wednesday dawned and we couldn’t see the hillsides but there had been no more snow overnight on the town.  after breakfast we walked down to get the sarnies, buy a paper and some postcards.  no struggle with chains so after a few words with a couple from normandy in the garage we headed for the snowy heights. lou had decided to try the capucin centre and, happily, there was lots of room to park. a weak sun was glowing in the direction of the moutain top the centre was called after. all the boucles here were fairly short but in view of the weather and windchill that wasn’t a problem! the signposting was a bit confusing until we realised that all three boucles followed the same route to start with. lou headed off, comme d’hab, leaving me to take selfies and shots of his disappearing figure! it was another forested area and the route wandered up and down and round and round. the loop that formed boucle 2 must have lovely views on a clear day but we just saw mist beyond the trees. back at base i took off my raquettes and the sole promptly fell off my left boot! so many years of tramping in them at an end. i blame the snow!   the capucin cafe was more of a restaurant and no soup was available so we munched our sarnies in the car and watched the snow settle on the windscreen. after that there wasn’t much to do but head for ‘home’ and some warmth. a bit of a snooze and then a walk around town after coffee and crepes, looking at menus and deciding where to eat later.  it was sad to see families traipsing up and down in the wet.  not a lot of do under cover, i’m guessing.  lou found something, a haircut.  we found a small salon who didn’t seem fazed by brit tourists stopping by for a short back and sides!                  the town and the surrounding area looks as if it would be lovely to visit in the summer which we certainly intend to do.  only two hours from home makes it possible. we ate in the ‘table du trappeur’ which was decorated in true french mountain style and very cosy. we arrived around 7.30 which turned out to be a good choice as the place quickly filled up.  we ate well, my entrecote being cooked perfectly to my taste and bathed in ‘sauce bleu’, which was on many menus in la bourboule.  cheese featured again for pud, fromage blanc and myrtilles, mmmmmm back at the hotel we were able to watch most of a documentary on the lot on french tv, ‘les racines et des ailes’. a very interesting programme even if the french subtitles were taxing at times! 🙂 a final brekkie in the still sober dining room and then it was off home…through the rain and mist! au revoir, l’aviation, we hope to be back…with sunshine.