The Maz Circuit

Every day I try and fit in a walk, even if it is just the “Maz Circuit.”  The Maz Circuit is the name we have given to the local walk we do.  It only takes 35 minutes, but there is a climb involved so it gets the heart pumping.  In our early days here we insisted that all our visitors did the Maz Circuit at least once in their stay!  We leave the house, walk through our tiny hamlet of Mazerolles, up past the old stone church, then right past a couple of houses and following an old mule track uphill.  The track is littered with rocks and stones, some moss-covered and lethal when wet, others worn smooth over the ages.  Often we are compelled to stop and admire the view (a good excuse to catch your breath!) Below the church and chateau of Mazerolles stretch before us and in the distance sits Najac castle.  I love the view whatever the season.  In the winter smoke unfurls from chimneys.   In the summer the trees are full of birdsong and children’s laughter floats up.  In early autumn our walking is slower as we stop to pick blackberries.  When we reach the top we are usually joined by a couple of local dogs eager to be out on a walk.  We turn left to join the main road where it is an easy walk downhill past the cemetery with its view across the hills to Najac, spread along the ridge like a string of pearls.    

Rioja

Continued from previous post.

From Bilbao we took the bus back to San Sebastian where we were reunited with our car.  We spent two days exploring San Sebastian, which is an eclectic mix of surfers, beach babes, retirees and designer-clad people.   There are four beaches in San Sebastian: Playa de la Concha, Playa de Ondarreta, Playa de la Zurriola and Playa de Gros.   It wasn’t really beach weather so instead we went for a walk around the headland and up Monte Urgull to the summit and the huge figure of Christ, from which the views were stunning.  We ate fish in a restaurant overlooking the harbour in the old town.  Hotel accommodation in San Sebastian is surprisingly expensive, so we didn’t linger.  Instead, we decided to spend the last couple of days of our holiday in Rioja. 

The drive from San Sebastian to Laguardia in the Rioja region took a couple of hours.  The scenery changed so much in those miles.  Laguardia is an old walled town perched on top of a hill.  It is beautiful.  Laguardia reminded us of Montepulciano in Italy, but I guess that is not surprising considering both places are famous for their wine.  We were staying in the fantastic Casa Rural Erletxe, which is built into the wall of the town.   The hosts were so helpful and arranged for us to go on two wine tours.  We also ate the most amazing breakfast of fresh fruit, homemade breads, jams and honey.  Laguardia is built on a network of caves and tunnels.  In fact, some of the tunnels and caves are so fragile that no cars are allowed within the village walls.  Many of these caves are now home to wine cellars.  Of course, being in Rioja meant we had to taste the wine – it would have been rude not to.   The first wine tour was to Bodegas El Fabulista, named after locally born fable writer Felix Maria de Samaniego.  The cellar dates back to the 12^th century and is using traditional methods to produce wine today.   The tour was in Spanish, but luckily, we had Martin a fellow visitor, also staying at Casa Rural Erletxe, who kindly translated the Spanish into English for us. 

The next morning we visited the Torre de Ona vineyard.  Inma was our host and was very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot – especially the best way to taste wine – you swill it!  The vines, some of which are 75 years old, are protected from bad weather by the mountains that rise in the distance.  They don’t water the vines, but let nature take its course.   The Reserva  was very good!  Afterwards we walked to the nearby Hector Oribe restaurant for lunch, which was delicious.

Then it was a walk to Bodegas Ysios, this time to look at the building, not to taste the wine.  The building features an undulating titanium roof designed by Santiago Calatrava.   Someone told us that the roof is now leaking! 

That evening there was traditional dancing and singing in the square.  We wiled away some time drinking wine and eating tapas with some fellow wine loving travellers – a great evening with good wine and good company!   

The Camino Del Norte

THE CAMINO DEL NORTE

This has been on our agenda since we walked some of the Camino Portuges last year.  We used the     The Cicerone Guide book to The Northern Caminos by Laura Perazzoli and Davie Whitson, but we could have done without it as the route was clearly way marked.  The plan was to start from San Sebastian, leaving the car, and walk a week of the Camino Del Norte, through the Basque country. 

Day 1 (the official day 1 route starts in Irun and goes to San Sebastian, but as we were already in San Sebastian we jumped ahead to the route for day 2)

San Sebastian to Getaria

(approx. 22 kms)

As luck would have it our hotel (Leku Edr) was located right on the path so it made for an easy start and saved us the climb out of San Sebastian.  Unfortunately we were both feeling very unfit.   The official day 2 route goes to Zarautz, but we were walking 2kms further to Getaria.  The route took us through rolling hills with views of the sea.  It was a very hot day.  There was a short stretch of main road before the town of Orio, which was unpleasant.  We arrived in the town of Orio in time for lunch – a baguette eaten with a chunk of cheese on a bench in the covered market area.  The climb out of Orio was hard in the afternoon heat, but the scenery was stunning.  Zarautz was a huge beach resort type town.  We stopped for a well-deserved beer and then pressed on via the coastal road to Getaria.  Getaria was lovely and lively.  We stayed in the hotel  Itxas Gain.  We had tapas, or Pintxos as it’s known in this region, washed down with the local Txakoli Wine. 

Day 2

Getaria to Deba

(Approx 22 kms)

Today’s walk was very pretty – views of sea and hills with a nice cooling breeze.  We saw some familiar faces from yesterday.  We stopped for a drink in the town of Zumaia, which was a nice town.  The path led through a wooded area with goats.  After a while we came out onto a road where there was a conveniently located bar.  Next there followed an ascent up to the small village of Itziar and then a long descent into the town of Deba.  We stayed at the Zumardi pension, which was very good value for money and we had a lovely room in the attic.

Day 3

Today we caught the bus because:-

• Storms were forecast
• Our hotel for the night was 17kms from the end of today's trail in the town of Lekeitio!
• I was suffering with sinusitis

Well that was our excuse and we’re sticking to it!  After waiting for an hour at the bus station we saw our bus go thundering by - it didn’t even slow down!  We realised we were waiting at the wrong bus stop!  In the end we decided to get on a bus to the town of Ondarroa and change there. The old town of Ondarroa felt a little sad and neglected.  To while away the time before the bus was due we took the coastal path, which ended in a forlorn memorial garden to those lost in the Spanish Civil war. Eventually the bus came and we arrived in the pretty coastal town of Lekeitio.  Unfortunately it was their fete weekend so we didn’t see the town at its best.     We stayed in the elegant Hotel Zubieta, which was just outside the walled town.  Nearby was a great Tibetan/Basque restaurant, Meson Arropain, where we ate fish soup followed by a fabulous monk fish dish.

Day 4

A rainy day so instead of taking a bus to the trail we took a bus to the town of Gernika!  We arrived in Gernika at midday, which gave us plenty of time to explore and to visit the famous Peace Museum.  I picked up an informative booklet from the helpful tourist office on the history of Gernika.  Gernika was destroyed in the Spanish Civil war by the Condor Legion of Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe who were supporting Franco in his efforts to overthrow the Basque Government and the Spanish Republican Government.   On 26^th April 1937 Gernika was celebrating its market day like every other Monday of the year.  The bombing began at 16.30.  The bell of Santa Maria Church rang three times warning the population of the attack.  After flying over the village several times, the first plane dropped three explosive bombs.  It was to be the beginning of an uninterrupted bombing which ended around 19.30. 

A visit to the Peace Museum was very thought provoking, but left us feeling stunned and a bit flat. 

A visit to the Assembly House, the stained glass ceiling was incredible (my photo isn't great), and the Basque Museum provided some more insight into Basque culture.  We stayed at the Gernika Hotel.

Day 5

Gernika to Lezama

22kms approx.

For once we were on the trail at 9.15 and so didn’t see any other walkers all day.  After leaving Gernika the path zigzagged up through a forest.  The going was muddy after yesterday’s rain.   There was no refreshment stops along the way so we were glad we had saved our roll from breakfast.  The weather was misty and drizzly and I had to wear my poncho – not an attractive look!  It was a lovely walk mostly on twisting pathways through Eucalyptus and pine forests.  After 15.5 kms we arrived in Goikolexea, but the bar was closed!  From here the walk was along minor roads.  Another 1.4kms later we arrived in Larrabetzu where every other building seemed to be a bar and they were all open!  We arrived in Lezama at 4 where we stayed at a Tourismo Rural.  The town was en fete so after a quick shower we went to investigate.  There were trestle tables and a live Basque band.  We made our way to the make-shift bar to ask if we could buy a drink and some food.  There were lots of mutterings and smiles and then a huge cauldron was produced and reheated.  It was the most delicious tuna and potato stew I have ever eaten.  We were invited to take a place at one of the tables and made to feel very welcome.  Traditional rice pudding was produced along with sangria!  Any attempts to pay for the food were dismissed.  We learnt some more about the Basque culture.  The Basque language is very different from any other European Language and may have its routes in Asia.  It was an evening to remember.

Day 6

Lezama to Bilbao

Today’s walk was mostly along roads so we took a train and arrived in the vibrant city of Bilbao in time for a late breakfast of tortilla and a coffee. 

The Camino del Norte carries on from Bilbao for another twenty five days before reaching Santiago de Compostela, but that was it for us; at least for the time being.  We’re hoping to do some more of the route next year and maybe this time we will do more walking and less bussing!  Instead we spent the day exploring Bilbao and visiting the wonderful Guggenheim museum.  I was particularly taken with the “Bilbao puppy.”  Bilbao is a city I could return to.

Next stop was San Sebastian and then the Rioja region, which deserves a blog post of its own!

    

The Pyrenees

The Pyrenees is my favourite place.  In 2005 we walked along the whole length, something we had always wanted to do.  It was an incredible, but exhausting experience (I hope to post my diary from the trip here, one day!)  En route we visited many special places, one of which was the Anisclo Valley in the Spanish Pyrenees.  This weekend we decided to go back so we packed the camping gear and headed off to CampingValle Anisclo.   

We had hoped to do some high-level walks from the refuge Viados, but there were lots of storms forecast – tormentos sums it up nicely!  Having been caught out in one too many storms in the mountains we opted for a relatively low-level walk instead! 

For our first walk, we parked on the main road just after San Juan de Plan and took the green and white marked path (S7) towards the refuge Viados in the Posets-Maladeta National Park.  The path followed the course of La Cinqueta, a tributary of the Rio Cinca that runs through the town of Bielsa.  The route was easy going.  We immediately crossed the river along a narrow stone bridge high above a narrow gorge, we could just see the river tumbling far below us.   We have never seen so much water in the rivers in summer before and there was still snow on the high peaks.  The path led up through a forest, where tiny wild strawberries were just beginning to ripen.  The fields were full of deep purple Iris and other wild flowers.   The path led back over the river passing the Puen Molin and then uphill.  After 45 minutes it swung back again crossing the river at Puen Micale, over a concrete bridge, which had been partially washed away.  I was a little nervous walking over this bridge, but it turned out to be an easy scramble over some boulders.  We returned by the dirt track to our starting point.  A 3 hour round trip.  We wished we had carried on further up the valley as there was no sign of the impending storm – it arrived that evening.

Half a bridge!

Tella

It is a beautiful area.  We were last here four years ago when we explored the Anisclo Gorge and the Escuain Gorge in the Ordesa National Park.  They are not as well-known as their neighbour Ordesa, which attracts huge numbers of visitors, but I think they are far superior.

On Sunday we took a diversion on our way home to visit the village of Tella high up (1200 mtrs).  From here we took the Circuito Ermitas walk, an easy 1 hour walk.  The views were stunning, although I would hate to live up here in the winter! 

We stopped off for a picnic at the Dolmen de Tella.  Then it was back in the car and through the Bielsa tunnel to sunny France.

Costa Brava

This weekend we ended up in Begur on the Costa Brava courtesy of a French Air Traffic Control Strike.  Hubby had been due to fly from the UK to Toulouse, but all flights were cancelled so the crazy man took a flight to Barcelona, which meant me driving to pick him up.  We met in Girona for lunch! As we were down that way we decided to stay for a long weekend.  Girona is a lovely city and we would have liked to linger (we will go back), but the sea beckoned.

We haven't visited Begur for a couple of years and it was nice to be back.  In previous years we have stayed at the family run Hotel Rosa so that's where we headed for.

Our first day we walked (downhill) from Begur to Sa Tuna only an hour.  Sa Tuna, an old fishing village, is located on a small bay with white-washed houses clinging to the hillside.

We took the costal path towards Tamariu intending to carry on walking, but we spotted a private bay so clambering down we found a shady spot and sat awhile.  Hubby even had a dip in the sea.  In fact we sat so long we didn't make it to Tamariu!

The next day from Sa Tuna we walked the opposite way in a northerly direction to Sa Riera - beautiful. The walk took about a couple of hours.  I even managed a swim in this lovely cove, albeit a quick one!  The intention had been to follow the costal path back, but we spotted a  green and white marker for the GR92 and an inland path to Begur so we followed it back (40 mins).  We feared some of it would be along roads, but it was a wonderful leafy route.  Dinner at Rostei  (the strawberry gazpacho starter was sublime) was a perfect end to our impromptu Spanish trip.

Jebel Sahro, Morocco

In February 2009 we went walking in Jebel Sahro, Morocco with KE Adventure Travel.  Our Trek leader was Hajj, a tall smiley Berber man.  There were 16 in our group and I was the youngest member, the oldest being 73.


We set off from Marrakech by mini bus driving across the Atlas mountains to Ouarzazate where we stopped for lunch.  Oarzazate is a bustling town in the middle of the plains.  We passed oasis areas with palm trees and lush green vegetation surrounded by arid nothingness.  It took all day to reach the town of N'Kob, a village on the fringes of the Sahara and our accommodation for the night - a wonderful Kasbah (fortified town house).  

N’Kob was also the start of our trek.  A wander around the town led to us being surrounded by groups of children chorusing "merci pour un stilo," a phrase we would hear often en route.  

We set out into the foothills of the Jebel Sahro on a bright sunny Monday morning with six muleteers, a cook, eight mules and Hajj.  The walk, which was paced very well, took us through farms and villages in the Hanedour Valley.  Our first night’s camp was near the village of Tiguiza (1210m/3970ft).  Hajj walked with an easy long stride, almost as if he was just out for a short stroll, while we huffed and puffed behind.  

On Day 4 we ascended Jebel Amial (2,450m/8,038ft) and it was a hard, long day - 10 hours of walking.  We did have fresh donoughts in the mess tent when we got back to compensate!  

Day 5, described as one of the best day's walking was amazing and my favourite.  The walk took us to the high plateau of Tadaout ‘n Tablah via Bab n’Ali (reminiscent to Monument Valley).  The sky was blue, the rock formations stunning.  We even got to see a nomadic family with camel and baby camel.  It was another long day of walking, but mostly flat.    We lunched in a dry river bed under the shade of a palm tree.  

For the next two days the walking was easier, but we had the option to climb a few of the nearby crags, which we did.  There then followed a longer day as we climbed to cross a high pass and high ridges via an old French fort to the foot of Bou Gafer.  The next day we had the option to trek to the summit of Bou Gafer (1978m/6490ft).  We then descended from camp following a stream through green valleys and deep gorges to the village of Oulili where we camped.  The next day was a short day as we climbed out of the Oulili Valley towards the settlement of Tanemlalt.  

Almond Blossom

The last day's walk up Amalou n Mansour (2,712m/8898ft), the biggest peak in the Jebel Sahro range, was a fitting finale with views showing the route we had trekked, with views of the snow-capped High Atlas and the Sahara.    

We ate well.  Haji always carried a bag of “trail mix,” which he would offer at intervals during the day.  Lunch was usually (unless we were up a mountain) a huge salad with fish, pasta or rice, sometimes there was lentils - a group favourite.  Dinner was fiery Harissa soup with freshly baked roti bread (they cooked the bread on hot stones - amazing), followed by boiled vegetables and tinned fruit.   We were usually up between six and seven and two nights we camped in the same spot, which was good.  Most afternoons we managed to have a wash with water from little streams or communal wells.  The locals were a little reserved, but a smile usually did the trick. The children were great and on one particular day I found myself surrounded by a group practicing the verb Etre!  In total we walked 200kms.

Some Berber words:-
Sahar - thank you
Layal - goodbye
Salam - hello
Mahaben - welcome

A walk down the Aveyron

Summer seems to have arrived overnight so taking advantage of the good weather we headed off on one of our favourite local walks.  The starting point was Pont St Blaise the ancient bridge over the river Aveyron below Najac.  The river was very swollen because of the week of rain.  We headed along the right hand bank for 15 mins (passing by a house and hydraulic generator).  Then we took a zig-zag path straight up the hillside through woods.  We joined the GR36 at the top of the hill on a broad track & followed it south through Mergieux (holiday village) and down to the river.  If you turned right here on the GR36 it would eventually lead to Laguepie, but we turn left and come off the GR36 following the river back to Najac.  Halfway back you need to head up to the railway bridge and cross the river continuing the walk on the left hand side.  Then it's a pleasant flat walk back to Pont St Blaise.

We were the only people walking, but did see six canoeists shooting the rapids (looked fun but scary).  The highlight of the walk was spotting an otter, our first sighting in the Aveyron. The walk is about 10 miles in length and took us four and a half hours including a stop for a picnic lunch and otter admiring time!

(This is the view of Najac from the top at the beginning of the walk.  I took this photo last Summer - yesterday the sky was bluer, but of course there were not so many leaves on the trees!)