Pont d'Espagne France

Travelled:78km
Visited:Pont d'Espagne
Stay:Gavarnie-aire,€7 parking with water and dumping GPS N42°44.317' W0°01.167'

Set off early and drove along the St. Savin Valley, through Cauterets and up to the Pont d'Espagne. (We had driven on this road last year when the floods came through and we could still see the damage along the river).
We entered the park and went for a short walk to have a look and were awed by the power of the water coming down the cascades. It probably helps that it has been raining and still is! The bridge stands at the confluence of two rushing mountain streams- the Gaves de Gaube and Marcadau. 

As it was pretty wet we went back to Bluey and had a good breakfast of egg and ham galettes. With the weather slightly lifting we decided to pay to go on the gondola and chairlift, taking us up from 1400m to 1725m alt. and then a 15min walk to Lake Gaube.
As we walked to the lake we had a glimpse of Vignmale (3298m) the highest summit in the French Pyrenees, before the cloud and rain came in again. We walked along the lake to the cascade on the otherside and then on our way back we had to wait for the herd of cattle and one donkey to come off the track. 

The view we could have seen.

Once back in Bluey we went back down the Valley and headed to Gavarnie. On the way we stopped at Pragneres and did a tour of the EDF hydroelectric plant. There are 435 EDF hydro plants scattered around France and in 2011 produced up to 6% of power required in comparison to nearly 92% of Nuclear energy.
Once in Gavarnie, we had a brief stroll through the tourist village before heading 2km out to the aire. Fingers crossed that tomorrow the clouds have lifted.