Castanet PR1

It is always special walking from our own front door.  We bought this book from the library at Varen and yesterday we did our first walk from it.  We were looking for a new walk we could do without getting in the car.

It was a beautiful day, more like summer than autumn so, we packed a picnic and headed up the Mazerolles footpath to join the route.  It is a three hour circular walk.  We were astounded to find that, although we thought we knew the area well, most of the walk was along footpaths new to us.  We stopped for lunch at the charming hamlet of La Piale.  We didn’t see a soul, apart from a lone hunter who assured us that it was safe to continue and, towards the end, about 30 motorcyclists!  This being France, we all respected each other’s enjoyment of the environment, which meant we didn’t get shot at or run over!  It was a delightful walk, enhanced by the golden autumn colours and the fact that we were on new territory.

On Pech Maurel the highest point at 504m

Lunch spot at La Piale

LA ROCHELLE

A spare night en route to the UK late September meant we had time for a quick stopover at La Rochelle, which has been on our list of places to visit for a long time.  Everyone we spoke to said how much they loved La Rochelle so we were pleased to find that it lived up to the hype.  We arrived on a busy Saturday afternoon and struggled to find our way through the maze of one way systems.   We stayed at the Entre Hotes, which was located in a tranquil street, but just a short walk to the centre of things.  

On Sunday we did the historic town walk recommended on the map from the tourist office, ending up at Restaurant Andre where we ate the best fish meal we had eaten in a long time.  It was a shame the visit was so short, but at least we’ve still got lots to discover next time!

From the Viaur to Cheval du Roi

The walk was graded difficult in our walking book (walk no. PR34 in L'Aveyron a pied TopoGuides), probably due to an unrelenting climb of 1,200 feet.  It started at the valley bottom by the River Viaur and it was such a beautiful spot we decided to have lunch first.  Sitting with a picnic overlooking the river we saw the unmistakable iridescent blue of kingfishers streaking past.  We thought we knew this river so well, but this stretch was unfamiliar.  

The path followed the road for a bit, gradually climbing away from the river.  Then it was straight up via an old mule track.  We gained height fairly quickly, but even so it was a long slog uphill to reach the Cheval du Roi.  Some of the landmarks were familiar to us from when we took part in the Marche Gourmande at Lescure Jaoul (see blog post from July).  The villages on high looked desolate now with all the holiday homes shut up.  The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, but hard to capture on camera.   

The path circled around the Cheval du Roi before heading back down.  A mistake where we turned left when we should have turned right ended with us being confronted by a couple of loose guard dogs – not a pleasant experience, but at least it forced us to turn back and thereby realise our mistake.  We should have turned right and walked behind an old chapel (Chapelle de Murat), but a parked truck was obscuring the sign (well that’s our excuse!)  There were sounds of work being carried out inside the chapel and Richard, spying someone, stopped to check we were going the right way.  The man invited us in to look at the chapel.  

Plaster was being chipped away inside by a group of volunteers to reveal ancient frescoes.  The volunteers were all from the troisieme age, French, except for an Irishman who joked that he was in charge of the wheelbarrow and just did as he was told.  They were so kind and welcoming even offering us a drink from their cool box.    It was interesting to learn some of the history of the Chapelle de Murat and that of the ruined Chateau de Roumegous, which stood above.  They expect the renovations to be completed next year and we promised to go back and see the finished result.  They posed for a couple of photos before waving us on our way.  It was only 30 minutes back to the car from here, but by now our feet were hurting.  

Chateau de Roumegous

When we got back to our picnic spot we were joined by a couple walking with a donkey.  They were obviously settling down to camp for the night so we left them to enjoy the last of the sun’s rays.  Another great day in and above the Viaur valley, a place we love so much.    

Back to Begur

Is it boring to keep going back to the same place each year?  There’s no denying that the familiarity of this place makes us feel instantly at home, which is perfect when you are on a short break.  It means we know where to stay and where to eat, without the usual trailing around inspecting the restaurants only to find they haven’t got a table free anyway.    We have never visited in season before so the sight of the crowded beach at Sa Tuna was a new one.  Never mind, we knew that if we took a short walk uphill and then a scramble down the cliffs through a steep gulley we would be rewarded by a small un-crowded sandy beach.  How nice it was to rest our backs against the rough rock and to sit and read or look out at the boats anchored in the bay.  The swimming was perfect too.  On our last day a smiley Spanish lady who had been busy handing out food to her family came over to us with a Tortilla sandwich insisting we take it.  It was delicious and far better than our usual fare – we normally make do with a bag of nuts.  We felt awful as we had nothing to give in return and we couldn’t communicate how grateful we were for her kindness.  We kept exchanging smiles though so I think she knew. It was a petit moment; another experience to add to our beautiful memories of Begur.  

The 11th Marche Gourmande at Lescure Jaoul

Lescure Jaoul in the distance

This was the third time we have taken part in the Lescure Jaoul Marche Gourmand, a gastronomic walk which takes you to each course of your meal over a distance of 13km.  This year the organisers provided a map of the route.   After the heat wave of the last few weeks the temperature was perfect for walking and even dropped to a chilly 14 degrees when the sun went down.  

The stop for Entree

Cows silhouetted against the horizon 

Lescure Jaoul is a small village on the edge of the Massif Central and the route overlooked deep gorges and wooded valleys.  The highest point of the walk was Le Cheval du Roi at 623 metres.  The spot chosen for our Entrée was picture perfect with far reaching views and the sun beginning to set.  

This year 1,200 people took part in the event.  The last stage is done in the dark and I always find it magical watching the procession of torches wending their way up through the night to Lescure Jaoul and dessert.       

Nostalgia

Setting out - our destination the peak in the distance

It never ceases to surprise me how much one can do in a day.   With part of a bank holiday weekend free and the weather looking settled we headed off to the Pyrenees for a day’s hiking.  It was made easier by the fact it was possible to drive the car up most of the mountain to the start of the walk at Bout de Touron (1,450 metres).  The walk is no. 20 from the Topo Guide Midi-Pyrenees a pied.   The nearest town is Foix, which is the final destination along the Sentier de Cathare - another walk on our “to do” list. 

From Foix you take the D421.  Parking the car where the road runs out, you head up to the track, turning right along the ridge.  Really, you can’t go wrong, although it wouldn’t be easy to find your way in mist.   As the clouds parted, the unexpected panorama of the snow-capped mountains before us took my breath away.   Then, as if this wasn’t reward enough, a group of semi-wild horses came galloping past.  Ridge walks are a favourite as they are all about views and I like a good view.     This one was particularly nostalgic as we were looking at the mountains and valleys we had walked as part of our traverse of the Pyrenees ten years ago.  

On the summit!

We walked above the snowline and made it to the summit of Rocher de Batail (1,716 metres) in the allotted time then, it was time to retrace our tracks back to the car.    We even had time for a drink in Foix in the late afternoon sun.

Looking back along the track

Cheval de Merens (black prince of the Pyrenees)

Springtime in Paris

Last weekend we made an impromptu visit to Paris.  It had been many years since we last visited and it reawakened our love affair with the city.  Unfortunately it seemed to reawaken the whole world’s love affair too by the look of the long meandering queues for all the main attractions.   Getting an ice cream was impossible!   After a quick visit to Montmartre – my favourite spot, we decided to avoid the honeypots and explore other parts of the city.  

Place des Vosges

We discovered the Place des Vosges, where the whole of the City seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.   We wandered the streets of the Marais quarter, soaking up the lively atmosphere and enjoying performances by street musicians.

We promised ourselves we wouldn’t leave it so long next time mind you, we said that ten years ago!