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).
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| Pyrenean Foothills across the Vallee de Luchon The High Pyrenees lost in the stormy clouds all day |
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| 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 |
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!
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| 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 |
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| Mirepoix Cathedral - with external stair turret Seen a few times in France I don't recall seeing the same in the UK |
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| Mirepoix - Main Square Reminiscent of Chester - but with more pastels |
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| Mirepoix- Main Square Carved gargoyles |
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| 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.
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| Chateau Roquefixade and Roquefiaxade below |
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| Chateau Montsegur from near Roquefixade Many of the Cathar Castles are in line of sight |
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| Montferrier The aire is off to the left |
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| Chateau Montsegur From the footpath from Montferrier |
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| Chateau Montsegur Outlook to the north-west from the ramparts |
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| Chateau Montsegur From the ramparts south Down to the village and into the high Pyrenees |
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.
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| Chateau Puivert 'Greenhill Castle' doesn't sound quite so romantic |
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| Quillan - Hills from the edge of town |
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| Quillan - Chateau Quillan An unimposing block house of a place Beer was good though |
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