A day in Penne and Bruniquel

We took a different route out of town to Penne and onto Bruniquel as recommended by the touriste office and wow!

We first had to travel up and along the ridge of the Roc D'Angler for several kilometres with spectacular views which the camera does not have a sufficiently wide angle to cover, but it was the top of where Richard and I canoed and the views are even better from the top than they were from the bottom. We had to pass through a tunnel that was 3 metres wide, I wanted to check that I would fit.

Penne is another of the bastide towns where battles were fought for centuries and hence the building undertaken at strategic points, such as the top of the mountain. Goodness knows how they did it. You can no longer enter the ruin at the top

Lyn was in her sartorial splendour along with the local lass.

The remaining photos are of Bruniquel which has 2 castles, one built in the 11th century and the other in the 17th. The earlier one is actually in better shape but that is because it was restored somewhat in the 19th century. The kitchens of both were still there and very interesting with their bread ovens. You would still be able to use the 17th century oven - it was enormous and still had its long handled spade things to move the coals around and hoik out the bread.

As I had accidently left my camera at home, Wendy kindly took these photos for me.

In search of a flower show

We had all been looking forward to today to go to a flower show in one of the nearby villages. We had seen the poster all week and had misread the verbage many times. At first we thought it was in St Antonin. Then we saw the name Livron and thinking it was one of the neighbouring villages, Wendy and I did a sortie through the week trying to find where it would be to no avail. We went to St Paul de Livron but there was nothing there that would indicate a flower show was imminent. In fact about it that was there was a convent and a grotto with a madonna in a cave. I plugged in Giles (GPS) and found that Livron was about 200km away. We returned home and read the poster again and it turned out to be in a village called Lacapelle Livron. This was discovered last night in time to take off this morning for the show. Lyn had some bad news about her cat just before we were to leave so she and Angela remained at home to try to contact their vet. Wendy, Claire and I arrived in the village and drove to the centre village as directed by several sign posts. The lanes were about 4 houses long on each entry and we could see no sign of a flower show nor anywhere where it might be held. We parked the car and walked a little way (about 50 metres from one end of the village to the other) and saw the church which was built in the 12 century just as the bells were tolled for noon.

We also saw the village Halle which was the tiniest I have seen but commensurate with the size of the village.

Walking on, we bumped into a small group of people who were speaking English. They were pounced upon and asked about the flower show. They said, no flower show - but asked did we mean the open garden? Yes we all nodded vigourousy. They directed us back to the main road and about 300 metres further along was an art gallery which we entered and from the end of that walked into a walled garden. We spoke with the owners who have lived there for 10 years and who are English. They had bought the ruin of a house and there was nothing inside the wall. No one had lived there for 60 years they told us. They rebuilt the house and started the garden from scratch. It was a lovely cottage garden with little secret bits and lots of colourful flowers interspersed with vegetables. The wife is an artist and her paintings, which were very good, hung on the walls of the gallery. The husband now retired was an academic who specialised in permaculture and had been to Australia to lecture, but not to Perth. We chatted for some time after we had viewed their beautiful garden and they made us a cup of tea. He then told us about how the barn was converted into the gallery and also their now living quarters and that they are using the house as a summer let. He also told us of another open garden near Espinas, a little village we had been to before. That was in the Chateau de Cas. Here are some of the photos I took of the cottage garden.

So we headed off towards Espinas and followed the signs to Chateau de Cas up and up and around and around for ages and we finally found it. Amazing. Very isolated, very beautiful, very old and completely different to the last garden. This was a very formal garden. It opened at 2 pm and we arrived about 3 minutes after that time. We were met by a woman who told us in French that we could not photograph inside the Chateau or a wedding that was to take place there this afternoon. At least that is what we thought she was saying. I dont know how long she thought we would be there, but there was no sign of a wedding party and some people were just starting to put chairs out in one of the buildings. We walked around the formal gardens and took some photos of that and the pigionier, which I think is a bit like an English dovecote (for Joan and Judy) and we were a bit anxious because we weren't entirely sure what we could and could not photograph. She then came and found us again and asked if we wanted to see the chapel. We agreed and followed her and walked passed a middle aged couple sitting at a garden setting enjoying a glass of wine. The wife spoke to me as I was in the lead and I apologised and said I didn't speak French. She appeared somewhat shocked and spoke to me in perfect English. I was forgiven when she realised we were Australian. It turned out that they were the Lord and Lady of the manor and invited us again to look at the chapel which was built in the 12th century. She said that the chapel belonged to the village but that she cleaned it. Claire remained talking with them while Wendy and I looked through this tiny little chapel that held about 12 seats and reminded me of the one Joan and Judy visited with me in Dorset. Later, Claire was shocked to learn to whom she had been speaking, saying she thought the woman who approached us on getting out of the car was the owner.

They also run a gite (self catering holiday accommodation) in the grounds of the chateau and gave us brochures about it. We later checked on the web as to the price and it was pretty pricy - much the same as our house in St Antonin for a 2 person apartment. It would be a lovely setting to live in the chateau but extremely isolated from anywhere. One would need to drive at least 10 km to get to the tiniest village and that would not have a shop.

Sadly, when we arrived home, Lyn had had news that her cat had been put down.

The village of Caylus

Yesterday, (Tuesday) Wendy drove us to the village of Caylus which is not far from St Antonin. Richard had come here often to fish and Myles and Elspeth brought the children here for a drive one afternoon but I hadn't been before.

The big items to see were the 14th century church and the new and old castles. The church was lovely, but it was difficult to get a photo of the outside because it is all so built up around it. This was about the best I could do.

The church is renowned for its stained glass windows, said to be the best in the area - I took photos but they didn't turn out so well and I am not sure why they were thought to be the best - and for a very modern sculpture of Christ which I took a photo of but I wasn't impressed by it either.

We had collected a map from the tourist bureau telling us how to get from the church to the old and the new castles. Well we all started off but had difficulty following the map as it didn't have any street names marked on it and as it is all tiny lanes it was difficult to see where we were supposed to be going. With the high walls you couldn't get any idea of where the castles were that you could actually see as you drove into the town. After several false starts, we lost Claire, Lyn and Angela who all decided to make their way back to the car and perhaps find somewhere for a cuppa on the way. Wendy and I persevered up and up and around and around and got quite exhausted and then having followed this path got to a locked gate saying private property and we couldn't enter. This is Wendy showing what she thought of the map.

And this is all you could see of the old castle built in the 12th century over the fence.

The map then sort of petered out and indicated that we should walk back the way we had come. Bugger that, said Wendy. It seemed to us we had walked a full circle so we decided to keep going. We then came across the new castle which again had locked gates but this time they were made from wrought iron and I could take a photo through the bars. The new castle was built in the 18th century.

We continued down past the new castle and ended up where we had started and then realised had we ignored the map, and followed our instincts it would have taken us less than 5 minutes and a far less arduous walk than the way we were directed which took at least 30 minutes up very steep inclines.

We did see an interesting little garden on the way down and I wondered what the owners were expecting to sprout from the pottery.

We then made our way back to the car, finding the others in a bar in the market square where we joined them. This is the market square and Wendy, Lyn and Angela at the bar having partaken of coffee and teas.

Sunday afternoon in St Antonin

After another morning at the glorious market under an overcast sky, I went for a walk around the village with my camera. Myles and Elspeth had taken off for a walk about half an hour earlier with Alice. I bumped into them as I turned a corner.

I took more photos of lanes and houses where people have taken care to put flowers where they can - being a shortage of dirt in which to plant.

I thought this just might be a project for Kevin's Grand Designs. There must be some rules about demolishing houses here - they must be protected and would cost an absolute fortune to rebuild and renovate. I came across a little shop that makes what I thought were plaster and the shop lady said were resin moulds of angels and curlicues and things to put on the house walls. I couldnt work it out as she didnt speak English until she showed me that she had just spray painted one - I thought it was really dull until I realised she had coloured it the colour of stone to hang it on the walls. A bit tacky. But it would have looked like stone in the colour she made it. I thought of seeing if I could get her to colour a small one in terracotta for my courtyard renovations where I would not be pretending that it is 12th century.

Today is the last day the rest of the family will be here. They all take off for Andora tomorrow - for Richard to fish in the Pyrenees, for Thomas to perhaps see snow or his only chance to do so. A lady in a shop Elspeth was talking to said there was snow on the mountains last week so he is hopeful, although I have been trying to tell him it is not guaranteed.

Elspeth is busy packing their clothes at the moment and trying to reduce her luggage again, having posted 2 boxes home. More when I am solo. Wendy and her mother, Lyn and Angela arrive on Friday evening at about 7 pm. The others are driving from Andora directly to Toulouse airport so I hope the meet goes OK with swapping car keys and the GPS. Their flight leaves at 6.05 and the others arrive at 5.15 all being well. There is a back up plan as to the keys being left with INFORMATION if they will permit. I have emailed Wendy a photo of the car and she has the rego details. We all just have to cross our fingers that it works.

The village of Cordes-sur-ciel

This is an amazing place, so high and so steep that it is difficult to walk around. Firstly you park your car at the bottom of the hill and catch a train (little motor vehicle pulling carriages decked out like a train) up to the top. It is a bastide which is a walled town built during the 12th and 13th centuries to keep out the warring factions - alternately the crusaders sent by the Pope to oust the Cathars and later the English and so on in the hundred years war. It is now mainly a tourist precinct with lots of restaurants and outlets for the various craftspersons - jewellery, leatherwork, wood work, art and even a special knife maker. I bought a small pocket knife which I must remember not to keep in my hand luggage.

You have an amazing view of the beautiful countryside from the walls at the edge of the town. I took photos but they dont really show the depth of distance etc.

Sorry I didnt get all the photos on here I wanted to and some got doubled up. I like the one of the lads mending the wall. I wonder how many times that has been done over the years. The photos do not do justice to this place. I will go back again with Lyn et al and maybe I can do better when not struggling up and down the cobblestones with the children.

Nan is into extreme sports says Uncle Richard

For those hanging out for the photos of Cordes-sur-ciel, you will have to wait another day. I have attempted to put them on this blog 3 times and each time they keep slipping back to their position ie sideways as that is how I took them. I will keep working on it and when I get the time will put them on.

However, today, Richard and I went not quite white water rafting - but canoeing down the Aveyron River for 10 km. We went through 8 weirs and water falls - it was amazing. Got thoroughly soaked and I cant wait to do it again with Wendy when she gets here, I know she will be up for it.

You pay 30 euro and tell the man how long you anticipate you will take and he comes down in a van to meet you and bring you back. You can only canoe one way as once you are over the first weir there is no going back. It was great!

We opted for 3 hours but it actually only took us 2.5. We then were collected at the same time as the previous couple who took off before us. When I go with Wendy I will say 3.5 hours and take a picnic. It is so beautiful. It is extremely isolated, the variety of trees, birds, fish and the water was just wonderful. We even saw a little deer by the waters edge. Richard took his fishing gear but was happy to just keep meandering downstream. The river runs between huge overhanging limestone cliffs at times and at other times just forest either side. I do have photos but not of the really spectacular stuff as you are given a barrel that is waterproof to put your camera and so forth in and it is difficult to get it out to use except when the water is quiet and calm and you feel confident you wont turn over the canoe in retrieving it.

The first weir you come to you have to tackle down a water race which is unbelievably good fun. Scary but fun. You are told how to tackle each weir, ie to the left the right or the middle before you take off and you are given a map. This one was on the extreme left and it was about 2 inches wider than the canoe and at a 45 degree angle. You sped down in about one second and hit the bottom, become submerged because of the height coming from and emerge dripping wet but exhilerated. The rest were not so dramatic.

This is a photo of Richard that I managed to take over my right shoulder in a split second and it turned out remarkably well. I was in the front of the double canoe and he was obviously behind me.

I will now try again with the scenery.

The village of St Antonin Noble Val

Here is a photo of our house at 1 Place de la Jougario

And this is the view of the village from the bridge. Our house is one little lane back from the river and near to the church - the spire you can see.

And this is another view of the village from across the river

And this is a typical lane - the village is a myriad of them

And this one is of the market lane an hour or so after the market finished and was cleared away.