Wednesday, 3 June – At Pau

Golf at Pau was a pure delight. Known as la Billere (as RLGC is known as Hoylake) we were warmly welcomed by their young and attractive receptionists and after paying 68 Euros each we were ready for our round having secured our reservation for lunch before starting. Wellington’s troops had rested at la Billere, a farming area, after the battle of Orthez in 1814 when yet again they had defeated Soult as he retreated from the Peninsula. Part of the pleasure of our arrival at the golf club was the ability to use its full facilities after lurking around in the van for a few nights. Marvellous relief!

Golf at Pau is wonderfully unpretentious and relaxed. Its short course and pretty layout next to le Gave de Pau (as the impressive melt water river is called) allow the golfer to fully enjoy the experience of playing on the flat, with plenty of shade in very warm conditions. Personally, I had always had the impression that the course would be perched on a hill. It turned out to be on the flood plain but with impressive green hills to the south. Early pictures of the course from 1856 show very few trees and some extraordinary golf swings from a variety of British players both landed gentry, ex Army officers and famous golfers of the era such as Maxwell and Hutchings. My – how these chaps got about! I was delighted to see the stone plaque dedicated to ‘General’ Joe Lloyd, winner of the US Open in 1897 (the same year that Hilton won The Open at Hoylake) and Pau’s first professional who was a Hoylake man. Confirmation again that Hoylake had a major influence in Clubs around the world.

After a convivial and tasty lunch under the shady awnings of the veranda, we immersed ourselves in the freely available books of a bygone era and different, more stylish times. Photos taken we drifted into Pau to get maps and a new Rough Guide to the Pyrenees to plan exploits in the mountains. This was an excuse for a couple of cold beers to keep hydration to the required level whilst appreciating an attractive, fairly cosmopolitan town with a distinguished history to tell through its monuments and buildings.

Overnight again at Cru Lamouroux, La Chappelle de Rousse. Relaxed and contented in the roseate hue of the setting sun illuminating the Vallee d’Ossau in varying and changeable shades, we discover that the UK bottle of gas had eventually given its last delivery. It had done well but its demise, although inevitable, was sudden. Not to worry, CoolCamperVans had given us a full European bottle complete with the European connector and it would be a simple matter to change over the bottle and reconnect – wouldn’t it? Well no. The connector supplied was incompatible with the van fittings despite several attempts to release the fittings and make a fit. Portable gas stove to the rescue for coffee and washing up but the real loss was the fridge. A problem we resolved to tackle the next day or later whilst generally castigating CCV who we thought had been generous. Perhaps we should have investigated further beforehand.