Day 19: Refuge de Haugarou to Lourdes

September 16, 2019 – Departed 8:20 – Arrived 16:50

I assumed that going from the Refuge (elevation: 1,200 m) to Lourdes (420 mSe) would be all downhill. I was wrong of course, the GR101 goes up and down through several cols on the way.

It was nice though. The hike started on easy forestry roads downhill, then after an hour and a half I missed a left turn and did not realize for 20 minutes. My fault obviously, but the distance between blazes on this GR is sometimes so large that I wasn’t entirely sure. The trail then went up on the side of a hill through pastures until it reached a cliff. Some birds of prey were gliding quite handsomely all around. After that came a very long passage downhill through a gorgeous beech forest, and then the trail took me through a couple of villages and to Lourdes.

I was alone on the trail today – I did not see any other hiker. My only companions on the path were lizards – it’s very funny because I have always associated lizards with the built environment, like houses and cemeteries: but here they scurry all over the place, it’s very lovely. There were also some very pretty butterflies, with wings that were light blue on top and all patterned underneath. I tried taking pictures but of course they would fly off as soon as I got too close.

In Lourdes I am anything but alone. This is not high season anymore – I was able to find a decent hotel at a reasonable price – but the streets are still busy. Tonight I did the utilitarian stuff (I am typing this at the laundromat), tomorrow I’ll do some sightseeing – both the historical stuff (the castle) and the religious sites.

Tomorrow afternoon is when I will be joining the Cité Saint-Pierre for a week of volunteering. I will put this blog on hold during that time, and restart it if and when I hit the trail again. No firms plan yet. I must say that my body is quite tired at the moment and this week without hiking is a welcome respite. I’ll see at the end of the week how I feel and will make a decision then.