31 August 2005

Oz Arbres

One thing the girls had seen on our various journeys around were signs to a tree playground called mont Oz arbres so while Sue went off on a Dali pilgrimage to Figueres and the Dali Museum the girls and I headed off for some fun in the trees.
These would become much more prevalent - even in the UK over the coming years!



There was also a short via ferrata to test our climbing skills .. in trainers!


29 August 2005

Canigou

The big mountain in this area is the Pic du Canigou which has a number of routes up it, and the folks had been up most.. So we went back to one of their favourites.. starting in the forested and pasture areas.


As we got higher, you can see where the route cuts up to the ridge.

The route turns into a scramble, somewhere around here a loose rock got dislodged and scared Katie a little as it passed her by very close. Then almost a climb..

At the top for lunch
we went down an easier way, but I do not know where that was ...



28 August 2005

Gorges de la Fou

Another difference for today .. we headed up the Tech river to Arles sur Tech, and a spectacular gorge at Gorges de la Fou or else this one is supposed to be the narrowest gorge in the world! also famed as a bandit hideaway.






27 August 2005

Chateau Feodal de Fitou

Somewhere we had seen an advert for a museum of medieval working practices at Chateau Feodal de Fitou the other side of Perpignan ... this was a great little museum in a small feudal castle being restored by the owners.

From the castle at Fitou we stopped off at another Vaudan fort we had passed on the way up ... Fort de Salses a major work on the side of the motorway, then back to the apartment


26 August 2005

Torre de la Macana(Massane)

One of the prominent places near to St Andre is the Tour de Macana  a tower on top of a peak close to the frontier ridge. Parking up we started off walking through large cork forests as we worked out way up onto the ridge.

Following the ridge to the top and the tower, which was moving in and out of the clouds.



The folks left us here to continue on with the circuit up to the frontier ridge and back down a different valley while we wandered back the way we had come up.