Pyrénées hiking

Beginning of July was the dog days in France. 

So I took this opportunity, Jul 7, 2015, to make an hike in the Pyrénées mountains trying to find a colder place.

But I was wrong due to a temperature inversion. 

The GPS screen confirms the temperature inversion

First destination: the cirque de Troumouse

The Cirque de Troumouse is a cirque in the central Pyrenees, in south-western France.


It is located close the commune of Héas, 
department of Hautes-Pyrénées.

On the way to the cirque you can see 

a beautiful waterfall 

It’s also very known for its summer pasture

A mountain road will bring you to the cirque with parking slot ...

Hiking loop made

...and start point for a number of short (30 mn) and long (04h00) walks in wild mountain nature

The Cirque de Troumouse is a large rock amphitheater formed at the head of a valley glacier by erosion.  Situated at the border of France and Spain, it extends for over 10 km, bordered by several peaks of over 3000m

17 peaks form the 270 degree "wall" of the cirque, all of them well over 2500 m and this wall also forms the French Spanish border. The culmination of summits reaches 3,000 meters.The highest, Pic de la Munia, is 3133 m

The French part of the cirque de Troumouse  is part of the Pyrenees National Park 

a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Major features of the cirque are la Vierge de Troumouse (Virgin of Tremouse) and the lac des Aires (lake of Aires) 

Other destination:barrage des Gloriettes (Gloriettes dam)

Located not very far from Gavarnie
 and its famous Cirque

The Gloriettes dam, a concrete arch structure on the Gave d’Estaubé River, operated by Electricité de France (EDF) is located in the French Pyrenees. It was constructed between 1949 and 1951.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Four Spillways: channels that carries excess water over the dam

                                               

A typical Pyrenean house built in stones with its roof covered with shingles

Two odd candidates for going back with me into my car

Don’t make a mistake for your next destination!

Behind me... 

the Lake Gloriettes Dam in the Pyrénées Mountain 

or 

its homonym in the USA: Lake Gloriette Dam, New Hampshire Latitude: 44.8667145   Longitude: -71.3028578 County: Coos Area: Dixville Notch Elevation: 564 meters - 1850 feet ?

Franco-American party in Sadirac

First day of July 2015 

In order to celebrate the visit of our US friends (KD and his daughter Paige) we have organized an evening party in Sadirac

Sadirac is a place with a small population in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Padouens 

The number of housing of Sadirac is 1 320 (to be updated) including our home located at Padouens

Padouens, quiet area, surrounded by forests

 A very good place to have a barbecue party, but ….

July is a nice month in Bordeaux area due to the wonderful mid-summer weather. With temperatures 

ranging from a pleasant 15 to a warm 26°C (59 to 79°F), it’s one of the hottest months of the year.

The hottest day of 2012 was August 17, with a high temperature of 39°C (102°F). Now the hottest 

day was probably Yesterday with temperature exceeding 40°C (104°F). Today when the party 

started, we could read 36°C (97°F) at 07:00 PM!!!

Due to that weather, the menu was adapted …

Attentive look to the menu

So the barbecue was off and the refrigerator full of cold drinks

Thanks to the shade from the banana tree and the oleander we could appreciate the Spanish appetizers 

                                                                                                                                                                   

late evening, at last, the temperature is dropping

Probably as a thank-you gift, our American guest offered us a final entertainment

 Fortunately the recovery vehicle wasn’t very far!

Have a nice trip back to Indianapolis