Is it summer?!

My apologies, first of all, to anybody who is reading this from the UK. I'm sorry. I truely am (ish). But it's not my fault. I didn't order it. But I'm bloody glad that it's here and wish I could send some of it over to you! I also wish I had brought a pair of shorts and some sun cream away with me, but I wasn't expecting temperatures of up to 20 degrees. The sun is warm, so warm, but the air temperature is also very warm which is what makes the difference. And the good news (for me!) is that it is set to last through to the latter half of the week as high pressure dominates - hurrah!

We took advantage of the amazing weather this afternoon to explore up the Arreau valley which runs from La Barthe-de-Neste up to the Peyragudes ski resortThe mountains were stunning under the clear blue skiesWe walked up onto the hillside above Arreau and very quickly spotted 2 red deer hinds above us. They naturally took fright as soon as they saw us and disappeared from view. Red kites were everywhere and buzzards were ten-a-penny. I wished I had gone out in my running gear, as the paths and track would have been superb to run on. Another time. It is good to explore more of the area and to get more of a 'feel' for the Hautes Pyrenees in general. There are areas that are much more visited and populated than anywhere that you will find in the Ariege but there also some lovely quiet little 'off the beaten track' villages and countryside areas that I am keen to explore further. We have another 5 days here so I will be making the most of it!