28 April

I was quite reluctant to rise this morning, having become accustomed to this abode, but having at the same time to move on. Eventually I got up, far later than I wanted, and was ready for breakfast at 8 but not packed.
I was the first at breakfast, but the table was set for three. My tea came out and then the other two arrived, an elderly couple with their little silky terrier. It liked people but didn’t like the owner’s dog, growling at it through the window each time the dog wandered across the patio. The new couple spoke no English, so it was a very limited conversation. After breakfast I settled my account, then packed. Even though this only took about five minutes, the others had already left for the day.
I initially headed towards Bordeaux. I thought if the weather was nice I would park, walk around and see some sights, then move on. However the weather, which had started out raining before I got up and then eased off, started raining again and by the time I got to Bordeaux, it was raining heavily.
Bordeaux looked like what I had imagined a French city to be. Water frontage (a very wide river), open squares with fountains and statues, streets lined with contiguous apartment houses of five or more stories and the occasional wide avenue. It even had a market area – filled today with a market! Roadworks and the incessant rain, together with small parking slots seen just after I passed, made me think that Bordeaux was a city I would like to visit in its own right. If I do return to France again, I will tour it as I did England originally and the US this time – train to a city, stay in the city and walk around the centre and use public transport to go further out, and spend at least two days in each city. One day to see the centre, and one day to see the more outlying features. Bordeaux would have to be one of those cities, as would be Paris, Marseilles and many others. Except for the cost of living, France would be a place I could live.
I left after having seen just a tiny taste, but realised I had better fill up with fuel as the warning light and horn had been telling me to do so for a half hour. I found a cheaper place, filled up (and noticed that seven out of the eight pumps in action when I was filling were diesel) and then headed out to Tarbes, a place I had picked because it looked big enough to have a Tourist Information Centre (yes) but small enough that I could park reasonably easily. I didn’t stop to send my Internet information because I had already determined there were Maccas spread all around the country (true, but …). Along the river valley I travelled, the soil looked so rich – black, light and friable.
I got to Tarbes, found the information centre, parked, got the information I was after (and taught the two women there to say “G’day” while finding out that other Australians had been there only a few days before and also commented on the lack of rain in Australia). I left the centre, determined to read the lists while sending all my Internet data. WRONG! Found a Macca’s, checked – no WiFi. Went out, found another, no WiFi again! Read my list, found a likely place to stay at Lourdes, rang, arranged to spend two nights there and headed of to Lourdes (and another Macca’s). Traffic in Lourdes was horrendous, so after getting a baguette and éclair, I went straight to where I was staying in Aspin (so I didn’t stay in Aspen CO but I did stay in Apsin just outside Lourdes). I booked in, then unpacked a little, then headed back into Lourdes. I parked, then walked. On the way I came across a E Leclerc bookshop, went in and was mesmerised by their maps (and Lonely Planet guides in French). I resisted the Lonely Planet guides (too heavy and I would have trouble reading them) but not the maps. Spain and the Pyrenees became slaves to my will. Then I headed down to Macca’s and, guess what, no WiFi again! So they missed out on a customer and I went back to the car … and noticed a laundrette just across from where I was parked. If I finish early tomorrow, or if it is raining heavily, I will do washing (my third last load away) there. Back in the car I pulled out the laptop and found … an open network! I uploaded my photos and my blog, then went onto emails. The connection dropped while I was sending my bulk email, so I had to hurriedly send a shortened version and hoped that got through (but everything else did, so I’ll try there again tomorrow).
I returned back to my new lodgings and went for a walk. Just opposite a lady was picking some roses to take inside and I indicated that they were wonderful blooms. She threw one down to me, so I thanked her and then walked along in the village, taking some photos of the village and the surroundings. I returned to my room, wrote this up and fixed up the photos (rotated yesterday’s as well as today’s), did a little reading and then went to sleep.