weekend peregrinations

Yesterday (Saturday 21 May) was quiet. We drove in to the Uzes markets, which were much larger than the Wednesday version. After an hour and a half of browsing, we headed home. I was feeling ill,and Boronia had been not feeling well earlier, so we decided to call it quits for the day. I lay down and promptly slept for three hours. I assume Boronia read while I rested. Dinner was a spanish omelette Boronia conjured up from eggs bought at the market and some potatoes we had left over from earlier market forays.

Today was more energetic. We drove west to Ales, with the intention of visiting the Museum there, unfortunately it is only open tin the afternoon. We did stop in at a suburban market, where i bought a coffee in a bar full of north african men, boronia spent twenty minutes in the market, again largely serving north african community.

We drove on to Banne, a lovely community in the lower Ardeche,where we had lunch in an upmarket restaurant and then walked for an hour. We drove on to the village of Nave, which was perched on the side of a steep hill, and boasted a 'botanical walking track' which Boronia could not resist. So we climbed the path, up steep spillway of limestone shards, and obtained a terrific view of the valley and the village of Nave.

The drive to Audabiac was unexceptional. We checked into our new lodgings, the Domaine d'Audabiac, a quite luxurious Chambre d'Hote, located in one of the larger villas in the village; a distinct contrast to the minuscule accommodation we were comfortably ensconsed in previously.

relaxed exploration

Yesterday (Thursday 19 May) we went exploring, drove across to Bagnol sur Ceze, then Pont d'Esprit, where we visited the Museum of Sacred Art ( a hidden gem), then inland up the Ceze valley. A pleasant days travelling, with great scenery, some pleasant stops in villages, and the highlight being an hours walking through forest at a former monastery, whose name escapes me.....

Today we drove to Avignon. The Palace of the Popes, built in the 14th century was very impressive, and a great introduction to the history of the region and the city. A couple of galleries were less spectacular, but quite pleasant.

We were home by four pm, and spent a pleasant evening walking around Audabiac, preparing dinner and reading. I have been reading the Wikipedia entry on Avignon, which is fascinating, and a great complement to todays visit. The trivial fact of the day is that John Stuart Mill died in Avignon and is buried in the cemetery.

Glee, sore feet, and serendipity

Yesterday we decided to take a stroll over to Lusson, a ten or twelve kilometre return trek. There are marked walking trails seemingly everywhere, so we just walked up behind the village and were immediately able to begin following a marked trail. The garrigue is the term for the undergrowth which covers the limestone hills here, it is dense and low, almost impenetrable. Wildflowers are ubiquitous much to Boronia's glee; she must have stopped fifteen or twenty times to take photos, the most interesting being a particularly beautiful orchid in bloom.

Lusson is a walled village high on a hill overlooking the valley. It is surrounded by farm land, and a few solitary farm houses. We climbed up, obtained a map of the village in a very quiet tourism office, and explored, for my part looking for a cafe or bar to buy coffee. Unfortunately for me,and fortunately for Lusson's tranquility, it has managed to resist the temptation for any retail activities within the village, at least on Wednesdays....there were indications of former cafes and tea rooms, but nothing open. The walk back was hot and footsore, but satisfying nonetheless.

Afterwards we drove to Fons sur Lusson,a village about eight kms from here in Audabiac, to buy some supplies, and drove home via a circuitous route through a number of the surrounding hamlets and villages.

This morning, we decided to have a look at the Uzes weekly market and then drive to Nimes to see what is on offer. Apart from narrow roads and a horrendous traffic issue, exacerbated by the road works underway around he old city, the city was quite splendid. A roman temple from the first century AD, a ruined roman tower atop some extensive gardens, a temple dedicated (at least in name) to the Goddess Diana, plus lots of boutiques and shops. The whole centre of town is dominated by pedestrian malls/walkways, making it a very pleasant place to explore.

After a home cooked dinner of grilled salmon, and some research on our next accommodation and our plans for the coming days, we reverted to some quiet reading time.

Boronia is reading the Catherine Jinks novel on the inquisition which i read a week or so back; I am wading my way through a feminist analysis of Shakespeare's Roman plays. Feminist social analysis is not my usual reading, so it is a revelation of sorts to see what can be wrung from Shakespeare's texts when you combine deep knowledge classical sources, an intelligent eye, and a close reading of the texts themselves and the contexts within which they were written and presented.

Tomorrow's plans will be finalised over breakfast; serendipity reigns still!

Barcelona to Audabiac via Uzes

I have been derelict in keeping this account of our travels up to date, so may skate over some elements.

On Thursday 12 May, we headed out of Amelies les Bains for Barcelona. We stopped by Banyule sur Mer to visit the small farmhouse where Aristide Maillol lived, worked and is now buried. The house is now a small gallery, with a lovely selection of sculptures, photographs and a couple of installations recreating the original rooms. Maillol is buried in the garden under a sculpture of his muse. I found it very satisfying to refresh my appreciation of his life and work.

The drive to Barcelona was relatively straightforward. We stayed in a hotel about 18kms from the city centre at Llobregad de Corbera.

Friday we took a bus and metro trip into the city. A walk through the streets, a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which we found disappointing in that its exhibition on Punk culture didn't really speak to us! A visit to a small gallery displaying remnants of the roman wall around the city was interesting, then a visit to another gallery focussed on the work of a Spanish sculptor Francisco Clara which again was disappointing as it had few works of any real merit.

Saturday was much more interesting. A visit to the Museo Picasso, focussed on his early career was a real pleasure. Picasso's artistic skills and creative energy stood out in virtually everything he touched.

I tried to book a tour of Barcelona's civil war sites, largely described in Orwell's Homage o Catalonia, which I read when i was at school and reread at university for a course on anarchism when doing my M.Litt at UNE. Unfortunately we had left it too late and the tours were booked out.

Sunday morning, after some indecision abut where to go, we headed north, originally thinking to head to Albi, but deciding en route to head to the visage of Uzes in Languedoc. We booked a night in a hotel while we searched for something longer. Uses is a terrific town, on the cusp of a tourism boom, but quite delightful notwithstanding. We wandered around the town for a couple of hours soaking up the atmosphere. Dinner in a very pleasant bistro, "Ten", with a less traditional menu.

Monday involved a slow start, a french breakfast at the hotel, coffee and croissant, then Boronia set to work to try to find accommodation were we could cook for ourselves. We finally settled on a place in a micro village - maybe a hamlet is a better description - named Audabiac, some three kilometres outside the town of Lussan, some 20 odd kilometres north of Uzes.

We then spent a few hours exploring Uzes, and came across an extraordinary antique shop called Atmosphere. The shop contained scores, if not under of antique and highly decorated walking sticks, priced in the hundreds of euros each, plus a vast selection of other desirable objects, all quite expensive. I asked about a small silver box, with the masonic insignia etched on its lid, to be told in was two hundred euros. I estimated that the sale value of the total stock must exceed a million euros, an extraordinary store!

Next we headed off on a drive toward Avignon. We decided to explore Pont du Gare, not knowing anything at all about it. It is an extraordinary roman bridge built in the first century AD, some 160 feet high, and a key element in a fifty kilometre aqueduct taking water from a spring near Uzes to Nimes. The wikipedia page on Pont du Garde is worth a read.

Finally we headed to Audabiac, having confirmed our accommodation request during the day. We have booked ourselves in till next Sunday. We arrived to discover we are lodged in a delightful two story medieval cottage, stone walls, exposed wooden beams, very comfortable and compact. It has all the essentials, good hot water, wifi, a firm bed, and a refrigerator and stove. It will be an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding region and do some extended walking. The hamlet of Audabiac is quiet, and very pretty, a typical village Provencale.

Serendipity wins out

Today, Wednesday 11 May, was a day of exploration. We headed north towards Villefranche le Conflents, a medieval village/fort on an earlier spanish/french border. We took the back route up through the mountains north of Ceret, on seemingly endless narrow roads high above the valleys below, and serendipitously came upon the restored Priere de Serrabone, a lovely medieval church with carved marble pillars, and lovely stonework. I can't do it justice in this short paragraph.

Then onwards, via a visit to the village of Eus, one of Frances "plus belle villages", which looks terrific nested against the hillside, but had little to recommend it up close.

Villefranche was impressive, a walled town nestled within a steep gorge, but is going the way of Carcassonne as it is full of retail outlets. We walked through the town, which has an interesting history, both as a fort in the wars over the spanish / french border, and as a prison for wealthy parisennes after the revolution, including some thirty women who were held for thirty years accused of witchcraft. In pouring rain, we took shelter in a cave in the limestone cliffs opposite the village.

We headed home via Prades and the pretty village of Castelnou, then via Thuile to Ceret, and on to Arles sur Tech before arriving at our accommodation in Amelies les Bains close to seven pm.

The highlight of the day was the Priere de Serrabone, stark and severe in many ways, located on a remote mountain top, but confirmation both that serendipity is worth a score of plans, and that artis both timeless and enduring. I was particularly taken with the carving of the archangel Michael slaying a dragon/devil.

Tomorrow we head to Barcelona, hopefully via a museum near Banyule dedicated to the memory of Aristide Maillol, one of my favourite sculptors.

Discovering the joys of Ceret

On Saturday 7 May we drove to Saint Girons and St Lizier to the north west of Foix. These towns would have been substantial stopovers for us had we undertaken the walk we originally planned, so it was good to see them.

The markets at Saint Girons were huge, full of local produce and artefacts, throngs of people weaving in and our of the stalls....Boronia had a great time assessing what was on offer. I had a quick look, then retreated for a coffee, although i did manage to pick up a feminist analysis of Shakespeare's Roman plays....

The cite at St Lizier was impressive, not as large as Carcassonne, but to my mind much more authentic and enjoyable. The medieval cathedral/church had some terrific stained glass windows, and a nice feel to it. Boronia lit a candle, maybe part of her prayers for me....

We then drove to Foix, took the train to Toulouse to pick up some of our baggage, and to pick up a new hire car.

The following day was wet and miserable. We drove down the freeway towards Perpignan, then turned south to wend our way through the back roads. The country was wonderful, but the most scenic parts were shrouded in cloud and rain. Still we found ourselves at Cucugnan, a delightful little village with a mill on the hill and a twelfth century church in the village. We had a very enjoyable lunch at a local restaurant, and went on our way. Finally arrived at Amelies les Bains around sic pm.

Monday was very wet, so we drove to Collioure on the coast, had soup and dessert in a pleasant little restaurant and managed to get soaked notwithstanding our raincoats. We stopped in Ceret on the way back, and saw enough to tell us it is a very interesting place.

Today, Tuesday 10 May, we climbed out of Ceret on a two and half hour return walk to the Ermitage Saint Ferroule (who I think is the patron saint of Ceret). It was hot and humid, but a good workout. We returned to our starting point, the thirteenth century pont du diable (which is an impressive piece medieval engineering over the river tech, at least thirty meters high.

Then a quick bite and a coffee at a cafe, and onto the Ceret art gallery, where we spent a very pleasant hour or so enjoying an exhibition by a portuguese /french artist, Helena Vieira da Silva. Neither of us had ever heard of her, but we both liked her work very much.

Pablo Picasso spent some time living in Ceret around 1903, along with a group of other artists. The Gallery has a small selection of his work, and the whole town celebrates its artistic heritage, which makes it a pleasure to explore.

Tomorrow we expect more rain, and we will drive north to explore some of the scenic villages in the Pyrenees Orientales. Then we head to Barcelona for three days before returning to France, possibly via Huesca or Lerida, and through one of the passes in the Haute Pyrenees.

Five days near Foix

Our five days in Foix are coming to an end.

We have been staying in a very comfortable Chambre d'Hote called Les Sapines in a small town just south of Foix called Montgailhard. The hosts Helga and John are extremely hospitable and find just the right balance between assistance, advice and allowing us our independence and autonomy.

We flew from London to Toulouse last Sunday, and then took the train to Foix, arriving at our accommodation late afternoon.

We hired a car Monday and headed to Mirepoix for the weekly market day, and then on to Montsegur,  an ancient catcher village/fort situated on the summit of a 1200 metre hill rising steeply from the surrounding countryside. It was the site of a ten month siege in 1243/44, at the end of which some 200 Cathar 'heretics' were burned at the stake at the foot of the mountain.

We climbed to the summit and tramped around the ruins, then proceeded to the museum in the village nearby. All quite interesting. I had simultaneously been reading a novel by an Australian author, Catherine Jinks, called the Inquisitor, set in nearby regions in he eleventh century, which gives an extremely illuminating perspective into the mindset of the Inquisition and the complexity of religious and political beliefs in medieval Europe.

Tuesday we drove south into the mountains (or perhaps the foothills might be more accurate), parked the car and walked for two hours up a valley, 'up' being the operative word. Tramping through beautiful beech forests along a part of the GR 10 which is the name of the walking track from the mediterranean to the atlantic through the Pyrenees. The views were spectacular, snow not too far above us.

That evening at dinner we decided to change our plans and not try to walk the GR78 as we had planned. My knees are not up to it, and Boronia has a shoulder injury. Our new plan is to hire a car and spend some time in different locations, where we can walk (without packs) for a couple of hours every day or second day.

Wednesday we drove to Ax le Therme, then (following a navigation error on my part) across to a town called Axat. The countryside was dramatic, we explored an old castle at Puitres, and enjoyed serendipitously exploring the countryside.

Thursday 5 May was allocated to walking part of the GR78 along a small part of our originally planned route. We drove to a point about eight kms to the east of Mas d'Azil, and walked for two hours into the village through beech forest, muddy trails, and along the edge of a lake. The village was neat, and charming, made more so by the bar/brasserie we found to serve us coffee and creme catalan. The walk back was shorter as we took the road as it was very hot. After four hours walking, hot, knees sore, tired, we were glad to reach our car. Sitting beside it was a young French lad walking from Narbonne to Cape Finisterre in western Spain, he had no map, a large pack and was camping all the way. He seemed very content, and gratefully accepted some water and biscuits.

He reminded me of my travels in 1973, riding from London to Perpingnan, and then hitchhiking to Barcelona, and on to Pamplona, camping in a swag and living off around a dollar a day.

Friday we drove to Carcassonne. I had never been there, and while the old city and the fortress are impressive, i was hugely disappointed by the commercialisation and the crowds of tourists. On the way, we visited an old Romanesque church form the eleventh century (or older) in the village of Vals. It is unique in heat it is built into the rocks on the hillside, and has three internal levels inside, plus above the altar were a number of lovely frescoes depicting religious events (the annunciation etc).

Tomorrow we plan to head to St Girons for their market day, then return to Foix and take the train to Toulouse where we pick up a new hire car and head to Amies les Bains down near the Spanish border on the mediterranean side. We will explore the surrounding area for four days or so, and then decide where to go next. Possibilities include south to Spain, Languedoc,or even Provence....