Day 36 – to Nailloux

147 km
In the morning it was foggy with sometime a light rain. Because the wind was coming from the northwest I expected rain in the Pyrenees valleys. Due to little differences in height and moving to lower heights & wind in the back I had a higher speed than the other days. Near Saint Gaudens I had to decide and I opted for the cycle route along the river la Garonne. It was signed out properly and I had good views to the river and the villages were nice.  I followed the route until Capens and then switched to the D622 to bypass Toulouse on my way to the Canal du Midi.
The weather improved during the day and coming further to the east. After leaving la Garonne I had to cross some hill chains with an height varying between 200 m and 270 m.
On the camping it seems that there was no rain today. And the approximaty to Toulouse with the Airbus works was clear: Int the camping a family from Hamburg, both parents working at Airbus wanted to see the town Toulouse before traveling home.
Paul

Day 35 – to Capvern

90 km
In the morning I thought to hear some raindrops in the tent. It was some condensed water that felt from the leaves of a tree.
I packed my things as others also did. One of the guests on the camping municipal was a woman labeled Isabelle (on one of her bags). She travelled on roller skates and had a one wheeler to carry her luggage. She said, she had problems to come forward on some streets, due to loose pebbles. She was heading for a competition for runners and skaters this weekend. I whished her good luck   as she left the camping.
My route started with a light climb and then I cycled on about the same height for 20 km’s until Nay, where I crossed the river la Gave du Pau and then followed the river to Lourdes. And really in Lourdes there were some raindrops as predicted by the weather forecast. I now cycled on a route I did last year already. In Lourdes I bought the food for the weekend and had lunch.
The next part to Bagnères de Bigorre was steeper then I had in my memory. In order to cross the river le Luz the road descends about 200 m,  that I had to climb afterwards again.
Just before the bridge is an old monastery. During the climb to Mauvezin I saw rain showers in the high mountains. Short before Capvern I was in the middle of a thunderstorm  and flashes of lightning were nearby. I decided to stop at the nearest camping. I waited in the sanitary building until the wo worst of the thunderstorm was over and pitched my tent. This time I installed the outer part of the tent first and them the dry inner tent. After the rain came a clear sky and relatively high temperatures..
Paul

Day 34 – to Arudy

115 km
Th route I found with the routing of the openfietsmap on my Garmin was fine. Low traffic but sometimes also big height differences instead of less height difference and  longer route. At least I had splendid views to the high Pyrenees. In St Plaisir I bought some food and had lunch in the shadow of a tiny tree on a new constructed square.
In Mauleon I came now fo the second time on this tour.. To Oloron now I took a longer route, but with minor differences in height. I bypassed Olorpn and used a track of ‘op oude wegen in the direction to Lourdes.
I used a camping municipal in Arudy: The camping is free of charge, but if you want to take a shower, you have to buy a coin. And Apparently some dogs use the grass as a bathroom.
By the way full of sun today, but in the evening the wind starts blowing. The weather forecast predicts rain and thunderstorm for tomorrow.
Paul