Pau

Pau is the capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques départment in France and was the capital of the Béarn region as well. It is located less than an hour away from the Pyrenees mountain range (I've been told that students of the Université de Pau like to take morning hikes up there before class) and about an hour and half from the Atlantic Ocean. Pau sits about 200m above the Gave de Pau- a valley carved by a mountain river- which turns into a torrent of melted snow in the spring. Pau is also closer to Spain than it is to the heart of France: it will take me about 8 hours to reach Paris by train but under two hours to reach San Sebastián, Spain. Because of Pau's location, the weather is mild all year long but it is also wet. I've been told to bring some very sturdy winter boots, jackets, and umbrellas to deal with the rain and mountain runoff in the spring. But the simple fact that Pau has more green space per inhabitant than any other city in Europe should keep me going through all that wetness ;)
Pau has a population of about 100,000 people spread across 12.17 square miles (about 7,000 per sq mi). A small southwestern town, Pau still has cobblestoned streets, but the student population of the area gives it an active commercial district. Pau is filled with beautiful parks and has various museums, cafés, cinemas, and a vast library. It also has its very own château which is famed as the birthplace of 16th century king of France, Henri IV. Napoleon actually holidayed at this château while in power, and Marie Antoinette tended a garden there that still exists today. Pau has a very long history, as it was fortified all the way back in the 11th century. Back then, Pau was a strategic place to control the ford across the Gave de Pau. Since that time, the area has turned out characters like d'Artagnan (the leader of the Three Musketeers), has been used as a work base by people like the Wright Brothers, and has become a mainstay along the Tour de France.

The flowers of Pau

The Pyrenees Mountains from Bélair

The Château Henri IV

The Palais Beaumont

Pau's river; in front of the train station