our time in London, Salisbury, St Austell Cornwall & Bath
Waterford to Roscrea and Bill William's place
Cliffs of Mohir and Galway
A trip to the Pyrenees
On 16 & 17 November Margie and I took a trip to the west of Olonzac into the foothills of the Pyrenees. The idea was to visit the caves at Niaux and the last stronghold of the Cathars at Montsegur.
The weather was superb and the countryside provided a magnificent backdrop for our excursion. We were in awe of Montsegur and the little village below was charming. First stop after finding the village was the cave at Niaux.
The weather was superb and the countryside provided a magnificent backdrop for our excursion. We were in awe of Montsegur and the little village below was charming. First stop after finding the village was the cave at Niaux.
Montsegur as we approached the Chateaux and the village
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the road up to the Niaux Grotto
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On the platform outdise the grotto looking down the valley
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the grotto entrance
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reproductions of cave art outside the grotto
Following our amazing journey 800 metres into the Niaux Grotto and marvelling how and why primitive men hauled wood and materials 800 metres under the earth to make these paintings we set off for the Auberage de Montsegur where refreshment awaits.
Dinner is a regional affair with a wild boar in red wine stew and cassoulet washed down with a local red wine.
Dinner is a regional affair with a wild boar in red wine stew and cassoulet washed down with a local red wine.
Auberage de Montsegur
the quaint little restaurant where I tried the wild boar & red wine
fires are lit as the sun turns in
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street at Village de Montsegur
Montsegur floats in the clear blue sky above the village
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The next day it was breakfast ant then an assault on Montsegur....but not until Margie had made some new friends
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The start of the climb and what an attacker would be looking at
Montsegur village from half way up to the chateau
we look down on a farm...must be a nice place to live
and this is the view
just loved the colours and textures here
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200 Cathars were burnt to death on this spot
the distant Pyrenees in the morning sun
Margie,dwarfed by the ruins of the chateau takes in the view
inside the ruins of Chateau Montsegur
what this was all about
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After Montsegur we decided to take the scenic route to Foix through the mountains and the little villages the most picturesque of which was Roquefixade overlooked by another towering Chateaux
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After a short stop for lunch in a really beautiful small park ( with another sad memorial to soldiers killed in WW 1) we resume the trip to Foix...where there is yet another castle
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streets of Fiox
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the castle at Fiox
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