Pyrenees Part 5

Our final stop on this journey across the Pyrénées is the Vallee d’Ossau, located within the Béarn region. You have probably tasted Béarnaise sauce, which originates from here. Chris and I had not travelled this far west prior to 2015 and we were looking forward to some new experiences. From our base in Bescat, we were able to do lots of exploring during our 6-night stay.

B&B, Le Balcon de l’Ossau

Bescat is a hameau in the Vallee d’Ossau. We stayed at a B&B, Le Balcon de l’Ossau. Our wonderful hosts, Kathrin and Michel, were so welcoming and even let us watch some of Le Tour de France on the television in their private living room. They provided us with great suggestions for visiting and dining in the local area. Their property was fabulous with comfy rooms, a pretty and spacious garden and a great outside kitchen/dining space that is used as much as possible during the summer months.

During our stay, we ate very well with delicious breakfasts daily. On several evenings, our hosts offered a three-course dinner with plenty of wine and a coffee to finish for €22 each. We had lots of laughs and even a bit of a sing-along with other guests from Germany and France.

Soon after our arrival at the B&B, we heard the clanging of cow bells signalling the arrival of a steady stream of cows. It was fun to witness our first transhumance pass the front gate. A day later in the town of Laruns, a larger crowd of cows had the traffic at a standstill, waiting patiently for the herd to continue on their way.

Experiencing the transhumance passing us at the front gate of the B&B above and below left.

Within a short drive of our B&B, Arudy, is a sweet little village filled with colourful floral displays and an old water mill. We ate in the main square at A Caso Restaurant Bar (above right with the green awning). A simple Plat du jour with a pichet of wine was just €12 each. This was great value and very tasty. We ate here twice during our stay.

The pretty village of Arudy

We were keen to do some cycling but climbing the high mountains was beyond me. We took a drive to Plateau du Bériou where I was in my element cycling past cows and horses roaming freely in the pasture. I even attempted a few bends of the Col de Marie Blanc at 1035m altitude before it got a bit too steep.

We watched Pyrénéean griffon vultures soar overhead and then a huge group of them descended beyond the hill to something that had attracted their attention. If you aren’t lucky enough to see them like we did, you can visit La Falaise aux Vautours  https://www.falaise-aux-vautours.com

C’est moi cycling on Plateau du Bériou watching the Pyrénéean griffon vultures soar overhead.

We drove to Col du Aubisque (1709m altitude) where we saw a patou guarding a flock of sheep. Then we continued on to Col du Soulor (1474m altitude) via the spectacular and hair-raising pass on the narrow balcony road (see below right).  A few days later, Chris cycled both of these arduous climbs.

At the recommendation of our host, Michel, we drove towards Spain. The scenery was spectacular but we did get stuck behind a tractor towing a trailer full of cows. We joked that they might be the older cows that can’t make the walk up to the higher pastures!

Chris at Col du Pourtalet/Fontera del Portalet straddling France and Spain.

At the top of the pass is the Col du Pourtalet/Fontera del Portalet (1794m altitude). This col is located on the border of France and Spain. Having been accustomed to quiet mountain tops with views, this was a completely different experience. There were vegetable stalls, supermarkets, restaurants and lots of people.

Thriving commerce at Col du Pourtalet/Fontera del Portalet. Cheap cigarettes and alcohol lure the local visitors.

The supermarkets sell cheap alcohol and cigarettes plus a range of tacky souvenirs. For lunch, we had a meat-based paella at Le Restaurant Petruso before deciding to continue towards Torla-Ordesa at Michel’s recommendation.

Feeling quite Spanish with our paella and wine

It was only another 50km but the road was very, very windy and Chris was tired by the time we arrived. We opted not to take the bus into the National Park. Instead, we admired the view of rugged peaks and tried our very limited Spanish to buy a cold drink and enquire if there was a different way back to France.

Luckily, there was a more direct route and we drove home via the Somport Tunnel into the Vallee d’Aspe then over Col du Marie-Blanque. We were exhausted by the time we arrived at our dinner location, Logis Hôtel l’Ayguelade, in the village of Bielle. This restaurant had been highly recommended by our hosts. Our hostess at the restaurant was very pleasant and highly professional. She warmly welcomed us and, upon seating us at our table, promptly locked the second entry door behind us so that wouldn’t be disturbed during our meal. We felt pleased with ourselves that we finally remembered to bid a friendly “bon soir“ to the other guests as we progressed to our table. The their appreciation was quite evident. The food was magnificent!

A magnificent meal at Logis Hôtel l’Ayguelade in the village of Bielle.

During our stay, we also cycled through valley Arthez-d’Asson with the stream rushing along beside us. It was otherwise very peaceful, cool and shady.

In the valley of Arthez-d’Asson

Following this ride, we drove over Col du Soular via a different ascent and parked in the village of Arrens-Marsous. Chris cycled back over the Col du Soulor and then on to Col du Aubisque.

Chris added two more French cols to his cycling achievements. He cycled through the clouds to reach Col du Soulor then along the winding balcony road to Col d’Aubisque.

While he was gone, I amused myself cycling back and forth along the valley road and visited the local tourist office that has an interesting museum upstairs full of stuffed animals of the Pyrénées.

Then I settled myself at local bar L'Apistomaque with a glass of Sangria de maison and watched an amusing wedding scene. In France, marriages are celebrated in a civil ceremony at the Marie (town hall). Couples may choose to have a church wedding afterwards. The wedding party was driving around in a procession of cars. The cars were decorated with lots of tulle pom poms and there was loud honking and tooting as they passed. The bride and groom were standing up in an open-topped vintage Citröen and they looked very happy, waving to everyone that they passed.

Experiencing the Atlantic ocean at Biarritz

Being so close to the Basque coast, we decided it was a good opportunity to visit Biarritz where we had an amazing day soaking up beach life. We enjoyed drinks and a delicious lunch on the promenade in front of the casino. Of course, we had to have a swim in the Atlantic ocean. You may wish to read my Biarritz blogpost and see more photos here.

Our final day coincided with a stage of Le Tour de France. After a few years of following the tour, we were beginning to understand the road closures that are set up by the organisers and so we had a plan to go the ‘back way’, thus avoiding being turned back or having a lengthy walk. We drove through a lush valley along the D441, arriving with only a short walk to the main road to see Le Tour de France pass by on the Col de Labays near the ski resort of La Pierre Saint Martin.

There are, of course, other ways to explore the Pyrénées . Chris and I met Patrick Arrieula and his wife, Robbie, at a French market held in the Sydney region. They have a company offering guided walking tours of the Pyrénées (other areas are available). As Patrick was born and grew up in the Béarn region, he is the perfect guide to introduce you to his part of the Pyrénées . A walking tour is an excellent option to slowly discover the beauty of the mountains and enjoy the company of others. Find out more at www.pyreneestours.com.au

A few YouTube clips of the transhumance  in the Vallee d’Ossau in Laruns and in Bielle

Please join me next time for something new.

À bientôt mes amis!