Payolle.
We also went for a couple of walks up the Vallon du Salut, a kilometre walk along a narrow valley with a stream running down the middle. It leads to the old thermal baths which are now the marble museum.
On the second of the walks, once George had gone back to England, we carried on up at the end of the valley, to the Allees Dramatiques, which give a stunning view back down to Bagneres.
Before Hiltrud left, we also had a brief visit from Lucy and Rice, who took time out from their honeymoon in Paris to get the TGV down and spend a night with us. Patrick's known Lucy since about age zero, when they used to be neighbours. We celebrated seeing them with a rather nice blueberry pie (it would have been an apple one if the baker hadn't dropped it as he took it out of the cabinet). Then in the morning we all walked up to the top of Bedat.
