Part 6 (2/2)

built three years ago.

On a Tuesday, when the market is in full swing, the square in front of the post-office looks bright and cheerful, and vegetables flourish. We took a very pleasant walk after pa.s.sing through the stalls, and down past the Hotel de France. The route we followed leads to the right, close by the new State schools, among some poor cottages, where it turns sharply in the opposite direction, and runs down beside some fine old chestnut trees to the river.

Continuing, the track leads up a fine glen, with views of the snow- peaks towards Eaux Bonnes, which well repaid our walk.

Returning again by the town, we wandered about through the narrow streets, taking a farewell survey before leaving for Cauterets, whither we were next intent.

There is another episode connected with Argeles, that will live in our memories, and it is one that future travellers, methinks, may have reason to appreciate, if not to endorse.

Everybody learns from unhappy experience how sour the bread is throughout the Pyrenees, only excepting two or three resorts, and as we were aware of the fact before leaving Pau, we arranged with Monsieur Kern, of the Austrian Bakery, Rue de la Prefecture, to send us a certain amount of bread every day. The first night at Argeles was spent without it, but on the evening of the following day a packet was brought into the drawing-room, where we were a.s.sembled, and at the magical word ”bread” every eye brightened, and every face relaxed into a smile. Let no one cavil. This was one of the episodes that link Argeles to us with a pleasant charm.

CHAPTER V.

CAUTERETS.

Hotel de la Poste, Pierrefitte--The Gorge--Its majestic beauty--The resemblance to the Llanberis Pa.s.s--Mrs. Blunt becomes poetical--Zinc mines--Le Pont de Mediabat--Entering the town--The Rue Richelieu and Hotel du Parc--Winter's seal upon them still--Thermes des Oeufs--Thermes de Cesar--The Casino and Esplanade des Oeufs--A good dinner and the menu--The start for the Col de Riou--The Grange de la Reine Hortense--The pines--Miss Blunt's ”exhortation to the first snow”--The dogs and their gambols--Defeated, but not discouraged--To the Cerizey Cascade--The baths of La Raillere, Pet.i.t St. Sauveur, and Le Pre--Cascade du Lutour--The Marcadau gorge--Scenery--Pic de Gaube--At the Cerizey Cascade--The Pont d'Espagne and Lac de Gaube--Pont de Benques--Lutour Valley--Various excursions up same--The ”Pare”--Allees de Gambasque--The Peguere--The ”PaG.o.da” Villa--Promenade du Mamelon Vert--The road's up again--Blows and blasts--The bishop's arrival--Enthusiasm, pomposity, and benedictions--The pilgrims at large--They start on an excursion--The market and Hotel de Ville--The grocer's opinion--Pyrenean dogs and their treatment--The dog-fancier--Smiles and temper--Bargaining displaced--No dog after all!

A Landau with four horses was ready after lunch, to transport us and our baggage to Cauterets; but having enjoyed Argeles very much, we were none of us particularly glad at the prospect of the change. The road as far as Pierrefitte, lovely as it is at this season of freshness, discloses no other views than those previously described, but when we turned sharply to the right, after pa.s.sing the Hotel de la Poste, and began the ascent towards Cauterets, then our eyes had indeed a rich treat. It would require the most dismal of dismal days, with sluicing rain and clouds low down on every beautiful crag and snow-tipped summit, to make anybody born with a soul above his dinner, complain of the grandeur of the gorge, or impugn the unceasing variety of das.h.i.+ng waterfalls, foaming river, freshly-opened leaves, white heather, and bright, flower-decked fields.

The same wild majesty as the Llanberis Pa.s.s presents, strikes one here: the enormous crags in threatening att.i.tude far up the heights, the chasms and fissures brightened by a patch of young gra.s.s or a small tree, and, nearer the road, the scattered boulders luxuriantly covered with moss and fern, belong to both alike; and, while the bushes of snowy heather, the constant splash of the cascades falling over the rocks in feathery spray, and in the distance the h.o.a.ry-headed monarchs of the range reaching up towards the sky, make this different from the familiar Welsh scene, it is only a difference that greatly intensifies the beauty and the charm of this Cauterets gorge.

Even Mrs. Blunt, who as a rule prefers the matter-of-fact to the poetical, was lifted out of herself, for she suddenly clutched me by the arm, and pointing in the distance, murmured something about ”summits proudly lifting up to the sky,” and being quite unused to that kind of thing, it took me some time to recover from the shock.

A little over three miles from Pierrefitte,--where a glimpse at the zinc mines and the wire tram in connection with them can be obtained--the road pa.s.ses over the bridge of Mediabat, and some yards beyond becomes identical with the old route, which until then lay below us. The new portion (made in 1874) only extends for about two miles, as it does not commence till after the zigzag rise from Pierrefitte leads into the gorge, but the engineering of the whole has been admirably carried out, and the ascent of nearly 1,700 feet in the six miles does not tell severely on the horses. Now in an almost straight line, now by zigzags, we gradually neared the town, the gorge widening at the same time, though the peaks, some covered with trees, some snow-covered, seemed to bar the way completely at no very great distance.

We were quite close before we could really be said to have seen the town, and ere we could form any opinion of it we drove up the Rue Richelieu and found ourselves at the Hotel du Parc. Monsieur Villeneuve, the jovial and experienced host, and his pleasant spouse, came out to welcome us, and although the hotel had only been open four days, made us as comfortable as they could.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAUTERETS.]

Cauterets (3,254 feet) was only just waking into life, only two or three hotels, one or two hair-dressers, one confectioner's, one tobacconist's, and one or two grocers' shops were open; while of the bathing establishments, the ”Thermes des Oeufs,” the largest, and the Thermes de Cesar, were the only ones showing signs of renewed life.

The Esplanade des Oeufs, [Footnote: ”Oeufs” because of the water's scent resembling ”rotten eggs.”] a large tree-planted s.p.a.ce in front of the princ.i.p.al ”thermes” (just mentioned)--which serves as casino, concert-hall, and theatre as well--seemed utterly deserted; whereas in summer, with the band playing, the trees in full leaf, the booths opened, and the crowds of visitors, the scene must be the gayest of the gay. We had just time to notice so much, on the afternoon of our arrival, before the sun set behind the huge mountains which surround this charming spot and the hour of dinner arrived. This dinner was so excellent, so well cooked and served, that, although we despise with a deep-rooted scorn the wretched cla.s.s of individuals who make their dinner their main object in life, we nevertheless consider that we are only paying a merited tribute to the _chef_ in saying that the cooking was always of a high standard, and quoting as a specimen the evening's _menu_ (May 1):

SOUP.

Gravy.

FISH.

Salmon, with sliced potatoes and melted b.u.t.ter.

MADE DISHES.

Hashed Veal. Sauce Piquante.

Sweetbreads and green peas.

ROAST.

Chicken.

VEGETABLES.

Asparagus. Potatoes (new).

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