The Big Trip - Unisex facilities and not quite conquering fears

It's not unusual for French campsites to have unisex 'facilities' and this site is one of them. Everything's also in the same block - toilets, showers, washing up sink and laundry facilities and after a day or two you get used to listening to people on the loo while you're washing up. Not everyone takes it in their stride though and yesterday morning I was doing some ironing (dull but hear me out) when three young Spanish men came in. I couldn't understand everything they were saying but two of them were clearly laughing at the third and I guessed that he didn't just want a quick wee. The only free cubicle was right next to the ironing board and he kept looking from me, to the cubicle door and back again, obviously weighing up how desperately he needed to go. Very it seems as he eventually went in. Queue lots of coughing and flushing the toilet over and overand a very red face when he came back out. I don't think he saw me laughing because he was out of the door and gone in seconds!

We decided to go over to Pic du Midi, one of the higher mountains in the Pyrenees. The drive there took us up the Col du Tourmalet, a ridiculously high mountain pass, famous for the Tour de France and an absolutely terrifying drive when you're scared of heights. The poor kids got yelled at every time they spoke as I was too busy to listen to them. Busy alternating between not looking down and looking down to make sure we didn't fall off of the road! 

Up and over the pass, past hundreds of knackered cyclists, takes you to La Mongie, a small ski village from where you get the cable cars up to the top of the Pic du Midi. Again, not a great idea when you're scared of heights but the scenery was quite a distraction and I was rewarded with a great view of a bearded vulture, flying at the same level as the cable car (I didn't know it was a beareded vulture until we read the info sheets at the top but I knew I'd never seen one before).

Unfortunately it was very cloudy at the top so we only got glimpses of the views but we had a good look round the observatory up there and the English guide told us all about the history of the place. It's quite an eerie place, especially when it's in the clouds but the history and current projects being conducted there are really interesting.

I clearly secretly liked the cable car as today we went to Pont d'Espagne, which also included rides in chairlifts and cable cars. I'd seen pictures of this place and been told how stunning it is but words just don't do it justice. From the blue/green lake at the top (Lac de Gaube) down to the huge waterfall at the Pont d'Espagne it's all just breathtaking.

Anybody that tells you that chairlifts are safe are clearly lying though. These poor souls must have slipped out on their way down, leaving only their rucksacks behind.

Tomorrow is a relatively early start as we're going white water rafting. They're picking us up from the site at 9am, which according to the kids is an unreasonably early hour. Going back to school is going to be interesting....