I would like to tell you about a recent and truly memorable trip I took to France to hunt mouflon sheep and chamois on the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains. On September 12, 2002, my wife, Barbara, and I arrived in Paris from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I had with me my Remington Model 700 in 7mm caliber and two boxes of ammunition. As a consequence, I anticipated a hassle getting through Customs. Surprisingly enough, the French were quite reasonable about the entire matter, and we were able to pass through Customs with minimal delays. A representative of our outfitter, Club Faune, met us at the airport, eased our way through Customs and transported us to our hotel. We had 1½ days in Paris, and on September 14 boarded a plane for Perpignan, France. Again, the transport of the gun and ammunition was easily accomplished. The flight to Perpignan was approximately 1¼ hours. We were met at the airport by Jean-Pierre Bernon, the managing director of Club Faune, and Marsha Charmeaux, who Bernon had thoughtfully engaged to act as a tour guide/companion for my wife while I hunted. A 1½ hour drive from Perpignan in Bernon's new SUV brought us to the hotel Le Clos Cerdan in the village of Mont Louis. During the drive, we had a lively discussion about the experiences awaiting us and viewed some spectacular mountain scenery.
Le Clos Cerdan is large and modern. It is active as a ski resort in the winter and internationally known and frequented for its mineral water baths throughout the year. While we were there, several busloads of people arrived to partake of the waters. Unlike many European hotels with postage-stamp rooms, our accommodations were very spacious, consisting of a large master bedroom, a dining/sitting area and a bath downstairs, with a second bedroom and bath on a second floor. The room also had a balcony with a gorgeous view of the surrounding village and countryside.
That night we drove with Bernon and Charmeaux approximately 20 minutes to a neighboring village and had a wonderful French provincial meal with an excellent bottle........(continued)
