Still smiling!

Well, the leg has healed wonderfully well and I am now able to pick up the exercise again which, after 4 weeks of doing so very little, is a great relief! I was, however concerned about my fitness levels but it was only by getting out and doing stuff that I would find out where I stood.

Winter proper arrived on Wednesday and Thursday last week, with snow settling down to 800m. We are at 600m so we were just treated to heavy rain and cold, which wasn't so pleasant, but with the woodburning central heating working well we stayed snug and toasty indoors. On Saturday, with a clear, blue-skied day forecast, Suzanne suggested we head out for a snowshoe outing. Oh yes please - what better way to celebrate the 1st December and the first proper snowfall of the year! Ian and Jane joined us as we headed out to Arbas, just 10 minutes along the road from us, and then up the hillside to the track below the Estives de Paloumère.  It took us 45 minutes on a track and then paths, to reach the Estives (the summer mountain pastures for sheep and horses) but it was one of those jaw-dropping 'WOW' moments when we did. It was one of the most stunningly beautiful winter wonderlands that I have ever seen.

We headed on up the hill, determined to reach the point that would afford us the best views of the high mountains

The wind had created fantastic rime formations on the ground and on the hillside above - it was like a cake decorated with ornate royal icing! Quite spectacular.

The views from the top were worth the effort - WOW!

But we didn't hang about for too long as the windchill was quite significant and the pooch was suffering with cold paws. We headed back down, taking in the beauty, before heading back to the car

It had been a grand afternoon out in great company and the legs felt fantastic and not even tired after 11.5kms and 550m of ascent on the snowshoes. And thanks to my wonderful new Canon Ixus 230HS camera (which I highly recommend to anybody looking for a slip-in-the-pocket, highly intelligent camera with an array of manual as well as fully-auto functions, by the way), I was able to capture the outing with some lovely photos! I was well-chuffed (as they say oop North!). More please!