On top of the Pyrenees!!

The Superbagnères ski resort.

I am always fascinated by mountains and it has been my dream to visit all the great mountain ranges on Earth.   So when I found myself in a place from where I can get to the Atlantic in 3 hours and the Mediterranean in 3.5 hours and the beautiful Pyrenees mountains in roughly the same time,it was not a very hard decision for me to make.

Quaint little Luchon.

Luchon (Bagnères-de-Luchon) is a quaint little town in the South western region of France and is surrounded by the beautiful central Pyrenees mountain range. Luchon is easily accessible from Toulouse and it has got all the charms of a rustic Alpine hamlet shrouded in infinite natural glory. My main attraction however was the Superbagnères ski resort that can be reached by a gondola from Luchon.

The charming Luchon town center.

The gondola ride was a hair-raising one for me as I have never been on one before. As I looked up I could see that my life was hanging by a small pulley that was rolling smoothly on a cable and it made a squeaking sound as we moved from one pole to another. It was quite a steep ride and as I looked ahead, I could see the outline of the mountain shrouded in clouds. I thought, that is it, that is where I am going. Unfortunately, that was not the end and it seemed the climb would continue for eternity. To be honest, the view was spectacular but I have vertigo and it was quite a different experience for me. Once I reach the top, all the pain and the anxiety seemed absolutely worthwhile as I was in heaven!! The views were magnificent and the distant rugged mountain peaks were glistening in the bright afternoon sun.

The Gondola boarding point.

The ride up.

I have made it to the top!!!!

The spectacular Pyrenees.

The rolling meadows and the hill faces were exceedingly beautiful and I decided to take a nap on the grass and soak all the serenity and beauty spread around me. I was awaken by a soft nudge on my head as a cow decided to sit right next to me. It had a big bell around its neck for the farmer to know about its whereabouts but for me it served a whole new purpose. All the tinkling and clinking coming from it sounded like a lullaby and it greatly helped in calming down my nerves after the adrenaline filled gondola ride.

The Alpine cow.

That was a day really well spent in the lap of mother nature and I strongly recommend Luchon to all my readers if you ever visit the South of France. And If you are lucky, an Alpine cow might come around to say “bonjour” as well!!