This is our unexpected day off replacing last Saturday when we worked to get ready for the crane coming to Dominique's. There's no car available for us Wwoofers today. Pierlo tells Marthe on the phone that it's pretty easy to hitchhike to Bagnères-de-Bigorre and usually Wwoofers who hitchhike are picked up by the first or second car.
We are trying also to connect with the other group of Wwoofers but decide we would try hitching thumbing. Before we left the house, we have a call asking what we want to eat that day and later as we were on the road heading for the "city," Sandrine passed us taking some food to the house.
Also before we leave, I see Joe's sweater has HOLES in it! Well, of course, as a "mother" I can't bear to see holes in a sweater! I'm sure it is an old sweater (I brought along one of those with me too), but it's these old things that serve as a "security blanket," at least for me. I would never be without my old sweater. Ana was like that when she left the Pyéenées without her sneakers. When she realized she had left them at Pierlo's, she left money to have "someone" send them on to the States. Funny how these material goods we have used for so many wonderful experiences, become like old friends we can't let go of. I eventually was able to send the sneakers back to Ana while I was spending a week in Bagnères (see my new website: heleninbagneresdebigore.blogspot.com
(Yes, I know I spelled it wrong - but I've already changed the name once.)
While I waited for Marthe and Joe to leave, I took a few more pictures of my "home."
And here are the creatures we meet on our walk. We walk and walk for about an hour and a half. At least 10 cars pass us by before anyone stops. I'm not at all unhappy about it because I am looking forward to some walking. I am lucky in that the road going toward our destination is mostly all downhill. I have to say I feel I must be a bit of a drag on the others when we come to the small hills.
There are LOTS of slugs around in the garden at Pierlo's house and of course they are not so good for the garden. They are usually curled up, but when I see this one crawling across the road, I have to put him in the story. I think my companions were a little surprised at my interest in the slimy creature.
"Oh no, not another picture." But after the fact, I hope both Joe and Marthe will be glad to have these remembrances of our short time together.
How this for a walking companion? Fortunately he didn't jump at me as I approached as close as I could. I know it is a male staghorn beetle (la lucane cerf-volant), but I can't find exactly which of the 900 "species" of the stag beetle it is.
I think this is a batton blue butterfly.
Finally, after about an hour and a half of walking, we are picked up by none other than a man who takes tourists parasailing for a living. He is surprised to hear that no one had stopped for us and he rearranges his stuff in the car (including his dog) for us to fit in. I tell him I have an interest in becoming a customer, but I'm not sure it would be safe for me since I have two artificial knees. He brings out the harness to show me and says I could land on my fanny and if I can just run 10 meters (I said I could), I would be perfectly safe. I am delighted and lock in a couple of times for the following week. Of course, everything depends on the weather and it turns out the weather is not cooperative as it rains most of the time during my stay in Bagnères. So, I never did get to have that extreme adventure. Perhaps it is just too late for me and I must wait for the next life.
Below are some of the sights in Bagnères. The next week I will stay in a hotel about a 5 minute walk from this tower and have time to take my sandals to be resoled in a shoe shop located on this street just before the tower (between the two signs).
This scene is painted on an exterior wall but I can't find it on the net.
When it is time to return home, we wondered how this will happen with ONE car. Well, in France, especially with the Wwoofing spirit, everything is possible! I think there are 10 of us in the car. Annalise drives a little slower than the French usually do, but I wonder as we start out if we will make it back without some disaster. Perhaps I'm too old for this kind of adventure.
This is goodbye to Vivian as he is leaving in his van early tomorrow morning for another site where he will also be working on a straw house. Actually, I think everyone is forgetting at this point that we won't see him again, and ultimately he changes his plan and appears the next day at Pierlo's to say his good-byes to each one of us.
The next pictures tell a further tale that hasn't yet been shared with anyone. Annalise's car did not take us all the way home, but rather we say goodbye on the curve just before the little hill we have had trouble driving up during our stay. The tires for one of Pierlo's cars are fixed and we are charged with taking them back to the house with us.
Joe carries (rolls) one and Marthe the other. Suddenly Marthe decides to live dangerously and lets her tire take its own course down the little hill. You may remember that was the area that gave me such a fright when I first arrived - there is a pretty sudden dropoff that goes down into a deep ravine. Of course the tire has a mind of its own, and instead of following the path Marthe wanted it to go, it veers right and picks up speed as it rolls right down into the ravine.
Marthe starts right down after it, and as Joe probably was just gearing up to to it, I say, "Don't let her do it alone." And down he goes looking like he is partly flying. Perhaps we can make this adventure into a ballet. I can see it now.
And then, there is no one visible. The silence is deafening, but soon two reassuring voices reach me - all is well but they haven't yet found the tire.
A few more minutes pass and two small figures appear. They took turns carrying the tire back.
They report it hadn't reached the bottom of the ravine but had eventually been stopped by a tree. I think of sending them back to investigate what they missed, but I am so glad to see them and the tire, I decide not to voice my curiosity about what is at the bottom of that ravine!
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