Exploring the Pyrenees in S. France (Apr 29 - May 4)

As we enter the 3rd week of our housesitting arrangement in southern France, life has taken on a routine that we have not had for a long time. Olive has been able to spend quite a lot of time working on her PhD thesis while I care for the animals, house and yard.

This weekend we both felt like we needed to be a little more active so we headed for the mountains. On Saturday, we headed for the village of Vernet-les-Bains which is at the base of Mt. Canigou (the peak we see from our house). Along the way we stopped at one of the towns to browse the market, then once in Vernet, we enjoyed lunch and a hike up to two waterfalls.

On Sunday, we hiked up to the summit of Mt. Neulos. From the summit, you get a great view of France on one side and Spain on the other.

Saturday market at village of Thuir

Abundance of olives

Assorted French breads

Village of Eus, in the Pyrenees

Lunch in Vernet - assorted platter of meats and cheeses

Hike up to 2 waterfalls in Vernet-les-Bains, one of them, Cascade des Anglais, was made famous by Rudyard Kipling

Vernet-les-Bains

Wild poppies popping up everywhere, Mt. Canigou in background

In the mountains seen from our backyard, the highest peak (directly above Olive's head) is called Mt. Neulos. We hiked up to the summit on Sun. May 4 

At the summit of Mt. Neulos. Olive has one foot in Spain, the other in France

Looking down on our village from the top of Mt. Neulos