Luz – Bareges

We started to get a handle of the weather pattern. 8 am, rain likely. 11 am, light shower likely.  1 pm, shower very likely. 4-5 pm, thunderstorm for sure. So we tried to start early and finish the day by early afternoon. There’s a saying one always has to pay if  takes too many shortcuts in life. I guess we hadn’t paid enough for the shortcut we took the day before. Big town Luz tricked us to the opposite direction as we intended. We hiked a section we missed the day before and got a few birds eye view of the town. For the curious minds, Luz also offers a few historical and religious sites.

We had to turn back all the way and climb out of Luz from the other side. Though a bit taxing at the beginning, the trail evolves into a mild, pleasant stroll with panoramic view of the lovely valleys and the distant peaks. As usual, it plunges back into another forest followed by a long descent before reaching Barege.  Surely, we heard thunder by 1 pm and rain started shortly after. We got some “hiccups” on the way down due to our own failure to read warning signs in French. The woods are often beaten up by frequent thunderstorms. Fallen trees and more importantly, broken power lines near the town, cause hazards. Another reason to learn some French and be literate!

We stood soaking wet in front of Hôtel Les Castets d'Ayré but received the warmest welcome from our host. We mingled with a group of motorcyclists on a 5k kilometer whirlwind tour. Weather was a big concern for the following day. But our kind host assured us not to worry. When the clock stroke 8pm, we were all treated with the most wonderful 5-course meal by our hostess.

Bareges is not some isolated, little village I thought it was. In fact, it looks modern, has a hot spring spa, and is apparently a jumping off point for quite a few mountain excursions.