Carl met up with us and the three of us ended up with about an hour of time to kill before the train showed up (it was delayed about 15 minutes). So we sat at a table outside, had drinks, and I got a slice of "Basque" almond cake (that's in quotes because it's not really Basque if it was made in Pau). Aleca and Carl both had a glass of wine and I got a coffee to go with my cake. A lovely way to wait for a train. :)
Once on the train, it was a fun half hour ride to Lourdes talking, joking, and getting to know each other better. Since the train had been delayed, we had to run to our bus when we arrived in Lourdes, but the driver seemed to understand and even waited so Carl and I could each use the bathroom. The bus ride to Cauterets was a little over an hour- an hour of beautiful countryside and completely adorable mountain villages! When I own a house in these hills one day, I think it will be in one of the towns that we passed on this bus ride...
It was dark and very cold out when we landed in Cauterets. The crisp chill of the nearby snow-covered mountains was in the air, and we would be hiking those bad boys in the morning! We found our hostel without a lot of trouble; Cauterets is incredibly tiny. After checking in, the three of us headed out to find a restaurant that Aleca was told had some of the best food in the area. The restaurant belonged to a hotel called Le Sacca, and we figured out very quickly that we were in for a treat.
There was a coat rack in the entry where jackets and hats hung, we got strange looks when we came in in our jeans and casual teeshirts, and the menu was organized in courses. Finally! A true French dining experience with courses!! We were a little dumb when it actually came to ordering like this but the waitress helped us get through it. *FYI: when you order a meal that's served in courses, the waitress/waiter wants everyone's first course, then everyone's second course, then the salad or cheese plate, etc. You don't tell her what you want for your first and second all at once.* We were served our bread basket, water, the house red we had ordered, and a small apéritif, then we just enjoyed the atmosphere and our courses as they came out. We each ordered the same first course which was a pâté/foïe gras type of plate. That lead the way into the mouth-watering plat principal: I got sautéed trout in a creamy, buttery sauce, with little dollops of other sauces on the side, and the restaurants name spelled in mashed potatoes on the top of my plate. Wowzers. We were invited up to the dessert bar to choose our desserts after that. As soon as I saw the tub of thick, creamy fromage blanc and the bowl of saucy blueberries, I knew exactly what I was going for. :)
The restaurant's apéritif- a small cup of Bloody Mary type juice without the alcohol, little waffle chips, some lettuce, and a large, very tough ball of Basque sausage. All very good!
Our wine
First course!
Second course!!
Le Sacca's style (look at that sauce under my fish!!!)
The beautiful and cozy dining room- we were the last ones there
That's the symbol of Basque Country
=)
Dessert! Fromage blanc topped with blueberries and sugar. Mmmm
Aleca and Carl's dessert: Basque almond cake on a cream sauce
After this meal, we were feeling happy as can be and weren't yet ready to go to bed. So we walked around the town a little bit taking in its charm. We played a few rounds of "what's the most ___ you've ever done/felt/experienced/etc" and really started to get to know each other. Doing this while leaning over a bridge staring at rushing water was a great moment. There are parts of this evening I feel I might never forget...
Aleca and I :)
Carl and I lol
One of Cauterets many rivers of mountain run-off
Eventually, we started getting sleepy and headed back to the hostel. We had a very simple room that actually had another bedroom attached to it with a bunk inside. We were hoping that neighbors wouldn't show up in the middle of the night (in the end, no one did). The beds were fairly comfy but there was a lot of noise during the night. There was a group who got in about an hour after us, either right next door or one floor above- the walls, doors, and ceiling were so thin that we couldn't tell where they were; we just knew they were close. I don't think any of us got a great night's sleep but we were ready enough in the morning to get going. :)
Our hostel
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