Today’s adventure took me by train to the cute mountain town of Bedous for a hike on the Tour du Vallon loop at an elevation of 372–1,565m (1,220–5,135ft). During my hike past an old water mill, I encountered a friendly man standing outside as he was baking bread in an outdoor stone oven and he struck up a conversation in French. We discussed his bread, as well as his most recent experience to visit his cousins in San Francisco before they moved to Portugal. He offered me a freshly made loaf of delicious bread right out of the oven and so hot I could barely handle it, but he tucked it in a paper bag and I stuffed it inside my jacket where it warmed my chilly midsection as I made my way back down to the train station.
Then I caught another train to Buzy-en-Béarn where I trekked through the mist to the massive 5,000-year-old Dolmen de Buzy, eventually making my way across some old railway tracks and followed a dirt trail climbing up the ridge of an ancient moraine left behind by a prehistoric glacier. The path took me between old stone farm walls up to tiny Bescat, to check out Saint-Lizier Church from the 17th Century, and panoramic views of the Pyrénées, although today was a bit cloudy and rainy. From there I hiked back to Buzy-en-Béarn and returned home by train to Pau. My hike totaled thirteen miles today. Interesting day!
Check out the photos!
