Luz was another cute mountain town about the same size as Cauterets. Our campsite was walking distance to the town and on the walk in we had lovely views of an old ciditel perched on one of the surrounding hillsides.
The main street was filled with the usual mix of restaurants, gift shops and stores selling local produce. The town was bustling with people which really gave the town a great atmosphere. I was disappointed to discover that there was no icecream shop. Not even a little tabac or restaurant with a counter out the front. Considering this has been my treat for climbing mountains for the last few weeks I was not a happy hiker. 😂😂
We still enjoyed our almost daily walks into town and one of our favourite things to do was sit at the tabac on an outside table with a beer for Tim and wine for me and watch the world go by. It was especially fun as there was a rather interesting intersection just up the road where it was difficult to work out who had right of way. Add in cyclists, pedestrians and locals who would stop in the street to say hi to each other and there was never a dull moment!
On one of our days off we went for a walk around the village and up one of the valleys surrounding the town towards the Napoleon bridge which turns out the little Emperor did visit in 1863 so hence the name. The bridge was impressive considering it was built over 160 years ago across a ravine that was so steep! So much so that you can bungee jump off it if you so desire. The roads and bridges and retaining rock walls amaze me every time I think how long ago they were first built and how painstakingly slow it must have been. France really do enjoy a good narrow road winding around the edge of a mountain!
We decided on eating out on one of the days where the weather was a little inclement in the evening for some fondue. Unfortunately this experience was not as good as the one in Cauterets. It didn’t start well when the bread was delivered and it was slices of multigrain baguette and the cheese was really thick. But the wine was good, the company was great and the fondue was edible but not the amazing experience we were hoping for.
The hiking around Luz definitely more than made up for the poor fondue and lack of icecream though. The diversity of scenery and the endless mountain vistas have been breathtaking. Another great stop off in the Pyrenees. S