Our visit to the cathedral was ideally timed. We had arrived before Sunday Mass, thus allowing us to have a good look inside. Also, there was a small market set up in front of the church, which we briefly visited, and a patisserie across the road, where we picked up some gâteaux Russe and gâteaux Basque to take away.
We were in the Sainte-Marie district here. Originally, this neighbourhood was a town in itself, with Oloron situated across the river. In 1858, the two cities merged, thus adopting the current hyphenated name. We were now headed to the Oloron sector, walking downhill towards the Gave d'Aspe, the city's river.
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| Le Gave d'Aspe |
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| Love the flowers here. |
When we arrived at a bridge, we stopped for photos. Le Pont Sainte-Marie was festooned with colourful flower boxes, which provided a lovely foreground for our shots. Even under a dull sky, this was a beautiful setting, with the water cascading over a small waterfall in the distance.
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| Looking back at the bridge |
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| Saint James as a pilgrim |
We crossed to the other side to capture the scene from a different perspective. Here the gracefulness of the bridge itself was evident. Greenery above and below it added warmth to the stone structure. On this side of the river stands a metal statue of a pilgrim, meant to represent Saint James himself (Saint-Jacques in France, Santiago in Spain). This is reminder that Oloron-Sainte-Marie lies at the crossroads of the Arles and Piedmont routes to Santiago de Compostela
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| Climbing up |
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| Baa baa black sheep |
From here, we made our way to the medieval quarter of Sainte-Croix, climbing an old stone stairway which led to a viewpoint over the town. I was surprised to encounter a couple of black sheep during our ascent. "Where did they come from?", I wondered.
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| The view |
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| Bob zoomed into the cathedral. |
At the top, the view was spectacular. Here was a pretty French town with not a single high-rise tower in sight, and the Pyrénées in the background, beyond which was Spain. From here, we were able to pick out the cathedral among the grey rooftops.
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| Pathway in the upper town |
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| Église Sainte-Croix |
Next, we followed a path between stone walls from which we emerged beside an ancient church. L'Église Sainte-Croix was built in the 11th century, at the same time as the old feudal town in which it stands. Unlike the majority of churches we had visited in France, this one has had relatively few renovations over the centuries. In fact, it was neglected for a time and then restored to its original design–a great decision since its tower-like belfry is quite unusual.
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| Side view of Église Sainte-Croix |
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| Interior |
The Romanesque interior boasts a barrel vault and a floor replete with tombstones. These range in date from the XV to XVIII centuries. It is interesting that some of these people would have been Protestants, and others, Catholic, depending on which religion was in favour in Béarn at the time of their death.
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| Ancient grave marker |
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| The Moorish Dome |
The dome here is unique in France. Clearly, it is influenced by Islamic art with its intertwining ribs creating an eight-point star. This is the sort of design more commonly found in southern Spain, in Cordoba's mosque, for instance. We found it intriguing but we were more drawn to the colourful capitals in the choir. These were created in the workshop of the master sculptor who had fashioned the portal of the Cathedral. They had recently been painted.
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| One of the capitals in the choir |
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| Another capital in the choir |
In the church yard is a statue of Mater Dolorosa, a grieving representation of the Virgin Mary. Sculpted in the 19th century by Jean-Jacques Ducel, it has been fashioned out of cast iron. Mary's face powerfully evokes her great despair at the death of Jesus on Calvary.
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| Mater Dolorosa |
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| Dilapidated medieval buildings |
Across the road from the church are some medieval buildings, which, sadly, are in poor condition. I certainly hope that they will be saved, but their current neglected state does not bode well. We followed a street radiating from this spot until we arrived at the Tour de Grède, another ancient structure.
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| Tour de Grède |
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| Achal cross |
Restored about 20 years ago, this 13th century defensive tower is now a museum, which was closed when we were there. Had it been open, we could have climbed to the top of it and been treated to a panoramic view over the city. It also contains a large collection of Pyrénéan wildlife. Nearby, we spotted another Achal cross, reminding us of the two we had seen the day before.
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| La Maison de Patrimonie |
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| Air raid siren? |
Also nearby is la Maison du Patrimonie (Heritage House). This 17th century bourgeois home was restored forty years ago as a place to present archaeological and ethnological artifacts of the region. In short, it is now a museum, which, like the tower, was closed on this day. On its roof is what appears to be a civil defence siren of some sort.
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Selfie in traffic mirror
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| Pretty pathway |
We continued on from here, walking down a hill in this ancient quarter. When Bob spotted a traffic mirror, he saw an opportunity for a selfie. in due course, we found another charming pathway which led to the lower town.
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| The calm Gave d'Aspe |
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| A beautiful scene |
We soon found ourselves crossing the river again, this time on the Saint-Claire bridge. Here, the still water reflected the houses on the embankment perfectly. Again using the planters as a foreground, Bob turned his shot into a piece of art.
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| The gate at the entrance of le Jardin Public |
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| The fountain |
Shortly afterwards, we arrived at le Jardin Public, a green space which clearly values symmetry. Although small, it is very pretty, with a lovely fountain as its centrepiece. We found a public washroom here–the French do a great job at providing these–and then returned to our B&B to pick up our car. It was parked in the barn at the back of the house, where a grassy bunny kept watch in the yard.
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| Bob on his way to get the car |
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| Lawn decor |
Oloron-Sainte-Marie has a Lindt factory, so we drove there first, but like almost everything else we had visited on this day, it was closed, so we headed out of town. Thirty-five minutes later, we arrived at our first stop of the day, Pau, the capital of the Béarn region and the largest city we had visited since Bordeaux.
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| Another pretty road |
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| We parked near here. |
While we made good time getting to Pau, we spent a very long time trying to find a place to park. We circled the city centre twice until a spot opened up on Boulevard des Pyrénées, an ideal place from which to begin a walking tour of the city
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| The Parc Beaumont Hotel and Spa |
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| The balcony area |
Luckily, we were able to match our location to the map in our guidebook. We were close to the Park Beaumont Hotel and Spa. This establishment advertises itself as a a place ideally suited for leisure or business stays. With its balcony overlooking the Pynénées, it is very impressive.
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| The view to the Pyrénées |
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| The hotel as seen from Parc Beaumont |
Directly east of it is the park after which the hotel is named. Park Beaumont is an English style garden with magnificent trees and a bandstand in its centre. In the late September sunshine, we found flowers still in full bloom, and swans swimming in its artificial pond.
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| This dahlia is perfect! |
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| A pair of swans |
We walked northwest through the park and beyond, stopping next beside the Higher School of Art and Design of the Pynénées, a very modern building which is connected by a glass tunnel–called the "glass wave"–to the Musée des Beaux Arts.
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| Musée des Beaux Arts (left); glass wave (centre); ESAD (right) |
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| Abstract painting |
The Museum itself is housed in an art deco building and contains an impressive collection including works by El Greco, Degas, and many other notable artists. We opted not to visit on this day, in large part because there was so much else to see in Pau and we had limited time.
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| Fountain in front of la Musée des Beaux Arts |
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| Sculpture at la Musée des Beaux Arts |
We were now on one of the city's main boulevards which took us southwest towards historic parts of the city. Since it was early afternoon, we picked up a couple of sandwiches to eat as we walked, while enjoying the cityscape around us. After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at le Quartier du Hédas, the oldest part of Pau.
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| Place Clemenceau |
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| Quartier de Hédas |
To access it, we descended to the lower town, an area once built around a stream which now runs underground. This was once the quarter of the working class, and housed artisans, inns, and cabarets. The façades of the buildings here were fashioned out of pebbles taken from the river bed.
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| Quartier de Hédas |
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| Fountain in Hédas |
In 2017, the area underwent a major revitalization, turning it into a walkway from Pau's Castle to la Place d'Espagne over a kilometre away. We visited only a small portion, le Carrefour de la Fontaine, named after the ancient fountain in the photo above.
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| Église Saint-Martin |
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| Interesting use of colour |
We found a stairway leading back to the upper town and continued our journey west, taking in the sights along the way. It was a delight to spot a church down a narrow street or, later, to admire the colours in a more modern building on the other side of a bridge.
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| Door knocker at Maison Peyré |
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| Maison Peyré |
We eventually arrived at the medieval quarter. We stopped at Maison Peyré, with its unusual door-knocker in the shape of a basset hound. I touched it for good luck. The building itself is a 17th century mansion. The status of its original owner is evident in his home's location, directly opposite le Château de Pau.
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| Le Château de Pau |
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| The Renaissance Castle |
A fortress was built here in 1370, but it has been much changed over the centuries. During the Renaissance, when it became the residence of the viscounts of Béarn, it was transformed into a castle. France's first Bourbon monarch, Henri IV, was born here, and much later, it became a shrine to him.
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| The castle courtyard |
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| The south wall of the castle |
We entered the courtyard, keen to visit the interior, but, alas, that did not happen. We were not aware that only guided tours–in French–were available and we would have to wait over half an hour for the next one. Bob told me I could go ahead but we decided against it. Instead we took more photos of the exterior.
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| A final shot of the castle |
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| The Parliament of Navarre |
We were now back at the Boulevard des Pyrénées but at its western end. Next to us was le Parliament de Navarre, a symbol of Béarn's autonomy before it was annexed to France. It is used today for meetings of the Pynénées-Atlantique Department Council.
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| Église Saint-Martin |
Other beautiful historic buildings stand on the north side of this famous avenue. The next one we encountered was Église Saint-Martin. (We had glimpsed it in the distance earlier in our walk.) This neo-classical church was erected in 1871.
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| War Memorial in front of Église Saint-Martin |
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| Rose window |
We walked around to the entrance to have a look inside. The architect, Emile Boeswillward, wanted to make this church a piece of art, and so he incorporated many stunning elements, employing the very best artisans in the area. For example, the stained-glass windows blend vibrant colours and intricate patterns.
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| Part of the church's interior |
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| A simple but elegant chapel |
After we visited the church, we returned to the Boulevard des Pynénées via la Place Royale, an open area which contains the Pau sign; we posed in front of it in the photo that begins this post. Here, too, is the statue of native son, Henri IV, although we did not take a photo. Soon afterwards, we were back at our car and ready to continue on our way.
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| Mushroom window display |
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| Store fronts on Place Royale |
On our 45 minute drive to Tarbes, our next destination, we left Béarn behind and entered a new region, Occitanie. Tarbes is the historic capital of the county of Bigorre. We easily found a parking spot in this sleepy town and began our explorations.
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| Me, Hôtel de Ville, and Danton |
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| Fountain in Place Marcadieu |
We started at Place Jean Jaués, where a statue of Georges Jacques Danton stands in front of the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall). He was a leading figure in the early days of the French Revolution and never lived in Tarbes, but the town acquired his statue to honour his role in establishing the First Republic. A short walk from there is the town's central square, Place Marcadieu. Here, a fountain creates a cage-like effect.
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| Bob walking along a Tarbes street |
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| The façade of la Cathédrale de Tarbes |
We continued walking along quiet streets until we arrived at la Cathédrale de Tarbes, Notre-Dame de la Sède. This was a very interesting church, rather plain on the outside but gorgeous inside. It has deep roots here, having been established in the 12th century, with additions in the 14th and 18th centuries.
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| I took the photo below here. |
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| The gilded high altar surmounted by a marble canopy |
Once inside, we focused on the details of this lovely building. I walked through its gothic nave, drawn to the magnificent gilt altarpiece in front of me. The Baroque canopy above it has been fashioned out of local green and red marbles.
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| Orate gallery |
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| The organ |
I was pleased to see a gallery here. I was under the impression that they only existed in Basque churches, but apparently I was wrong. The 17th century organ has been designated as a historic monument. Recently restored, it is said to have a beautiful sound. .
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| The Chapel of the Blessed Virgin |
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| Ceiling art in the chapel |
One of the two chapels in Notre-Dame de la Sède is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In its centre is a statue of Sedes Sapientia, a representation of Mary with baby Jesus on her lap. On the ceiling above it is a trio of paintings depicting scenes from the Virgin's life.
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| Préfecture des Hautes-Pynénées |
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| A shady area |
As we exited Notre-Dame de la Sède, we looked to our left at the former bishop's palace, which now is the headquarters of the Préfecture des Hautes-Pyrénées, a governmental administration building. We admired its typical French characteristics, such as a mansard roof and shuttered windows. In front of us was a tree-lined pathway in the middle of a parking lot, a very French idea, I think.
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| Delicate flowers in front of the Orangerie |
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| More blooms |
Our final stop in Tarbes was the Jardin Massey, a fifteen minute walk away. Classified as a "remarkable garden" in France, and, certainly, the prettiest in the southwest, it was designed by Tarbes native, Placide Massey, once the director of the vegetable garden in Versailles.
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| Yellow dahlia |
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| Yellow rose |
Jardin Massey covers eleven hectares in the middle of the city. In late September, there were still many flowers in bloom, both large and small. There was also a great variety of trees from all over the world, and some rare plants as well.
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| Some of the trees |
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| Statuary and plants |
The area is dotted with some interesting man-made structures. The most striking of these in the Musée Massey, a moorish building with an observation tower from which one can view the Pyrénées. It is a modern art and history museum, but we did not visit it.
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| The Cloister |
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| Musée Massey |
Instead, conscious of the hour, we made our way back to our car, stopping to take a couple of pictures on the way. It was a gorgeous day for photography. The former Carmelite convent below, now a cultural centre and museum called Le Carmel, was lit up by the late afternoon sun. Stunning! Nearby, Bob saw an opportunity to take another of his creative shots of me, distorted by a sculpture.
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| Le Carmel |
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| There I am! |
Back on the road, we were now heading for the hills, literally. Having spent many days in the valleys north of the mountains, at last, we were driving through the Parc National des Pynénées where the mountians would surround us. The hour long journey to Luz-Saint-Sauveur was spectacular.
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| The view near Adé |
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| In the mountains near Chèze |
Once we entered this small town, we spent a long time circling its narrow streets trying to find our hotel. After three trips up and around, we finally spotted Hotel les Templiers, the ivy covered two star establishment where we would spend the night. It was not fancy but it was well located, since it faced an ancient church which we would visit the next day.
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| Church of the Templars |
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| Le Bastan, the river that runs through the town |
At this point, we were focused on finding a place to eat. We soon learned that on a Sunday evening, Luz-Saint-Sauveur was a dead zone. The best restaurants were closed, so we settled for a a family-friendly establishment, Le Txoko. Here, there were pinball machines, a bowling alley, and screaming kids, but there was also some food. It was not gourmet quality but it filled a hole.
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| Church of the Templars at night |
When we returned to our hotel, the old church was floodlit, whetting our appetite for a visit in the morning. After a busy day of touring big and small capital cities, and walking over 12 000 steps, we were ready for a good night's sleep.
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