CAVES & CASTLES

26th.August - 29th.August.

We got very wet on Friday and it didn't stop raining until the evening. Very Lake District like. Off on Sat morning bright and early as our visit to the caves at NIAUX was booked for 9.45, we had to 'check in' by 9.30 and we were about 45 mins drive away. Getting to NIAUX village was no problem and I had checked when booking that there was plenty of parking space at the caves for a large motorhome. What they had omitted to mention was the that from the village on the valley floor, the caves were 2 miles up a mountainside on a very narrow,winding road with overhanging rocks at every corner. There was however, just about enough parking space at the top at the enormous entrance to the caves. This complex is one of the few in europe,(14 I think they said), where you can still see the original cave paintings which is why entry is strictly controlled by allowing only groups of 20 to enter at any one time in order to reduce heat and carbon dioxide. The tour took nearly 2 hours and involved walking 800 metres into the mountainside through a magnificent series of galleries and tunnels to reach the main chamber with the paintings. led by a very informative guide. The caving system was carved out of the rock by water but are now nearly completely dry which is why the paintings have survived for 14,000 years (some paintings were damaged by water in 1978 and nobody knows why). There is no lighting in the caves, and we were all given rechargeable battery torches with low heat emission bulbs, which we had to turn off in the vicinity of the paintings whilst the guide used special torches to illuminate them for us as he described them. Altogether quite a stunning & unforgettable experience.
The drive down was just as hairy but we waited until the next group had congregated at the reception so that there would be little likelihood of meeting anyone on the way up.
Drove to AX LES THERMES, thought about going up to ANDORRA and then found a terrific aire at LES CABANNES where we spent the night for 4€ with another 26 vans. Superb mountain views and a pretty village ( on the Tour de France 2011 as it headed into the Pyrenees)

As we missed out on the high Pyrenees, our plans were somewhat scrambled so we decided to head for the Cathar country and the castles. As MONTSEGUR was quite close, and any visit was going to involve a strenuous climb, we arrived there about 10am. And the climb was very strenuous but a Gold star for the GF and we were rewarded with stunning views all round. The Castle is in ruins of course but the history comes alive when you reach the top.....500 people held out for 10 months in 1244 when it was besieged during the Albigensian crusade. The 220 Cathars they were sheltering were offered safe passage in a peace settlement if they renounced their faith but they refused and walked down the mountain and on to the pyres waiting for them at the bottom. I think it is one of the worst massacres of the middle ages and an atrocity that the Catholic church should never be allowed to forget. End of obsessive rant.

From there the road took us the strange phenomenon of the fountain of Fontesforbes at BELESTA....a cave at the side of the road which is the outlet for a stream running through the mountain. Due to some unique channels cut by the water, the flow is intermittently a trickle and a spectacular flood of 15000 litres a second. This complete cycle of trickle-flood-trickle happens continually in the summer months every 30 mins or so.
There a very detailed diagram and explanation about the level in channel Q falling below the level in the underground reservoir M and sucking air through hole P which is incomprehensible.But the effect is wonderful.

Stopped for lunch at PUIVERT, but did not fancy climbing up to the castle in the afternoon heat and headed for the CHAT.de PEYREPERTUSE, associated with the Cathars but more realistically a defensive fort, alongside its near neighbour at QUERIBUS, during the wars with Aragon/Spain, passing the Chateau at PUILAURENS on the way.

PEYREPERTUSE is a very iconic castle, perched on a ridge, and Mr Michelin thoroughly recommends a visit by campingcar in one of his Escapades. As there is an aire in the village below,DUILHAC s/s PEYREPERTUSE, it seemed the perfect night stop, esp. as All The Aires describes it as the 'prettiest aire in the Pyrenees'. Nobody mentions the access road over the GRAU DE MAURY which whilst not especially high, seems to be, with an unguarded road not much wider than the van and very steep with hairpins. White knuckle ride for the GF and when I enquired as we crested the summit if she was Ok, the response of 'what are you bloody going to do about it if I'm not?'seemed a tad edgey. But we got there in one piece with the happy thought of getting back to sustain us. Terrific setting for an aire and a dozen or so vans there. Walked round the village, found a man making wine in his garage and after a tasting bought 5litres of the red Corbiere for 15€ and a bottle of the white for the GF. Then found a man in a van with a wood burning pizza oven in it and bought what turned out to be an excellent pizza for dinner.

ALL THE FUN OF THE FOIX

21st.- 25th AUGUST.

The gite had to be vacated by 10am as new arrivals were expected that afternoon. We said our goodbyes on Saturday night as there was much to be done with packing and young children on Sunday morning without us getting in the way and departed about 9.30, waving goodbye my new friend, M.Arnal the farmer on our way. Short drive to ST.ANTONIN and the aire.......whilst we Could have driven further, I felt the alcohol level in the bloodstream was high enough to justify driving to the nearest place and parking up for the day. Nice market in the centre and terrific boulangerie for the requisite tarte aux fraises.
Only problem was the heat and only part shade. By mid afternoon, with the silver screens on, all vents & windows open and the cab doors open, the temp inside was 39.8. and we were sitting in the only shade behind the van...and then we discovered that we could go and sit in the river about 100m away which probably saved us. Very uncomfortable night as temp never dropped below 32.

Up early on Monday because of the heat and on the road about 8.30. Good drive to TARBES where we parked for a few hours in a private guarded aire and walked into town for a drink and look around. Still rather hot in the middle of the day for sightseeing so a stroll through the very nice gardens was the highlight ( We decided to give the birthplace of Marechal Foch a miss, merely having a drink in his square, opposite his hotel). Then onto LOURDES. Ok I know, I swore I wasn't going to do another Catholic pilgrimmage site and the GF only agreed to go if I promised to not to rant on about a. Religion b.Religious souvenirs c.Gullible Religious Tourists....but I didn't promise not to write about them. So we found a very nice little family run campsite where we pitched under shady trees and did a bit of housekeepng. Next day, got the bikes out and cycled into LOURDES, only 3km away. Unfortunately the weather changed and thick mist hid the mountains and a fine drizzle fell as we approached the town but it soon cleared. LOURDES. Its better than it might be and whilst unashamedly attempting to separate you from you money ( I was offered, in dark alleys, enough splinters from the true cross to build an ark) it is obviously bringing enormous comfort (and hope?) to hundreds of thousands of unwell people so who am I to mock. And it's not up itself like Compostello nor are there armed guards in the church of the grotto which was an interesting church. So we had a cup of coffee and left them to it (I have several splinters of the true cross available at a reasonable price if anyone is interested).

Now. The real reason why we were in LOURDES was to begin an Escapade en CampingCar, from Mr.Michelins book of the same name, which is a tour of the thermal waters of the Pyrenees, including crossing the Col du Tourmalet, the highest of the passes. The GF had only agreed to this on the basis that Mr Michelin wouldn't send us up impassable tracks or dangerous routes, even though she had watched the tv pictures of the Tour de FRance crossing said Col in July. Well I thought it would be fun. But then the weather changed and the clouds came down and the forecast was for several days of thunderstorms in the Pyrenees so there wasn't much point.

We had also planned another Escapade after the mountains, touring the Cathar castles based around Carcassone, so looking at the maps we decided to head south to FOIX, another Cathar base and also close to Mont Segur, number one on my 'must visit'list ( having read several books about its place in Cathar history). Found a nice riverside campsite at BASTIDE DE SEROU after a very pleasant country drive with the attraction of being very close an old railway track cycle path (Voie Verte) to FOIX, about 20km away.
So on wednesday we visited the tourist offices, armed ourselves with maps from the very helpful young man, and after visiting the market (where we watched a man dispening wine from vats in the back of his van via hosepipes into any container you wished to present for 0.90€ a litre or 1.10€ a litre for the superior) we cycled to FOIX along the best cycle path we have ever done. A slight gradient as path follows the hillside with spectacular views over to the Ariege massif, foothills of the Pyrenees. Final 4kms on the road down into the town of FOIX. Stunningly restored castle overlooks the town and we climbed up to it in the heat of the day ( although not as bad as last weekend)and whilst it was open, the only English speaking guided tour of the day at 1pm was cancelled due to ill health. So we just did the best we could and had a good look round and a picnic under a shady tree with lovely views up and down the valley it was built to protect.

Had intended moving on but discovered on thursday that in order to visit the caves at NIAUX, which are as important as Lascaux, it is necessary to book a reservation as visitor numbers are limited and the earliest booking we could get was Saturday so we stayed on another day. Set off for a bike ride on friday morning, overcast but looking as though it would clear, only it poured with rain and we got very wet.

BIRTHDAYS AND HEATWAVES

13th-20th AUGUST

On the basis that I haven't put proverbial pen to paper for 2 weeks, this will either be the interminable ramblings of an idiot or a very brief digest as I lose the will to live.

Left home Saturday midday and spent the night at the very nice Firtree Farm, just outside Dover. Not our usual eurotunnel crossing on Sunday since we had a cheap (£54 return) deal with Norfolk Line which was very good for high season. Leaving UK earlier than normal in order to rendevous with the Pates who have taken a gite nr. Toulouse en famille to celebrate his 70th birthday.
Ferry packed with probably the last big holiday exodus but on and off first so on the road from Dunquerqe just after 1pm. It being Sunday, the roads were clear of lorries and first night stop at the aire in BREZOLLES. Arrived not a moment too soon as it was packed, with later vans occupying the lakeside picnic carpark next door. Weather v.good. Discovered that Tracker is not working because they failed to initialise the sim card for international roaming when fitting the new one in June and it cannot be done after you have left the UK without resetting the unit....I seem to remember being here before in the winter in Spain when it would not work and the unit needed resetting......

Monday was a Bank Holiday so another lorry free run avoiding the motorways down to UZERCHE where there must have been 30 vans in the aire, with later arrivals using a smaller area which is used on Thursdays when the old station yard becomes the market place. All the other vans were french. Pleasant walk around town in evening sunshine.

Weather lovely and a good drive avoiding motorways down to CAHORS where we stopped briefly to pick up wine and beer for the coming festivities and then on to LAGUEPIE in the Aveyron Gorge where the Pates had rented the gites from clients/friends of Dave. As no-one had seen the gite beforehand it was not known in advance what the access would be like for us and photographs on their website were not encouraging. The gites was about 3km out of the village, which boasted a rather scrubby aire but would do at a pinch if all else failed. As instructed, we rang Dave on arrival at the aire and he came down in his car to pick me up for a recce, the general opinion being that access would be difficult. The shortest approach road was far to narrow, twisty and overhung but there was a long way round which was fine but the turn into the drive was fraught and a low tree halfway along ruled it out completely. However, next door was a large farmhouse with plenty of space and to cut a long story short we were able to email the owners of the gite who directed us to the farmer (whose son lived in the farmhouse but was away on holiday) and when I asked in my best french if we could park off the road in the shade of the buildings he became my best friend and said of course we could. Problem solved, so we went back to the village and picked up the van and the GF who had stayed with it. Note.....the temp was in the high 30's so nothing was being done quickly.

The gite was terrific, very secluded on the top of the hills with great views, a swimming pool and able to sleep a lot of people. Present were Dave & Briony; Maryon; Paul,Ruth,Toby & Mimi;Simon,Chris Theo & Siobhan; Cate, Matt, Brya and Mia ; making 9 adults,1 teenager and 5 children. We slept in the motorhome and when Geoff & Caroline arrived the next day, they were staying at a nearby B&B ( run by an English couple from Oakham with whom they shared mutual aquaintences and found by pure chance on the net).Thus the total complement from Wed night to Fri night for meals was 19.

On tuesday evening, the younger adults left the older generation babysitting and went for a meal downtown whislt we had a splendid meal on the terrace prepared by Maryon and quaffed much wine.

Weather remained v.hot and thank god for the pool. Geoff & Caroline arrived wed.evening and a splendid night was had in the courtyard with a BBQ prepared by Simon with much help from his siblings. The bottle bank already taking over the extremely large utility room.

Thursday, Dave's birthday. Most people went by train to VILLEFRANCHE ROUERGUE as there was a market and it's a nice place. Ended up Dave,Maryon ans us having lunch in LAGUEPIE , which was so good that we booked a table for Saturday lunchtime for my birthday.. Terrific evening party with all 19 sitting down to a BBQ in the courtyard and I must have had a good time as I was persuaded t0 play a duet on the spoons with Chris.......

Friday at leisure. G&C picked us up and we went to CORDES sur CIEL, a nearby
ancient hilltop village. Weather hotter so we all we really did was have a rather excellent lunch after a desultory look around....terrace restaurant with panoramic views and those misty sprays that kept us cooler than otherwise. A nice scenic drive back in their air condtioned hire-car with a short sight-seeing stop at ST.ANTONIN NOBLE VAL where we spotted a large aire for when we left on sunday. Another very excellent dinner in the courtyard for 14.

Saturday was my birthday. Geoff & Caroline had to leave for the airport in order to be back for her mother's 70th birthday on Sunday but not before we had an excellent lunch in LAGUEPIE for the 7 elders.Afternoon spent in the pool as temperature rose and a very pleasant ( and alcoholic ) evening.