Chapter V: Cauterets

Hôtel de la Poste, Pierrefitte--The Gorge--Its majestic beauty--The resemblance to the Llanberis Pass--Mrs. Blunt becomes poetical--Zinc mines--Le Pont de Médiabat--Entering the town--The Rue Richelieu and Hôtel du Parc--Winter's seal upon them still--Thermes des Oeufs--Thermes de César--The Casino and Esplanade des Oeufs--A good dinner and the menu--The start for the Col de Riou--The Grange de la Reine Hortense--The pines--Miss Blunt's "Exhortation to the First Snow"--The dogs and their gambols--Defeated, but not discouraged--To the Cérizey Cascade--The baths of La Raillère, Petit St. Sauveur, and Le Pré--Cascade de Lutour--The Marcadau Gorge--Scenery--Pic de Gaube--At the Cérizey Cascade--The Pont d'Espagne and Lac de Gaube--Pont de Benqués--Lutour valley--Various excursions up same--The "Parc"--Allées de Cambasque--The Peguère--The "Pagoda" villa-- Promenade du Mamelon Vert--The road's up again--Blows and blasts--The bishop's arrival--Enthusiasm, pomposity, and benedictions--The pilgrims at large--They start on an excursion--The market and Hôtel de Ville--The grocer's opinion--Pyrenean dogs and their treatment--The dog-fancier--Smiles and temper--Bargaining displaced--No dog after all!

CHAPTER VI.

LUZ AND BARÈGES.

Rain at starting--A blighted view, yet lovely still--Pont d'Enfer--Nature's voice--Sère and Esquiez--Luz--Its situation and status--An old house--The ancient church of the Templars--La Chapelle de St. Roch--Pyrenean museum--Hôtel de l'Univers--Château de Ste. Marie--"The Jackdaw's Causerie"--A new "diet of worms"--The new bathing establishment--To Barèges--Pic d'Ayré--Esterre--Viella --Betpouey--Mill conduits--Cercle des Etrangers--Opinion of the town--Grand Etablissement--Promenade Horizontale--Hospice de Ste. Eugénie--"The Jay of Barèges"--Wood anemones--Hepaticas--Valley of Lienz--Pic de Lienz--Pic d'Ayré's summit--Pic de Néouville--Mountain rhododendrons--_Anemone vernalis_

CHAPTER VII.

ST. SAUVEUR.

Pont de Pescadère--Sassis--Gave de Gavarnie--St. Sauveur--Hôtel de France--Pont Napoléon--Napoleon's pillar--Bee orchids--Chapel of Solferino--The view from thence--Ne'er a hermit but for gold--Luz cemetery--Luz post-office--Short cuts--Pharmacie Claverie--Jardin à l'Anglaise--Ascent of Pic de Bergons--Villenave--The shepherds' huts--Lunch--Snow, its use and abuse--On foot--"Excelsior"--Dangerous footing--The last crest but one--The view--Gavarnie and Argelès in sight--A lazy guide--A "fast" bit--Mountain flowers--Mr. Sydney to the fore--A short walk and a good view--To Sazos and Grust--The bathing establishments--Sazos: the old church--The belfry--Chiming extraordinary--Various promenades--Gems of hill and vale

CHAPTER VIII.

GAVARNIE.

A "falling glass"--The wonderful echo--Cascade Lassariou--Sia and its bridge--Pont de Desdouroucat--"Changing scenes"--Bugaret torrent--The Piméné--Bué--Gèdre--Brêche de Roland in the distance--The "Grotto"--Scenery at fivepence per head--Daffodils--Lofty summits--Cascade d'Arroudet--Chaos--Valley of the "Ten Thousand Rocks," Amoy--A dirty avalanche--The Sugar-loaf--Travellers' troubles --Importunate females--Hotel des Voyageurs--Poc--Guide or no guide--Chute de Lapaca--The guardian summits of the Cirque--Cascade du Marboré--Chandelles du Marboré--The Cirque--Its marvellous beauty--Reluctantly returning--"The Guide's Auction"--"Two women enough for a market, and three for a fair"--A Yankee tale--Sketching and flowers--Tempers and appetites

CHAPTER IX.

FROM LUZ AND ST. SAUVEUR TO BAGNÈRES DE LUCHON.

A smiling valley--Lourdes again--The chapel in the crypt--St. Peter's statue--Burnished toes--Solemn quietude--Preparing for the great pilgrimage--"Ornamented" crosses--Mr. Sydney's new vocation, "Guide, Philosopher, and Friend"--Bigorre again--An open-air concert --Harmonious echoes--Paying through the nose--The fête at Payole--Sport à la française--Costumes--The view from the Col d'Aspin--Arreau--Quaint houses--La Chapelle de St. Exupère--A whining "gardien"--Eglise de Notre Dame--The river Neste--Hôtel de France--Bordères--Avajan--Louderville--Oxslips and cowslips--Wild narcissus--Col de Peyresourde--The view--Garin--Cazaux--St. Aventin--Lovely avenues--Our destination

CHAPTER X.

BAGNÈRES DE LUCHON.

The bathing establishment and its surroundings--The lovely _Allées_--Montauban church and cascade--The Villa Russe and its genial host--Various excursions--Orphanage of Notre Dame de Rocher--The Vallée du Lys--The Rue d'Enfer and cascades--A lively scene--The view from Superbagnères--Loading wood--"The Oxen's Appeal"--Visit to the Orphanage--A "holy" relic--To Bosost--St. Mamet--"A stumbling-block"--Cascade of Sidonie--Horse tricks and jockey dodges--Lizards in flight--Fashion on a donkey--On the Portillon 'twixt France and Spain--The valley of Aran--Snug Bosost--A curious inn--Children with artistic bent--A bright pathway--Missing much, but thankful still

CHAPTER XI.

ST. BERTRAND DE COMMINGES.

Keeping to old friends--Valley history--Entering the Garonne valley--The picturesque St. Béat--St. Béat to Viella--Memories of the lovely Thames--Baths of Ste. Marie--Loures--The cross-roads--Weak walls--Entering St. Bertrand--An ancient house--The inn--A charming garden--The cathedral--A national disgrace--"The Crocodile of St. Bertrand"--The tomb of Hugues de Chatillon--Travelling desecraters--St. Bertrand's rod--The ruined cloisters--Desolation--Swine feeding--Montrejeau--The buffet--No milk!--French railway officials--Trying experiences

CHAPTER XII.

EAUX BONNES AND EAUX CHAUDES.

Carriage _v_. diligence--Early birds--Height of absurdity --Diminutive donkeys--A whitened region--"Crystal clear"--Washerwomen and their gamps--A useful townhall--A half-way house--Moralising--A much-loved pipe--An historic ruin--A noteworthy strong box--"Ici on rase"--Where are the bears?--Women in gaiters--Picturesque costumes--A lovely road--A "perfect" cure--A spring scene--A billiard-playing priest--A well-placed pavilion--The Valentin and its cascades-- Through solid rock--Gaps in the road--A grand scene--Wanted, an artist--A fine torrent--Professional fishers--Lucky guests --Musings--Poor Mr. Tubbins--Bonnes _v_. Chaudes--Over the Col de Gourzy--Peculiar teams--Guelder roses--Spinning

CHAPTER XIII.

BIARRITZ.

A warm ride--Bayonne--A "Noah's ark" landscape-- Amusements--Bathing--Shells--Cavillers--A canine feat--The pier and rocks--A restless sea--"The Three Cormorants"--Dragon's-mouth Rock--To the lighthouse--Maiden-hair ferns--Mrs. Blunt's adventure--The drive round the lakes--_Osmunda regalis_ ferns--The pine-woods near the bar--St. Etienne and the Guards' cemetery--Croix de Mouguère--Cambo and the Pas de Roland--Anemones--A fat couple--A French scholar--Hendaye-- Fuenterabia--A quaint old-world town--The Bidassoa--Pasages--San Sebastien--The Citadol and graves--The "Silent Sisters"--Raised prices--Parasols and spectacles

CHAPTER XIV.

CONCLUSION.

"Where duty leads"--Resorts in the Eastern Pyrenees--Caen--"Riou"--Our paths diverge--"The Lesson of the Mountains"--Farewell

* * * * *

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C