I Miss Andy Already!

     The saying is true:  "Time flies when you're having fun!".  As I write this, Andy's plane is just passing the coastline of Newfoundland and he still has about 4 hours to go before landing in Denver.  Did you know you can track the path and progress of any flight?  Hélène told me about it and so I decided to do that!  It's pretty cool.  But I miss Andy!!!

Me with Andy (and CoCo) before leaving for Toulouse on Sunday

     I picked him up at the Toulouse airport a 4:30pm last Sunday.  And thus began a week of wonderful adventures which I shall share with you on this blog post.
Monday:  Carcassonne!  It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the cottage on a cold winter's day in the middle of January!  We got there just in time to have lunch - a large hot bowl of cassoulet!  yum!!  The dish is made with white beans, herbs, duck and sausage and is cooked for hours so that all the flavors meld and greet you with a wonderful aroma as well as taste.  And then we wandered the double walled city that dates back to the 800s!  Here are some photos of that visit.

A view of the outer wall from what used to be the drawbridge

Between the two walls

A tiny medieval street

Andy being Andy (there was quite a drop off on the other side!)

Inside the ancient basilica

Joan of Arc appears in most French churches

The basilica inside the walls of Carcassonne

 Tuesday:  We visited some sights closer to home.  The 13th century Chateau de Gramont, the cathedral in Condom and the medieval square in Eauze.  Still a really cold day, but sunny.

The detailed stone work of the choir in the Condom's cathedral

The Condom cathedral

The organ loft of the Condom cathedral

The nave of the Condom cathedral

The 13th century Chateau de Gramont

The beautifully trimmed trees in the smaller garden of the Chateau

The larger courtyard area at the chateau

Wednesday: Biarritz!  Andy and I have been here during the summer when it is super crowded and very warm.  Today was a completely different experience.  Wintry cold with white caps on the Atlantic.  But it still has an amazing beauty about it!

On the beach at Biarritz

A great photo - Andy and the Atlantic

White caps rolling in

Waves and the lighthouse

An impressive coastline here

The port and the cathedral in Biarritz

Andy being Andy - climbed over a locked gate to stand here for a photo

Thursday:  Drove to see the Pyrenees near Argeles-Gazost.  These mountains are so impressive.  Very different from the Rockies, but they certainly have their own beauty.

Snow-capped peaks!

The Donjon des Aigles (Eagle Towers).  Unfortunately they were closed

If you look closely you can see the peak further back and to the left

Friday:  Drove a different way into the Pyrenees and through the tunnel that connects France and Spain.  Lots of snow everwhere!  They had received about 8 inches earlier in the week.  If it hadn't warmed up and melted some we would not have been able to travel this road.  Really impressive to see the mountains up close!  We loved it!

A rocky cliff on the French side of the mountain range

We stopped just before entering the tunnel that goes through the mountain to Spain

One of my favorite photos - the mountains, the sky, and Andy!

The tunnel to Spain

On the Spanish side - we had lunch and did some shopping

Saturday:  We stayed closer to home and visited the lake at Marciac, the tiny villages of Montesquiou, and Bassoues.  And we explored some towers and ruins that we could see on the sides of high hills.  A fun day!

The medieval tower at Bassoues

The lake at Marciac

Exploring the hills

The ancient ruined towers of Monlezun - a casualty of the Hundred Years War

One of dozens of tiny country roads that I have been on

The privately owned castle of Monclar

Another view of the Monclar

And then all of a sudden it was Sunday again!  We spent the morning at the cottage and then around 3 we left to drive to Toulouse where we spent last night.  Andy's flight was at 7:35 this morning so we stayed at the Holiday Inn right by the airport.  We were there by 5:20am and I waited until he was all checked in and left me with a hug before he walked through security.  He sent me a text when he got to London and will let me know when he lands in Denver at 2:30pm Colorado time (10:30pm my time).
     And now I get ready for Jay and Barb Matheson's visit this weekend!  I'll be happy to show them all around the bends in my little corner of France.  Thank you for coming along with us!  Merci!