I saw them yesterday, but because it was getting late in the afternoon, I didn't go near them. For the reason that it can get so dark under the canopies of trees in the forest, I didn't tarry nor went further. Call me scary cat, but I'll have that than experience another time of being in the dark passing through the forest here in Lourdes.
Being in a holy place doesn't change the fact that anything can become visible to a stranger in a strange place. Well, this can just be a misplaced justification but I was scared. Call it as that.
Aren't they being nosy?? Just passing through!
Eons ago, I miscalculated the time and got down from the mountain about 5pm. Midway down, the basilica rang its' bells at 6pm. With endless rows of trees to pass through, I got lost. As it was Christmas evening in Lourdes, most people were already indoors. That thought made it scarier.
About to cry in hopelessness, seeing the wooden fence that separated the forest and the basilica grounds lifted my spirit. With no one around, climbing over the fence was easy-peasy and run down the pathway that would lead to my hotel. So far, no one of my friends have heard of this story. Being called silly is no fun. Let it be a secret from them.
As clear as my memory of that early evening, it have not stopped me from taking a walk in the afternoon by the forest whenever I visited Lourdes, France. I have plans in the morning, so afternoon it is! Most uphill hikes are marked "interdict" recently so perhaps it's better for me.
All images were taken with Huawei.