July 2020
Cirque de Gavarnie is one of the most famous natural sights of Occitanie and French Pyrenees, and Xavier has been teasing me with it for years. I admit, the photos looked spectacular. Finally, my patience was rewarded. Living in the heart of Pyrenees with all our projects delayed, we finally scheduled a small hiking trip first to Gavarnie and then to a more spectacular altitudes just above the Cirque – to the Pic du Taillon. The article about his hike is online, check it out! As we don’t share anymore any “useful” info, I guess this post won’t contain many words – all hiking trips are quite similar – fresh air, muscle ache, sheep chewing peacefully and indifferetnly. You just walk, marvel at the beauty of the nature and occasionally stop to let your feet rest. That was exactly what we did this time too.
One thing for sure – this is a very beautiful hike and we were obviously not the only people to think so. The trail looked like an avenue during a rush hour, and we understood quite fast why there were signs everywhere urging to leave those poor flowers alone.
At some point the flow of people lost its density and we could enjoy the nature almost alone – the perks of starting the hike late. 🤪
Seeing once is better than hearing twice (or seeing a million times on pictures ☝🏻) – this is 100% applicable to the Cirque of Gavarnie. It was absolutely spectacular, especially when the clouds lifted and a whole half of the waterfall revealed itself, hidden before in a gray mist. I also realised that it was our first time in the Pyrenees in summer after our very first serious hike to Coma Pedrosa in Andorra. A note to our future selves – not to wait seven years to be back.
And that is how a place we had wanted to visit together for years was crossed out of our list. Soon it would be crazy to think that it all happened during a serious pandemic that locked the whole planet at home and forced to wear a face mask even outside. But what I want to remember about 2020 will be all our short and long trips we did that year, which one by one I will inevitably put on these pages.
Check out: Winter Holidays in the French Pyrenees
Epilogue
At moments like this I can’t help thinking about all kinds of random events that bring us to where we are now. We planned a trip to Jordan. Instead we got a pandemic and a totally unexpected life in Pau. Which, in its turn, brought us to Pyrenees, Landes, Pays Basque and Béarn. I love fantasizing and picturing all kinds of “what if” but never even for a second do I forget that the best scenario is here and now – with Xavier this very second.
Wow!!! Such an amazing place. Those images you took are really fascinating. I wish I could visit there in near future.
OMG, these pictures are incredible, what an amazing time you must have had hiking through the French Pyrenees! I’m so jealous, it looks like an absolutely breathtaking place. You’re so lucky to have been able to experience it!