Ruoms 1

Organised bloging! Today posted today!

25th to 29th June - Ruoms (Camping Peyrousse) -1

Large campsite, 90% empty, next to the Ardeche and about 2km from the town centre. But, the town seems absolutely crowded and it isn't even July or August! Away from the main tourist spots on the Ardeche (about 20km down stream).

Great area with low wooded hills, orchards (plums and apples) and vineyards to the horizon. Great walking and cycling - but far too hot on Saturday when thunderclouds built up all day - very oppressive. Seemed to avoid the big storm that is affecting the Alps. Today, a very welcome balmy 26C.

Some pictures from local walks and bike rides:

Ruoms - Bridge over the Ardeche on the walk into the town for supplies

Ruoms - Crowded town centre in June! - What the hell is August like?

Ruoms - View upstream from the bridge into town

Ruoms - One of the local 'beaches' on the Ardeche
Heading here tomorrow! 

Ruoms - A local anti-fracking campaign?

Ruoms - Vines, villages and churches

Ruoms - Vines, wooded Limestone hills and cliffs

Vallon Pont de Arc - Biked it down here on Sunday afternoon.
A natural limestone arch 'bridge' formed from a cut-off incised meander
in the Ardeche gorge

Planning on two more days here then moving on Wednesday - still not sure exactly where though.

Another Ardeche

Yet another update from the Ardeche!

17th June - Felines-Termenes
52 miles from Quillan

Passed a couple more  Cathar castle sites at  Arques, Thermes, Durfort and Villerouge-Termenes. Stopped overnight at the village just to the south of the last one. Many have been restored and are open to the public; but, poor Chateau Durfort remains as a wooded ruin next to a farm. 

Wandered off for an afternoon walk in the wooded hills from the Aire. No map! Was trying to get to Chateau Villerouge-Termenes - got completely lost in the wooded hills - but managed to arrive back at the Aire eventually - using the sun!

Chateau Termes

Chateau Durfort
A completely wooded ruin 

18th June - Mezemet (Lac-les-Montagne)
62miles from Felines-Termenes

Pretty dreary trip over the flat area to the east of Carcassone in the morning. Was compensated by going up into the hills again to visit Lastours - yes, another, and my last, Cathar site for this trip! Beginning to suffer Cathar overload (same problem with D-Day in Normandy last summer). 

However, Lastours is one of the best known sites with four separate castles close together on a high ridge above the village. So finish on a high note. 

After lunch next to the river saw a sign for my next destination (Mezemet). Oh dear! I should have looked at the map before I started off, it was a very very steep, hair-pinned and narrow minor road. Got some strange looks from some people as I had to divert through a village car park and squeeze between some houses to get round road works. Made it to the Aire at the lake near Mezemet - which seemed very popular. The French seem to park up for days on end at these places.

Lastours - Village
One of the castles at the top of the cliff

Lastours - From the footpath up to the castles
The cypresses are some form of recent landscape architecture

Lastours
Three of the castles from the top of the fourth one

Lac-les-Montagnes
A very busy Aire

19th June - Peyrusse-le-Roc
103 miles from Mezemet

Had decided to take a look at the Dordogne again, after about ten years, and planned on taking a few days to get there. Had not been particularly impressed on my previous visit finding it hard to see the attraction to so many visitors when there is so much more in France.

Passed through some gorgeous hills, valleys, villages and river gorges on the way to Peyrusse-le-Roc crossing the Tarn at Albi (impressive looking town - loads of orange brick in the buildings and the cathedral). Definitely an area to visit in the future.

Peyrusse-le-Roc is a small village at the head of a deep river valley. With, of course, more castle towers - but this time below the village. The aire had a spectacular view - unfortunately, a french van had parked and blocked the view for nearly everyone else from their vans. Wandered off walking - thank goodness the French way mark their footpaths - except, I think two separate  systems met and were both were using yellow and white markers - I ended up going round in circles through wooded hills for ages!

Peyrusse-le-Roc
Castle ruins in the wooded valley below the village

Peyrusse-le-Roc
More of the same

Peyrusee-le-Roc
Awesome view from the Aire and the French culprit in front of my van

20th June - le  Bugue 
91 miles from Peyrusse-le-Roc

Through the Cause de Quercy crossing the Lot between Cahors and Figerac to the Dordognge at Carsac. This part of France is littered with towns and villages with names terminating in 'nac' - not a clue what it means. 

Bloody Sat-Nav! It happily sent me down two narrow roads with height restrictions of 2.8m below old railway bridges. My van is 2.95m high. Trying to find an alternative in the back-end of no where is a pain. But to be honest, especially when driving on your own, Sat-Nav is brilliant. I just wish you could enter headroom requirements into CoPilot Live!

Drove down the Dordogne to le Bugues which is on the Vezere, advertised as the 'Valle de Homme' - many of the early human remains (Cro-Magnan Man etc) were initially found in the valley.

Stayed over for a three nights at a campsite at le Bugues. The temperature hit 37C on the Saturday afternoon, so ended up in the shade with a migraine! Managed a walk trough the hills on the Sunday but that was hard going at 35C in the afternoon.

The Dordogne villages and towns were heaving with visitors and the car parks for nearly full - it was only the middle of June. I hate to think what the area is like in August.

The Dordogne really 'don't rock my boat'. Too much like England.

Decided that I would like to re-visit the Ardeche and see the gorges there again which meant a long circuit south of the Auvergne.

le Bugues - Campsite
Vezere and limestone clifffs  from the Van

le Bugues - Campsite
The emplacement - 12 euro a night - but no WiFi

23rd June - Lacroix-Barrrez
140miles from le Bugues

Brive-la-Gaaillarde is a dump and seems to go on for ever - avoid. 

Lacroix-Barrez - the perfect out of the way French village to the south of the Cantal. Absolutely gorgeous municipal aire for camping cars. Individual electric and water supplies in a neat shaded field. Additional free services, including electricity, at the entrance. I didn't begrudge the charge of 2.50 euro a night! Amazing! You can't even park in England for that price. The village is on an arable plateau at about 700m with deep wooded valleys below. Good walking and cycling. Marked paths and even free walking sticks in a milk churn at the information board. Even a village shop and Bar-Tabac. 

Lacroix-Barrez - The neat Aire de Stationment des Campingcars

24th June - Pradelles
140 miles

Spent the first half of the trip following the Lot Valley for miles including the Gorges de Lot. Crossed my path after a short section of the A75 at Chanac (more 'nacs') which I passed through on the 10th May on the way to Ales. Headed through Mende to the edge of the Auvergne. 

Was going to stop at Mende; but, the aire was nearly full with no shade and it was in the thirties. Parked up for an hour and drove on up the valley of the Lot to Pradelles and stopped over at a Aire at about 1200m with wide views south to the Cevennes.

Estaing on the Lot

St-Come d'Olt - On the Lot

Pradelles- expansive view south to the Cevennes from the Aire (1200m)
Thunder storms brewing-up

25th June - Roums (Ardeche)
54 miles from Pradelles

Camped for a week at Camping Peyrouse about 2km from the town centre and adjacent to the Ardeche. Details to follow.

Ardeche Again

Second update from the Ardeche - one more to follow. A pleasantly cool 13C and clear blue skies at 0700 - 30C due this afternoon - as I bash away at the computer - seems like work again! 

13th June - Castelnau-Durban
73 miles from Peyraguades les Agudes

Early morning decision made to go east through the Pyrenees, back towards the Pais Cathar, rather than west. towards the Pais Basque. Moving along the Pyrenees is slow as it means crossing the numerous small deep valleys that drain north into France. Spent all morning chugging up and down innumerable cols and passes with densely wooded hills, well worth stopping for a few days another time. No decent photographs as there was a lot of low stormy cloud on the hills.

Planned stop was at the Aire, in the town centre, at St Girons: arrived at lunchtime to find caravans and large white vans permanently camped there. Decided to move on up the road 20km to the next Aire at Castelnau-Durban. A well shaded aire, provided by rows of plane trees, in the centre of the village. Wandered of 'a pied' in the late afternoon to look at the ruined castle and along a disused railway line (now a cycle way).

Pyrenean Foothills across the Vallee de Luchon
The High Pyrenees lost in the stormy clouds all day

Castelnau-Durban
Shady Aire in the centre of the village
 Doesn't show noisy road works and busy traffic on the adjacent D117 to Foix

14th June - Mirepoix
40 miles from Castelnau-Durban

A short drive eastwards and into the Pais Cathar again  via Foix and shopping at Decathalon to the medieval town on Mirepoix with its impressive square of timber framed houses and cathedral, sadly some what over commercialized. The aire was adjacent to a farm and park on the edge of town. Fifty kilometre circuit on the bike around the hills and a large lake, Lac de Montbel, in the afternoon to the south of then town - encountered two guys from Leicester who now run a family bike hire business here!

Foix - Chateau above the town and river
Cathar country again - the round tower dates from that period
The majority of it is is later when it was a royal castle on the Spanish border

Mirepoix
Cathedral - with external stair turret
Seen a few times in France
I don't recall seeing the same in the UK

Mirepoix - Main Square
Reminiscent of Chester - but with more pastels

Mirepoix- Main Square
Carved gargoyles

Mirepoix -Town Gate
About all that remains of the town from the Cathar period

15th June - Montferrier
28 miles from Mirepoix

Southwards into the foothills, with a diversion to the impressive Cathar castle - Chateau Roquefixade. Stopped at Montferrier, now a quite holiday village - formerly numerous iron works and a talc manufactory in the valley. The aire was adjacent to a long distant footpath and I used this to visit Chateau Montsegur, yet another Cathar site, above the next village in the morning.

Chateau Roquefixade and Roquefiaxade below

Chateau Montsegur from near Roquefixade
Many of the Cathar Castles are in line of sight

Montferrier
The aire is off to the left

Chateau Montsegur
From the footpath from Montferrier

Chateau Montsegur
Outlook to the north-west from the ramparts

Chateau Montsegur
From the ramparts south
Down to the village and into
the high Pyrenees

16th June - Quillan
52 miles from Montferrier

Drove to Quillan in that late afternoon to stop at an Aire in the town centre adjacent to the station. Bargain railway fares advertised, an unbelievable one euro to Carcassone, about 60km away on the train; but, missed out as the railway is shut for 'travaux' the whole of June.
Passed the Cathar sites at Puivert on the way.

Chateau Puivert
'Greenhill Castle' doesn't sound quite so romantic

Quillan - Hills from the edge of town

Quillan - Chateau Quillan
An unimposing block house of a place
Beer was good though

  

From the Ardeche

At last, after nearly three weeks, an internet connection to get the blog updated. This is the first tranche.

6th to 10th June - Ampolla (Camping Ampolla) 
56 miles from Torredembarra

Small, simple and shaded site, directly opposite the local beach with one of the Ebro Delta Nature Reserves adjacent. 

The hills behind the town (La Sierra del Boix) go up to around 1000m and the Ebro Delta seems to be 90% rice paddy - with a few reserves retained for wildlife. Seemed to be out of season for birding, guess the main broods are fledged and away - also the wrong time of year for migrants. Tried some bird photography one day - but hopeless with a 200mm lens. 

A couple of long cycling days out. First up into the hills behind the town and the next day out to the Platja del Fangar a huge sand bar that encloses the north-east side of the open lagoon that Ampolla faces.

It began to get hot and temperatures were into the 30's by the time I left.

Ebro Delta -  A cooperative Stilt

Ebro Delta - Tern
All the species look the same to me - this may be a Common Tern

Sierra del Boix - Typical scrubby Vegetation at about 500m
Thyme and Rosemary dominate and the air is pungent with their oily aroma.
This shows the only date palm that is indigenous to Europe.

Sierra del Boix - Typical scene

Sierra del Boix - Looking over the foothills to the Ebro Delta
Ebro Delta appears to have got lost in the heat haze!

11th June - Tamarite de Litera
101 miles from Ampolla

Drove up the Ebro Valley and via Lleida to reach a small town, Tamarite de Litera. Stopped over at a free air next to a sports hall. No shade and with the temperature at about 35C in the afternoon the van was 41C inside when I got back from an early evening walk at 20:00! Some interesting rock outcrops and field patterns behind the town.

Ebro - North of Mora del Elbre

Tamarite de Litera - Barley Fields and Hills behind the town.
Oddly shaped fields controlled by the structural geology of the
limestone ridges. Barley harvest on the 11th June

Tamarite de Litera- More ridges and fields and a typical landowner's house

12th June - Peyraguades les Agudes (near Luchon)
171 miles from Tamarite de Litera

Oh dear! Not a day I want to remember! The original intention was to do two stop-overs on the way to France. After a pleasant trip into the Pyrenean foothills, Arrived at the aire at Tremp, where I had intended to stop; but it was in the upper thirties, concrete again and no shade. 

Decided to head on up into the hills for the next planned stop-over at an aire at Espot in the Parc Nacional d'Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. After strugging up a narrow pass to about 1800m I discovered that the 'autocaravanes' were now banned from 22:00 to 08:00.

Grrrr...no more aires in Spain on my planned route, so at about 7pm I started the trek across the remainder of the Pyrenees into motorhome friendly France via one massive pass (Puerto de la Bonaigua - 2072m) into the Val d'Aran and then another (Col de Portillon at the Franco-Spanish border - only 1293m - but with an awful road on the Spanish side). Eventually ended up at the aire at Peyraguades les Agudes at about 11pm!  At least the view from the aire at 1600m in the morning was some compensation!

Castello de Farfanya
Imposing church and castle perched over the town

Castello de Farfanya
Swallow Tail Butterfly near the castle

Val d'Ager

Pas de Terrdets from the car park
Impressive Canyon like gorge
 The road hugs a shelf on the right hand side

Pic Perdiguerre (3222m)
Gorgeous compensation for the day's hassle
Waking up to an early morning view from the van, at 1600m,
at the Aire at Peyraguades les Argudes