I’m suddenly feeling rather deflated. Probably no wonder. I am sitting in the train on my way from Ax les Thermes to Toulouse. Nathy left early with Marie-Line and Bastienne then about 11:00 Stéphanie, David, Laura, Françoise, Charlotte, Guillaume, Cécile and Sylvan went with Jean to Ax – Jean then carried on to Toulouse with Laura, dropping Stéphanie and David off in Foix on the way.
This left Céline, Elza and I to go for a walk while waiting for the train to Ax at 13:45. Marie stayed behind. Florian then took us in pairs to the station and we were on our way to Ax. Marie took leave of us there and the three of us hunted down a sandwich bar and then headed off to the baths having briefly seen the others.
We had a relaxing time in the baths – warm (thermal) water with jets and streams and all sorts of pleasantries; even outside with a superb view of the sun shining on the snow high in the Pyrenees. We also partook of the Hamamm and the Sauna. The hamamm is like a sauna except that rather than dry air, the air is extremely humid.
After about an hour and a half, we decided to dry off and meet up with the others who were assembled at a bookshop opposite. We walked a short way to a bar and there we took our final leave. Writing this is quite emotion provoking – more so than the moment itself; you go through quite an experience together riding a transhumance and it is very much more than a normal “rando”. It is nice too when your host thanks you; not just for being there as anyone might do, but genuinely for the help in herding his animals to their winter grounds.
I shall miss the clown in Guillaume; the confidant in Laura; the open friendliness of Céline; the genuine compatriot in Sylvan; the “old lags happy to be together again” of Cécile, Marie and Jean; the driving enthusiasm of Nathy; the reserved but intense interest of Françoise; the quiet unassuming Stéphanie and David; the concerns of Marie-Line; the charm of Bastienne and last but by no means least, the intensity and depth of Elza.
I thank you all for a wonderful week and I hope to see all of you again at some time in the future
XXX
