The first bit was pretty straightforward. A morning packing, checking the weather (did it really say snow? Decide to stuff an insulated jacket into an already stuffed pack and contemplate a pair of Scarpa ZG65 rather that the lightweight Terrocs). Northern Line to Waterloo, then an afternoon Eurostar to Gare du Nord. Metro to Gare d'Austerlitz, dinner in the the brasserie, then get on the Corail a little before midnight and head to Lourdes. Couchette is full, discover there's not much leg room on the top bunk, and that anyone over 50 snores. Get a couple of hours sleep at least.
Arrive at Lourdes at around 7:50. The Gare is already packed with Italian pilgrims, arriving on special trains. After about 20 mins, get on an SNCF coach outside the station and drive south. See the dark shapes of the hills in the distance. It's grey, raining, but not too cold. After about an hour and a drive up a tree-lined, increasingly steep valley, we arrive in Cauterets, once famous for its spas and thermal baths, and now the gateway to the Parc National des Pyrenees.
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