HRP Day 13

15.4/161/389 (miles today/so far/left, assuming 550 miles is a good guess)

Monday 20 July: refuge Arlet - Candanchu

Today was supposed to be an easy, relaxed day, and to start with, so it was. I had a much more peaceful night than expected since the Spanish scout troop were as good as gold, noise wise anyway. The various donkeys on the other hand let rip in quite a penetrative voice at intervals throughout the night. But my earplugs worked well.

I left just before 8am for a walk that turned out to have more ups and downs than the book said, and some difficult treks over boulders and loose scree. Still, here I am in Candanchu, in good working order and in a very nice auberge. They are charging me €30 (£23?) for dinner (Vin compris ) bed and breakfast, a bargain if ever there was one. The auberge El Aguila is in Spain by only about 25m - the sign for entering France is right here, in the middle of the high St - so naturally it is as Spanish as can be, and the owner speaks not a word of french or English. Fortunately the assembled clientele had plenty of Spanish speakers able to translate.
These grassy upland areas look innocuous, but contain hidden dangers, such as sheep. A flock of sheep dangerous, I hear you say?  Yes, because these flocks have batou. What we call a pyrenean mountain dog, fluffy and friendly, are here called batou and they are fierce beyond belief. If you go near their sheep, they give a startlingly accurate "hound of the Baskervilles" impression and they don't let up until you have taken the hint and, well, fled. It is what they are trained to do and they don't actually bite but they do give you a nasty turn. "Who's a nice doggy then" cut no ice at all.

lac d'Arlet, in front of the refuge (with donkeys, being chased & sworn at)