A February French Getaway

I've just got back from the most amazing trip to France and I'm itching to tell you all about it! France is one of my favorite countries to visit as I love the food, the architecture, the landscape and the language amongst many other things. This time around we headed to The Pyrenees to a little place known as Bagneres-De-Luchon and stayed with my best friend's Dad and wife who own an Air BnB there!

Venasque View is accommodation consisting of  three apartments with the owners living on the ground floor. The two apartments above can sleep up to 16 people which is amazing for big groups of people looking to get away together and the accommodation itself is just stunning!

The top apartment was newly renovated in 2019 and is just stunning. This apartment sleeps 10 people and also has a sofa bed.

The middle apartment is a warm space in a traditional style that sleeps 6 people and also has breathtaking balcony views.

With our gorgeous accommodation sorted, we went out to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Luchon with our first stop being a Segway tour!

So I'll be honest with you...I wasn't sure I liked the Segways at first. They feel quite alien to use but eventually I got to grips with it and began to enjoy it! It's a great way to sight see, zipping around merrily and taking in the views. There are lots of quaint houses in Luchon, a pretty park and the airfield with gliders and small aircraft- all very picturesque with the backdrop of the Pyrenees mountains.

Another thing to note about the area is the food. Raclette, tartiflette and foundue are on most menus which for a cheese fiend like myself was HEAVEN. Needless to say my waistline has increased dramatically in size over a four day period but honestly it was so worth it. Melted cheese with potatoes and cured meats is such a simple but wonderful dish that fills you with warmth and happiness.

This type of food is perfect after a long day of skiing which is something I got to tick off my bucket list for the first time on this trip!

The weather was actually unusually warm in The Pyrenees for February, being in the early 20s which meant a lot of the slopes were snowless! Thankfully a few snow canons later, some resorts still had some snow which meant we could ski albeit quite warm with the sun beating down on us in our cold weather gear. My salopettes were sweaty-pettes but atleast they kept me protected for the inevitable falling over I did!

 Chris and Gareth were naturally good at it whilst I shuffled along on the snow but eventually after lots of shuffling and a ski lesson later, I could snow plough and do some gradual turns across the slopes! I've definitely got the bug for skiing now and definitely want to give it another go now but fingers crossed the snow will be better for next time!

Our final day was more eating, drinking wine and enjoying the beautiful quaint views of Luchon town. 

So that was our jam packed four day weekend! I'd definitely recommend heading to this area of France and exploring the Pyrenees and to book in with Keith and Barbara at their apartments. They are fab! The flights to this part of France are both short and inexpensive, making it very do-able for a long weekend and it's an area that is great all year round for outdoor activites. I'd love to try paragliding next time I visit along with more skiing and if you're a cyclist, this area is a goldmine for climbs!

Have you been to the Pyrenees?