Vernet-les-Bains

 Salut!

 I want to tell you about the first real excursion I undertook with the other assistants: having spent some time with them in Perpignan I jumped at the chance to get to know the group better by joining the trip to Vernet-les-Bains planned - I believe - by Cristina, a lovely Spanish assistant.

 I arrived at the station of the 1 Euro Buses, which is located behind the railway station (so pretty near the centre of the universe!). The 1 Euro Buses do what it says on the tin - you pay one euro and can travel to a wide range of places. They're a very useful resource for exploring the area.

 Lindsay and Tyesha were the first of my fellow assistants to arrive and the rest came in dribs and drabs. I sat with Lupita, an American assistant, and it was nice to get to know her. 

 Overall, five countries were represented among the assistants: the UK, the US, Canada, Spain and Germany. Among our fellow travellers there were most probably some French people, making six countries on one bus. A great mix!

 We passed through some really beautiful countryside as we trundled into the mountains.

The bus station in Prades

 We arrived in Vernet-les-Bains, a commune known for its hot springs and tranquil mountain setting.

 We lost some of our group to the swimming pool at this hotel. The rest of us decided to give the swimming a miss and explore the town and mountains.

 The town of Vernet-les-Bains is small but pleasant; I bought some postcards for my collection and enjoyed watching a dove in one of the trees; sadly it didn't keep still enough to photograph.

 There is a lot of information posted around the town and in the surrounding countryside about Rudyard Kipling's fondness of the area; they seem very proud of it.

 After exploring the town we began to climb into the mountains.

 We reached Kipling's "Paradise Viewpoint." As you might expect, the view was gorgeous.

 Having reached Paradise, we headed back down towards the town.

 We had another look around the town.

At the bus stop

 As we waited for the bus I watched the evening sun over the mountains and reflected on what a nice day it had been. Now, with some hindsight, I look back on that trip with some nostalgia: it was the first time I met several assistants who I now see as friends, it was my first trip into the Pyrenees, and it was a great experience all round. The moody lighting which was annoying at the time as it made taking photographs difficult now has a dramatic, ethereal quality to it. I have returned to the mountains since - to Villefranche-en-Conflent and Fort Liberia - and I will document that experience soon. Watch this space!

 The bus arrived and we all sank into our seats, exhausted. Something I've noticed when trekking around the French countryside is that you often don't feel tired at all until after you've finished and then it really catches up with you. 

 At least we had some pretty vistas flying past the window in the early sunset.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x