A short drive from our hotel was the pretty little spa town of Luchon. At the foot of the central Pyrenees, the town is surrounded by stunning views of the mountains. Its location and proximity to a lot of the fantastic climbs in the area also means that it regularly features in the Tour de France, this year having both a stage finish and a stage start in the town. This is reflected in the town through the decorations, flags and restaurants all paying homage to the race.
The town itself is full of lovely restaurants, cafes and boulangeries. The array of mouth watering cakes and sweets certainly caught the kids attention, whereas I was in heaven with all the freshly baked bread and the knowledge of some fantastic cheeses in the fridge back at the hotel.
We spent a few days in Luchon, checking out the shops and general area and making full use of the local municipal pool which must surely have one of the finest backdrops of any swimming pool I have had the pleasure to use! It also had a 3 metre diving board which Isabelle loved and hurled herself off many a time with a loud yell of ‘CANNONBALL’.
It would have been quite nice to have headed up in the cable car to Superbagnères, the ski resort above Luchon, to have a look at the scenery. Unfortunately, on the day that would have worked for us to go and have a look, there was a thick blanket of cloud from about half way up the mountain so it wasn’t worth us going and having a look. We’re coming back in February for some skiiing and I always find it interesting to be able to compare a ski resort with and without snow. I can’t wait to get back to ski here though!
by Chris Legg