We move out of the hotel and drive to the lake Bois Artigue. Some sort of cleaning is in progress there – the lake is empty and a caterpillar tractor moves round in it’s bed. We move up long way by the woody hillside to Lac d’Ayous, Ayous pass and the summit (Pic de Ayous). At 1:45pm we are here. The view is magnificent – a number of lakes downhill, reddish cliffs all around.
When we had plenty of the beauty around, we go down through the meadow full of giant rocks, to the next lake – Lac de Balaitous. We take a short brake there and then descend to the parking place. A cup of tea in a car and then drive to our next stay – Le Cot.
The last 5 km we drive the very narrow road through corn fields. Just about the time we were sure that we are lost we noticed the hotel sign. The hotel road goes down and through very narrow pass between two buildings. Just behind the fence there is a herd of cows, then woods and mountains. The hostess Patricia welcomes us. Two darling doggies follow her – Napoleon and Ta-ta-winne. Ta-ta-winne is a distant village in Algerie. To send somebody to Ta-ta-winne means to send him far away. The hostess shows her garden full of different spices and her house. There is a hall with a giant fire-place on the ground floor. Our room is on the first floor. It looks like a museum or perhaps a nobleman’s bedroom. Our worry is that our belongings do not get lost between numerous tidies, serviettes and other luxuries. The hostess shows her library as well – the shelves are full of ancient and probably very expensive volumes.
We settle in and then go down to the garden to enjoy different odors and the beautiful landscape.