So Dan wrote about the bad and the ugly, and i will write about the good. The drive to Foix was beautiful, up and over a mountain. Many hairpin turns, but well paved and marked, not as scary as others we've encountered. Stopped in Ax les Thermes for a bit, and found it a delightful town. Lively, with a charming square and a fun market, where, as Dan said, we bought some wonderful cheese and bread. People were very friendly, tolerated my french, and actually smiled with us.
Saw the baths, which really look fun, and very tempting.
The Chateau at Foix is their big attraction, and we had hoped to see it more on the way back. It overlooks the entire city, so we saw it as we drove through. It is Romaneques, and i think had some significance with the Cathars.
In St. Girons, I did get to the "Musee de la Liberte", though even in the town, it was hard to find! It's just a small little museum that is apparently not very well known. I watched a video first about it, then walked around the museum. The bad part was that I was very time limited because of getting back to the car, so I had to race through. I got the flavor of it, and saw (briefly) the exhibits, and though I was there a short time, I enjoyed it. Indeed, as we drive through the Pyrenees all over this area, we often consider how and where people escaped from Nazi Germany and Vichy France. This trail was apparently started with the Spanish going towards France to escape Franco.
History is so alive when you come to these countries! So even if you knew about it, or heard about it, it has totally different significance. For example, on the road, we passed through "Verdun", which we've all heard of, but I had forgotten that it was a long, bloody battle during WWI. (Not many pictures for today a little preoccupied with car). Will add more when we get home.
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