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Backpacks, Boots and Baguettes Walking in the Pyrenees

This is the roof of a mountain range that stretches from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean coasts, and provides some of the most breathtakingly beautiful landscape to be found in Europe.  My walking companion, Mick Webb, and I stepped out to conquer this part of the world, following the time-honoured tradition of walking the GR10. With our backpacks, boots and baguettes, we explore the region: meeting the people, savouring the views – and the wines – and arguing about how best to cope with the constant surprises and challenges of magnificent mountains.

An important ritual, which often signalled the end of our walking day, was the award of “le con du jour”, the twit of the day.  Given our relatively disorganized approach to the business of travelling, as well as our idiosyncrasies, very few days went by without one or other of us – or possibly both – committing an outrageous “faux pas” or making some potentially catastrophic blunder with map or compass.

The good thing about the process was it stopped any rancour building up over the long term; on the negative side, if there hadn’t been a reckoning for three days, it was quite possible for old wounds to be reopened.