Friday, January 15, 2010

A January Walk Around Bagnères-De-Bigorre



I am suffering from cabin fever, after New Year, MG and I had very nasty colds which we are still recovering from, we have not been out much, we were supposed to go skiing today, but MG had too much work on,  I did not want to spend this beautiful day in the house, so, I decided to go to Bagnères-de-Bigorre for a mooch round.

Bagnères-de-Bigorre is around a twenty minute drive from our house, It's a picturesque spa town in which much Pyreneean folklore is centred, and was the home of a well known 19C literary society, specialising in works inspired by the mountains.  When we first visited around eight years ago it was rather run down and had a sense of faded grandeur rather like a grand old British seaside resort, but recently new people have arrived and slowly but surely the town is coming back to life.

I took my camera with me as there is a real mix of architecure in the town including very elegant, ancient, quirky and completely run down, so come for a walk with me........

It's the custom here to paint your house in a bright colour



And another!



They have really made an effort with this one, tea and chambre d'hotes!



This has potential



Oh dear, French spa town or the back streets of Naples



This one is really pretty



Heading into the posh side of town



 Very elegant

Have you noticed how quiet it is?  Everybody is having lunch!



Say it with flowers!



The leaning tower of BDB, No, Tours des Jacobins all that remains of a 15C monastry destroyed during the revolution



A 15C half timbered house



When the weather gets warmer, the cafes put out tables and chairs, under the trees for al fresco dining



With a prescription, here, you can have treatment for respiratory, rheumatic and psychosomatic disorders, 



You don't need a prescription to go here, the new spa, for relaxation and beauty treatments



You need a few people to hug this ancient tree






2 comments:

  1. Dash, I absolutely love your pictures and I feel like jumping on the plane and going to Bagnères-de-Bigorre just to escape from this miserably wet British weather we are getting at the moment. It must be a priviledge for you to live so close to a place like this.

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  2. Hello ASD, We are lucky to live here, although sometimes we do take it for granted. I gather from your blog that you have an important exhibition coming up, I think when it's finished you should treat yourself to a holiday.

    XX

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