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Well that’s the end of another fabulous roadtrip.

We emptied our tanks before leaving the Aire this morning and headed home via Lidl for supplies.

In our month long trip we stopped at 24 places and covered about 1200 miles.

  

Walking the Lac du Causse

We were up and away early this morning as it was much warmer when we woke. This also meant we left before the man came to collect the €8 fee for the overnight parking - to be honest we felt that was a bit steep considering the Flot Bleu which is used for emptying our waste tanks and filling with fresh water was out of order.

A short drive back into the Correze brought us to Turenne. Another of the Plus Beau Villages de France, this pretty hilltop town is topped by the remains of a former castle. All that remains is a couple of towers, one of which is occupied by the current owners, and some of the original walls. At their peak in the 15th Century to viscounts of Turenne ruled over a vast feudal domain containing over 1200 villages. This was one of the most powerful estates in France which, until Louis XV bought the viscountcy, raised its own taxes and minted its own money. 

We squeezed Kiki into the official motorhome parking - getting out will be interestingly - and set out to explore the town. We worked our way up to the gates of the castle at the top, passing lots of pretty stone houses with slate roofs clinging to the hillside. The streets were narrow, winding and in places really steep! On reaching the top we circumnavigated the castle and made our way back down to the village square. More narrow streets took us back to Kiki.

We extricated ourselves from the parking area - there was a slope downhill followed by a 90deg turn into a narrow track running uphill between high granite walls. A longer motorhome would have really struggled to get out.

Our next destination is the Lac du Causse which is a few km north. We followed some winding county lanes through the undulating countryside until we approached the village of Le Soulier.. There is an Aire de Camping Car at the edge of the lake on the other side of the village. Unfortunately as we turned into the road leading to the lake we came upon a 2.5m height limit sign. A jogger saw our situation and said - in English! - it’s ok you should be able to get through....

It turned out that there was a house with a low roof which protrudes out over the road. It would have been easy apart for the fact that as we approached the narrow part a car appeared round the corner. I tucked Kiki in as far a I could leaving just enough room for her to get through. She was probably the most hesitant driver we’ve come across and inched her way through. Two weeks later, when the road was clear - the next car backed up for us - we swung out around the protruding roof and made it through.

The motorhome parking is usually charged but the barrier was open meaning it’s free today. We found a nice spot for Kiki with a great view across the lake and had coffee. We then set out on the 7km loop around the lake.

Completing the loop we returned to Kiki, got out our chairs and had a leisurely lunch sitting in the sun. After lunch we repeated the walk around the lake this time going in the opposite direction.

We returned to Kiki where we had our evening meal before settling down for the evening.

The Lot Valley and back to the Dordogne

We woke this morning to a freezing Kiki - we’re still at nearly 2000ft and there was a heavy frost last night. I put the heating on and retreated back under the double duvet for an hour whilst the temperature rose to toasty levels. After breakfast we emptied our waste tanks before hitting the road.

Today we’re planning to drive along the Lot Valley which is where we were heading yesterday before Emma remembered Bozouls.

We descended into the valley at Espalion and followed it northwards. We’d only gone a short distance when we came to Estaing which looked interesting. We spotted a sign for motorhome parking and turned right - the road appeared to get narrow and disappear between the houses so we executed a quick 5 point turn and drove back to a small car park we’d just passed.

This pretty medieval village nestles in the valley and has an old narrow bridge crossing the river. We wandered around the village and took some photos. There were lots of quirky little streets to explore, most of which were barely wide enough for a horse and cart! We did check out the road which we decided not to risk - it would have just been passable and there was a parking area after all.

We carried on along the river valley which got a lot narrower until it was more like a gorge. The road was very windy but as it was reasonably wide the drive wasn’t too difficult. After a while we arrived at Entraygues sur Truyere where we had planned to stop last night. It’s a good job we didn’t rely on this place because the Aire was being used as storage for several large piles of gravel and a digger! We found somewhere to park further along the road and went for a walk around the village. We crossed a footbridge and walked along the waterfront past the old houses. This village isn’t much to look at so we made a loop walk by crossing another bridge and returning to Kiki.

There was another steep climb out of the Lot valley. At the top we stopped for lunch on the Aveyron/Cantal departmental border with a fabulous view of snow capped mountains to the east.

Next came a long drive, the first for many days, through Cantal and across the Dordogne river into our home department. Our destination is the Aire de Camping Car at Collonges la Rouge.

On arrival, we parked Kiki and took a walk into the village. This place is unique in that the buildings are constructed from an incredibly red sandstone. There are also a whole lot of houses (mini chateau) which have one or more turrets. We think there was some competition between the neighbours to see who could have the best!

We returned to Kiki for a drink and some chocolate before setting out towards the neighbouring village of Meyssac. We had a walk around the village and then decided to make a circular route back to Kiki.

We had a baked Camembert for dinner before settling down for the evening. 

More Snow and a Medieval Clifftop Village

As we were on electric hook up we had a toasty night in the Aire de Camping Car at Entraygues-sur-Truyere. Emma had her much anticipated long hot shower and was able to dry her hair properly so all is good! We emptied and filled before hitting the road for the short drive to Milau where Lidl awaits for our weekly shop.

Our route today takes us high up into the Park Naturel des Grand Causses as we climb out of the Tarn valley en-route to the Lot valley. Around 3000ft we found the snow and stopped for coffee and some photos. Fortunately the small amount of traffic combined with the sun meant that the majority of the roads were clear. We passed some picture postcard villages along the way - the sandstone walls and slate roofs of the old houses looked even better with snow around.

We stopped for lunch with a great view of snow capped mountains and Emma half remembered something she’d seen on an “unusual places” website. A bit of Googling and we discovered that we were only a few km away. We changed our plans and headed to Bozouls where there is a large, free Aire de Camping Car. 

We parked Kiki and checked out the information board. There are three small hikes around the gorge - we chose the 6km one and set out towards the village. We soon discovered why this is an “unusual place” - the medieval village is perched on the edge of a 100m deep horseshoe gorge!

Our walk took us down into the gorge and alongside the river as it winds its way around and almost back on itself. High above us we can see the houses clinging to the edge.

We hadn’t gone very far when we saw some goats on the path. As we approached one of them came over to say hi - she was very friendly and liked being stroked. It wasn’t long before we were surrounded by a dozen inquisitive creatures. Fortunately when they realised there was no free food they got bored and started climbing the sheer sides of the gorge. Later when we were at the top, we spotted the goats again - they had climbed the sheer cliff face and were clinging to the edge eating. 

We followed the river for a couple of km, crossing three small suspension footbridges on the way. As the gorge widened into a valley, the route climbed steeply up to the top and made its way back along the ridge. There are houses and a church perched on the end of the narrow spur of rock in the middle of the bend.

Next we climbed down into the gorge and up the other side to the main part of the village. We wandered along checking out the numerous viewpoints - some of which were built out over the gorge! We returned to Kiki through the village where we had supper before settling down for the evening.

Driving the Gorges du Tarn

We woke this morning to a sprinkling of snow! It was a cold night but our two duvets and an extra blanket kept us toasty warm. After breakfast, we emptied our tanks before hitting the road.

We’re heading to the Gorges du Tarn but in order to get there we have to climb up and over the Cevennes mountains. As we climbed, the dusting of snow along the side began to encroach into the road. As we approached the pass at the top we were at nearly 4000ft, the road was white and we were glad for Kiki’s new “all season” tyres. Proceeding slowly and cautiously we made our way down the other side. After a succession of tight downhill hairpins we joined the “official” gorge road at Ispagnac.

We quickly discovered that today’s gorge drive would be very different from the Ardeche - this time the road was at the bottom next to the river! At this point is fairly wide and easy to drive. We found a parking spot with a good view of the high rocky sides of the gorge and stopped for coffee.

A little further on we passed through a short tunnel cut through a rock - it was quite wide and as the height limit was 3.9m we were ok. Shortly afterwards we stopped in a lay-by at the entrance to the “Beau Village” of Sainte Enimie. We put our boots on and went on a short 5km hike into the town, across a bridge and along the river bank. The scenery was great, at this point the gorge has started to narrow and the rocky sides were towering above us. We crossed another bridge and returned to Kiki along the road. The wind at this point was really cold and blowing straight at us so we were glad to get back into the warm. We had lunch and then continued our journey.

The next 30km or so was “interesting” driving as the road became increasingly narrow as it wound its way alongside the river. Fortunately there was very little traffic as we often had to drive on the other side of the road to avoid rocky outcrops. At one point there was a series of rough tunnels cut through the rocks which, although they were “theoretically” high enough, didn’t leave much room for error!

There were quite a few seemingly abandoned villages clinging to the rocky crags on either side of the gorge, one of which had a aerial runway across the river to transport supplies.

We eventually came to the point where the gorge became wider and the driving easier so could relax a little. Soon afterwards we arrived at the Aire de Camping Car at Entraygues-sur-Truyere where we are stopping tonight. We filled our water tank so Emma can have a long, hot, multi rinse and condition shower tomorrow morning and chose a parking place.

After a planning session - we didn’t plan our return route as we didn’t know which way we would be driving back - we had our evening meal and settled down for the evening.

Kiki goes Mountaineering

We woke to a chilly but sunny morning in Vallon Pont d’Arc and emptied our tanks before hitting the road.

Our route this morning took us up into the Ardeche mountains - the highest point was a mountain pass at 2,800ft. The scenery is wild with lots of granite crags backed by snow capped mountains - reminiscent of Dartmoor or the Scottish Highlands. There are very few people living here but we did pass through a couple of pretty little villages one of which was a bit of a squeeze for Kiki!

We’re heading to the Lac de Villefort which is actually a reservoir that was built in 1964 by flooding the Bayard valley. The 30 residents of the hamlet of Bayard were offered snorkels but chose to move to higher ground. The reservoir powers a hydro electric power station located some 10km further down the valley.

We parked Kiki and had coffee and chocolate before settling out on a 7km hike around the lac. We were surprised to see that the water level was extremely low - perhaps 30m below normal - and think that some work was going on which necessitated draining the reservoir. We were at 2000ft altitude and a strong northerly wind was blowing so we added plenty of layers before venturing out.

The first leg was very cold as we were heading directly into the wind. Unfortunately is wasn’t very interesting either as what was left of the water was way down below us. As we got deeper into the valley the wind abated and the scenery improved. The nice gentle path turned into a rough track that wound its way along the wooded hillside. We climbed up and down crossing streams and rocky abysses on planks and rickety bridges.

After a couple of hours we completed the circumnavigation and arrived back at Kiki for a late lunch.

Lunch over and the washing up down, we continued driving ever higher as we climbed up the Cevennes mountain range. Our destination tonight is a tiny Aire de Camping Car at Bagnols les Bains which is nestled in the Lot river valley at over 3000ft altitude. En-route we went through a high mountain pass and crossed the watershed of the Atlantic - Mediterranean divide.

Arriving at Bagnols les Bains we parked up and went for a short walk into the village - it was icy cold so we didn’t go far! We returned to Kiki and put the heating as the temperature is dropping rapidly. We had supper and got out our summer duvet to go on top of our winter one as snow is forecast for tonight!

Driving the Gorges d’Ardeche

We woke this morning to the seven rings of the church bell. Emma pressed the snooze button and it rang again a few minutes later! After breakfast we emptied and filled before hitting the road.

First stop today was Taulignan, a small walled town. We parked Kiki and wandered into the town. There was a strong northerly wind blowing which, despite the clear blue sky and sunshine, made it quite chilly. We walked around the outside of the town wall and took some photos of the impressive gatehouse which has a large tower on each side. Entering the walled town was a bit warmer as the wind was reduced. We made our way back to Kiki and warmed up with coffee and chocolate.

We drove on to Grignan which is famous for its impressive Renaissance chateau perched above the town. It is closed at the moment but Emma wanted to take some photos. As we approached the car park there was a great view of the chateau so we pulled over and Emma went to get out. The wind was so strong that she had a real fight to open the door! Eventually - she did have porridge for breakfast - Emma prevailed and the photos were captured. After another struggle to open the door to get back inside we were on our way.

Our main plan for today is to drive along the Gorges d’Ardeche - this 30km scenic road winds its way alongside the gorge of the Ardeche river. We entered the road a Saint Just and were relieved to find that it was a good two lane road. To be honest we needn’t have worried as we only saw a handful of cars all day! 

We soon came to the first belvedere where we stopped in the small parking area - it’s a good job we’re out of season as finding room for Kiki would be a nightmare! The view from the purpose built viewpoint was fabulous - our guide book likened this area to SW America and we could see what they mean - a deep gorge surrounded by mountains.

We continued onwards stopping at each viewpoint to look at the gorge and take photos. It was great for me as the driver to be able to stop and look, as it’s difficult to see much whilst concentrating on driving Kiki.

A lunchtime we stopped with a great view across the gorge and of the river winding its way along the bottom.

There were a couple of points where the river has cut horseshoe bends into the rocks. The viewpoints continued to provide fabulous vistas as we continued our way northwards.

As we approached the end of the drive, we dropped down to river level and came to the Pont d’Arc - and amazing natural arch that the river cut as a shortcut in a horseshoe bend. We stopped here and took a few photos including the obligatory Facebook selfie.

We drove on to our stopping place for the night which is the Aire de Camping Car at Vallon Pont d’Arc. We parked up and Emma cooked up a fabulous sweet & sour chicken to round off a great day. After supper we settled down for the night.

Fortifications from the Past

We woke up this morning at the bottom of the bed - yes we were parked on quite a slope! After breakfast we emptied our waste tanks but were unable to fill our water tank because the tap had been turned off to prevent it icing up.

We hit the road to our first stop of the day which was a tiny parking area at Le Thor. Here there are ruins of a fortified abbey perched on top of a hill. We had coffee to prepare us for the climb before setting out.

We clambered up the rough path until we came to the abbey. Despite being a ruin there is still quite a lot remaining. There were two or three sets of defensive walls which had high towers to protect them. Inside was a church and the remains of the monks accommodation and living areas. The view from the top was quite impressive - to the south we could see the Luberon mountain range which we drove around yesterday.

Returning to Kiki we continued northwards to the tiny walled town of Gigondas. The scenery along the route is mainly vineyards which fill every valley and south facing slope. Arriving at Gigondas we had lunch before climbing another hill up to the town. We climbed up the winding streets and a rough path until we reached the church at the top. The town walls which ran up the hillside on either side of the town were very impressive. In places the houses were built right against the wall clinging to the steeply rising ground. We made our way back down to Kiki and continued our journey.

Our stopping place for tonight in an Aire de Camping Car at Mirabel aux Baronnies. When we arrived we filled our water tank before parking up. We took a walk around this fortified hilltop town before our evening meal. There were several old water fountains around the town which has remarkably clear water. The other quirky things were lots of archways, either between buildings or seemingly randomly in the walls. This is a very picturesque place and Emma was busy with the camera.

We returned to Kiki via a roundabout route and had our supper before settling down for the evening.

A Drive in Provonce

Before setting off this morning we emptied our tanks. We decided not to top up our water as we’re planning on some mountain driving today and can do without the extra 50kg.

It was a short drive to our first stop at Les Baux de Provence where, as we were early, we had the pick of the free parking area. We found a nice place for Kiki where we would be able to get out if it got busy.

This small town is built on a rocky outcrop and has a ruined castle perched at the top. We walked up through the sleepy town until we came to the castle where there were magnificent views over the plains to the south. We descended via a different route and made our way back to Kiki for coffee.

Our plan for today is to drive a U shaped route around the foothills of the Luberon mountain range. First we headed eastwards, to the south of the mountains. The scenery was great - a bit like Dartmoor again! We stopped for lunch in Lauris before turning northwards towards Bonnieux. We had planned to stop for the night in the parking area but as we approached the village we came across a road closed sign. The diversion was down a road which had a 2m height restriction - we didn’t want to loose Kiki’s bedroom so we turned around and tried another route. Unfortunately there didn’t seem to be an alternative so we abandoned that idea and our plan to visit Menerbes where Peter Male who wrote “a Year in Provence” lived.

We continued north to Apt were there is another possible stopping place. On entering the town we spotted some fuel at a good price so we filled our tank. The parking place turned out to be quite exposed - it’s windy today - and as it’s still early we decided to carry on.

We arrived at Gourdes and parked in the car park. The parking slopes quite a lot so we’ll need our levelling blocks tonight! We walked along the road to the viewpoint where you can see the dramatic hilltop town cascading down the side of the cliff and took some photos.

We returned to Kiki and managed to get her reasonably level with our wedges before Emma cooked our evening meal. After eating we settled down for the evening.

The Camargue and some Roman Stuff

We woke to another bright sunny morning, emptied and filled our tanks before hitting the road. We were up and out early again and as we didn’t plan on driving very far we took a gentle drive down to Saintes Maries de la Mer. We crossed the Petit Rhone into the Camargue and then headed south to this “quintessential seaside resort”. Our route took us past lots of the famous wild white ponies and a field full of bulls - we didn’t stop here!

As we approached Saintes Maries de la Mer, we realised that it was quite small which meant it wouldn’t take long to see. So, instead of parking in the paid Aire, we stopped in the free motorhome day parking area.

After coffee we walked along the coast path and then the beach until we came to the harbour. We walked for a while along the sea front of this not unattractive little town. Having reached the far end of the sea front we turned round and walked back to Kiki. The route along the beach was bracing as quite a strong wind was blowing in our faces.

We headed north east towards Arles, crossing the Rhone and skirting around the city to Fontvieille where we’re staying tonight in the Aire de Camping Car.

Having parked Kiki in a nice spot under some pine trees we set out to see the Alphonse Daudet’s Mill which is on a small hill next to the Aire. This windmill, built in 1814 was made famous by Daudet in his collection of short stories - “letters from my windmill”. It was also painted by several artists including van Gogh. The mill was restored in 1935 and again more recently.

We returned to Kiki for lunch and afterwards set out again in search of the Barbegal Aqueduct and Mills. After a couple of km walking through the woods we came across the aqueduct which was built by the Romans to supply water to Arles. We followed the aqueduct across the valley where it disappeared in a cleft cut into a rocky outcrop. Walking in what would have been the aqueduct, we exited on the other side to find a steep drop down the hillside. All of the way down there were ruins of watermills which were originally powered by the water from the aqueduct. This complex has been referred to as “the greatest known concentration of mechanical power in the ancient world”. At one time there were sixteen overshot mills working here which are considered to be the biggest ancient mill complex.

We made our way back to the village and followed a short trail to see three other windmills and some of the old town. We then returned to Kiki for our evening meal before settling down for the evening.

An Old Town and a Modernist Town

We had an early start this morning because we have a lot planned for today. We emptied and filled before hitting the road

Friday is shopping day so first stop was Lidl to replenish our supplies..

We’re heading to Les Poissons d’Argent, a private fishing lake which has a large area set aside for motorhomes. On arrival we pitched up and had coffee before unloading our bikes.

We set off along a private road and soon arrived at the Canal du Rhône a Sete. We turned left and followed the towpath until we came to a bridge across the canal. Crossing the bridge we arrived at the 13th century walled town of Aiges-Mortes.

This town, which is completely surrounded by a high fortified wall was originally a major sea port. Nowadays, land reclamation and salt pans have marooned the town 5km inland. We entered through one of the gates and cycled around the inside. Having completed the circuit, we repeated the circumnavigation on the outside. The walls are very impressive and in season you can walk all way around the ramparts. We retraced our wheel tracks back to Kiki for lunch.

Suitably refreshed, we set out again along the private road. This time however we turned right at the canal and followed the towpath until we reached the port of Le Grau de Roi. Here we crossed the canal and made our way along the coast until we came to La Grande Motte. This purpose built tourist resort was conceived in the mid 60’s in a “modernist” style. The hotels and other buildings had futuristic looking sweeping waves and other unusual features. Some buildings were made to look like an ocean liner and another looked like a pyramid.

Having explored the town and wandered around the marina, we retraced our wheel tracks back to Kiki. I packed the bikes away whilst Emma cooked up a storm in the galley. We were both hungry as we’ve cycled over 30km today!

After supper we settled down for the evening.

Cycling the Salt Lagoon

Just for a change, we didn’t empty & fill this morning as it wasn’t included in the overnight parking rate. Instead we hit the road early and managed to find a place selling LPG. We filled up and continued onwards to the Aire de Camping Car at Villeneuve-les-Maguelone. The route took up along a narrow spit of land running along the seaward side of a large lagoon. We were hoping for a scenic drive but unfortunately the spit was wider than it looked with a rather boring road along the middle.

We arrived at the Aire in time for coffee. Afterwards we went for a short walk alongside another saltwater lagoon. We returned to Kiki for lunch and got our bikes ready for an afternoon ride.

Our route this afternoon took us across a - this time scenic - dyke between two saltwater lagoons. We then crossed a pontoon bridge over the Canal du Rhône et Sete. This was a swing bridge which could be opened to allow boats to pass along the canal. An interesting feature were the two outboard motors attached to one end of the bridge, one of which was used to open, the other to close.

A little further on we arrived at the beach where we picked up the coast path which we followed into the small town of Palavas-les-Flots. We pottered along the promenade and checked out the boats in the marina before retracing our wheel ruts back to Kiki.

We spent some time sitting outside in the sun before dinner and settling down for the evening.

A Unique Engineering Solution.

First and foremost this morning was my rendezvous at the Orange shop to buy a Data SIM card. After showing my passport and giving my date of birth, address and inside leg measurement they agreed to sell me one! More over-the-top French bureaucracy...

After coffee and then the empty/fill routine, we hit the road. We need LPG so we headed for a fuel station. Unfortunately, the road was blocked and the alternative route to the gas station would add 6km to our route. We programmed a gas station closer to our destination into the satnav and diverted around the closed road.

We were on a narrow road and had to stop several times to allow other vehicles to pass. A lady that we waited for warned us (in French with sign language) of a steep humpback bridge coming up. We decided to press on - there wasn’t much alternative - and soon came to the bridge. Another motorhome was stopped before the bridge whilst he decided if he was going to risk it. The bridge had a 2.5m width limit which is 15cm wider than Kiki so we were ok there. The problem was the hump - it was steep up and then steep down with a risk of grounding. I walked up and took a look - it looked doable so we went for it. Emma got out under the auspices of watching our underside but it was really to take photos. We crept up and very gently over the top without touching down - phew I’m glad Kiki has good ground clearance!

Shortly after the bridge excitement we arrived at our first destination, Les Ouvrages de Libron. This is a unique engineering solution to a problem where the Canal de Midi crosses the Libron river. At this point the canal and river are at the same level meaning that an aqueduct wasn’t feasible. Most of the time the river is either dry or just a trickle which was allowed to flow across the canal. In the rainy season the river becomes a raging torrent which often flooded the canal and blocked it with mud and other debris.

The first solution was a canal barge which was moved into place when the river rose. The barge was designed to form a culvert for the river to cross the canal. This operation was difficult and time consuming and as the canal was an important thoroughfare it was decided to replace the barge with a better solution. A number of culvert sections were suspended from carriages on rails. These are normally to the side of the canal but could quickly be moved into place when needed to bridge the canal. There are two consecutive sections of culvert with a boat length space in between. This means it’s still possible to navigate the canal by blocking the first river section and moving the culvert to the sides. This allows the boat into the middle “safe haven”. The first section is then returned to the river flow before closing the second so the boat can proceed. A fascinating piece of history which - we were not sure - may still be used today.

Returning to Kiki we continued to the gas station. Unfortunately the pump wasn’t working so we carried on to the Aire de Camping Car at Cap d’Agde where we’ve staying tonight. 

After lunch we went for a walk around this purpose built tourist resort. It’s very quiet out of season and we walked along the promenade enjoying the warm sunshine and the sparkling clear water. At the end of the beach we came to the harbour and marina - there are hundreds of boats here! We looped round back to Kiki for a drink and some chocolate before heading off in the other direction. We walked for some distance along the beach marvelling at the number of sea shells - some quite big and often intact. We returned to Kiki for our evening meal before settling down for the evening.

Cycling the Midi

On our second day in Beziers, after some light rain last night we woke to another beautiful morning. After breakfast I got our bikes ready for our ride along the Canal du Midi.

Settling out along the canal we soon realised it was flowing rather quickly... oops we’d missed the canal and followed the river. Crossing a bridge, we made our way back on the other side to the lock which joins the canal to the river. Ah that’s better, we recognised our return route from yesterday.

We continued for a few km, crossing the aqueduct we found yesterday and continuing to the bottom of Les Neuf Ecluses de Fonseranes. This chain of nine locks raises the canal 21.5m over a distance of just 300m! It was steep going up the towpath at this point - we pushed our bikes up.

Continuing onward through some beautiful countryside the well maintained path was great for cycling. There was quite a strong Northerly wind blowing in our faces so we’re hoping that it won’t change direction as it will blow us home! 

After a couple of hours we came to the 165m long Tunnel de Malpas. This feat of engineering, excavated in 1679 was Europe’s first navigable canal tunnel. This isn’t the only tunnel through this hill - in the Middle Ages an underground culvert was cut to drain the Etang de Montady and in the 19th Century a third tunnel was cut for the railway. We parked our bikes and walked along the very narrow walkway beside the canal. Fortunately there was a low rail to stop you falling in! Having reached daylight on the far side, we retraced our footsteps and collected our bikes.

On top of the hill there is a tourist information centre with information boards. We stopped for lunch here using their picnic table.

After lunch we followed signs uphill for a view of the Etang de Montady. This massive natural depression which covers over 1000 hectares was drained in the 13th Century to provide farmland. The area was drained by making radial ditches from a single centre point out to the extremities. The water flows to this centre point and is then drained by sixteen vertical shafts located approximately 80m apart into an underground culvert which flows through the Malpas hill under the Malpas Tunnel.

We returned to the towpath and headed back to Beziers - the wind was behind us so we made good time back to Kiki.

An hour or so sitting in the sun before our evening meal and then we were entertained by the roosting rooks again. We settled down for the night knowing that we were going to sleep well!

Housekeeping Day

It was great to once again hear the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach during the night and we woke this morning to sunshine and a lovely blue sky. After breakfast and our usual empty and filling routine we headed to an Intermarche supermarche which has washing machines in its car park. An 18kg load of washing - practically everything we’d used over the last couple of weeks - washed, dried and put away in less than 2hrs. Back on the road we headed to the Aire de Camping Car at Beziers.

After lunch we took a walk into the city. We popped into a large shopping centre to find an Orange shop as we need a new data SIM for our router. We made an appointment for Wednesday morning - better than waiting around - and continued our walk. We headed up to the old cathedral but discovered that it was undergoing repair and looked a lot better from a distance. We dropped down to the river and followed it to where the Canal du Midi crosses it on an aqueduct. We climbed up to the canal and followed the tow path back to Kiki.

We sat outside in the sun for a while before our evening meal. Afterwards we watched hundreds of rooks coming into roost in some nearby trees before settling down for the night.

The Med at last!

We woke to a grey overcast morning with light rain. We emptied and filled our tanks without getting too wet before hitting the road.

Our route this morning took us on a tiny road across the salt marshes where we spotted lots of pink flamingos. We soon arrived at Gruissan were we found a car park without a height barrier next to the marina. This area is clearly a major tourist hotspot as we are surrounded by empty holiday apartments.

We took a walk along the marina looking at the boats - there are hundreds here! Back to Kiki for coffee before continuing our journey.

We’re stopping tonight in the Aire de Camping Car at St Pierre la Mer. On arrival we were surprised to see around 30 other MH’s already pitched up.

After lunch we set out on a short hike to the Gouffre de l'Oeil-Doux. Signage was somewhat lacking but we eventually found this natural feature of a chasm with high walls and lake with emerald green water. We scrambled down to the lake and took some photos before climbing back to the top and skirting the rim.

We returned to Kiki for a drink and some chocolate sustenance before heading out again. This time we walked in the opposite direction towards the naturist beach. We said bonjour to the Mediterranean - oddly there were no naturists about on this chilly windy day - and then walked along the coast path into the small town. After 45mins or so we decided the rain clouds were looking ominous so we turned round and walked back to Kiki.

Shortly after returning the rain arrived so we put on the heating and Emma cooked up a warning meal before we settled in for the evening.

Birds and Boardwalks

Before leaving this morning we took another walk around the town so that Emma could get some pictures of the Abbey. Apparently the sun was in the wrong place yesterday! We emptied and filled before hitting the road.

We’re heading to an Aire de Camping Car at Peyriac-de-Mer. The route to the coast winds its way down to sea level through a scenic gorge. There were lots of bikers enjoying the sweeping curves of this road. 

After stopping en-route for coffee we arrived at the Aire around 11:30. We found a nice parking place for Kiki and after and early lunch we set off on a hike around the salt water lagoon. 

There were lots of birds around including quite a few pink flamingo’s. It turned out that the route around one of the smaller lagoons we planned to do was quite short so we extended it and ended up walking about 10km. 

We looped back to Kiki, had a drink and some chocolate for sustenance and headed out again. This time we took a boardwalk across the lagoon which, to Emma’s frustration, we had previously missed. We then followed the path along a low dyke back into the small village of Peyriac-de-Mer. Another board walk just for Emma took us back the Aire and Kiki.

We had a very smelly baked Camembert for dinner before settling down for the evening.

A Mystery and the Cathars

After a quiet night, if you ignore one of the town clocks which dinged quietly every hour, we woke to clear blue skies and sunshine. After breakfast we emptied and filled before hitting the road.

First stop today was La Curiosite, a mysterious road which has curious properties. We had a GPS location and noticed some direction signs as we approached. Unfortunately, the French in their wisdom had neglected to signpost the actual location! There was however a scrawled note on the road saying La Curiosite is not a rubbish bin which turned out to be the place we were looking for. To test out this phenomenon, we placed a tin of soup on the road and it appeared to roll uphill - very mysterious! We did check with a level and despite appearances, the road does slope slightly downhill. Having satisfied our curiosity, we continued onward to our next destination.

Minerve is a small Cathar village set high above a bend in the river. We parked in the parking lot, which is free this time of year and walked the short distance down into the village. This consists of a number of medieval houses completely surrounded by a perimeter wall which clings to the rocks high above the river. We wandered along the main street past the original Cathar tower and then down one or two a side streets. We came across  a tiny gate in the perimeter wall with a quirky bridge and staircase which descended to the river. Following the river we came to a cave - described as a natural bridge - which the river was flowing out. It appears that the river has created a shortcut through the rock instead of going the long way around a bend. We explored the rest of the very quiet village before returning to Kiki for lunch.

After lunch we headed into Lezignan-Corbieres stopping en-route to fill with fuel (the first time since we left home). We did our weekly shopping in Lidl before heading onward to Lagrasse which is our stopping place for this evening.

Lagrasse is another medieval town which is said to be one of France’s Plus Beau Villages. The Aire de Camping Car costs €8 for 24hrs which is the most we’ve paid so far. We spent a pleasant couple of hours wandering around the narrow, winding streets before returning to Kiki to spend a little time sitting out in the sunshine making the most of the free town WiFi. As the sun went down we had supper and settled in for the evening.

Water and Old Stuff

We woke to a clear chilly morning beside the reservoir - our altitude is about 2,500ft. We emptied and filled before hitting the road to our first stop of the day.

We’re heading for the Cubservies Waterfall but we don’t have an exact location. I have a possible parking place which is apparently the starting point for a walk. We knew the road to the village of Cubservies was going to be narrow when there was a 5 tonne weight limit at it’s start. In fact, the other end, when we exited had 3.5 tonne and 2.5m width limits!

We arrived at the parking place but decided it was too far from the waterfall so we carried on along the road. It got narrower and more windy as we made our way towards the village. Finally, and without mishap, we arrived at Cubservies where we abandoned Kiki in the middle of the road and walked the short distance to the overlook.

The waterfall was very impressive - it’s one of the highest in Europe measuring over 90m tall. The longest drop which is visible from the viewpoint is about 30m high. Returning to Kiki, we unblocked the road - nobody was around - and continued our slow winding progress looping back to the bigger road.

Next stop was Lastours where we parked in a car park by the river and had coffee. We had come to see the Cathar castles which are perched on a rock high above the village. We could see one castle from the car park and on reading the information boards, we discovered that there is a viewpoint above the village. Leaving Kiki, we walked the 2km up to the viewpoint. It was well worth the climb - the view across the valley to the castles was great.

We returned to Kiki for lunch before continuing to our stopping point for today. The town of Villeneuve-Minervois has an Aire de Camping Car next to their sports hall. Leaving Kiki, we headed out of town on a 4km hike up to the Vieil Homme Dolmen.

After an hour or so of continuous climbing we finally arrived at the top of the world - it seemed like that!  There are two small dolmen which have views for miles around. We could see the town where we’d left Kiki in the distance - it looked a long way!

We returned to Kiki, downhill all the way, a lot quicker than the uphill journey. We had our meal and settled in for the evening.

Bridges, Old and New

We woke at 7am this morning to the sound of the church clock chimes. This was then repeated a few minutes later which made me think that Emma had pressed the snooze button! We emptied and filled at the service point which was squeezed between the tennis court and “witches brew” coloured swimming pool.

Driving to our first destination of the day we remarked again at how this area is so like Dartmoor. Rolling wooded valleys with tiny villages linked by winding narrow roads. 

Our first stop was Brassac. We didn’t know if there would be parking in the town so we pulled into a lay-by just before the name sign and walked along a path beside the river. The road into town was the height of industry - there was a sawmill, a trout farm and lots of former mill buildings. The river was obviously used in the past to power these factories.

The reason for our visit was to see the pretty medieval bridge which crosses the river in the middle of the town. I was concerned that the bridge might be too narrow for Kiki as this was our route out - I needn’t have worried, there is now a pont neuf for traffic. We returned to Kiki for coffee before heading to our next destination.

We had a vague location for Le Passerelle de Mazamet - we knew it was somewhere just south of the town of Mazamet. Fortunately, as we drove out of the town, we spotted a car park specifically for Le Passerelle!

It was quite a climb up from the car park, some of which was on a old Roman road which was paved in granite and incredibly steep. At the top we came across the suspension bridge spanning a deep gorge. The bridge is 140m long and about 200m above the road and river way below of the valley floor. With some trepidation we walked across the narrow bridge - it was sturdily built but had a see through-base and a low wire fence on each side. Halfway across the ground below was a long way away! We made it across, paused to take in the view before plucking up courage and making the return crossing.

We took a different route back to Kiki via what seemed to be an old terraced garden. This was much less steep and easier going.

After lunch we headed back through the town and up into the Montagne Noir. We diverted slightly to look at another medieval village but our attempts were thwarted by a narrow road. We managed to turn around, parked and continued on foot. Unfortunately we had misjudged the distance to the village and after walking a km we decided to return to Kiki.

Our favourite Park4night app showed an Aire de Camping Car a little distance away so we headed there. The parking is next to the pretty Barrage des Montagnes, a reservoir located is a wooded valley. We walked around the reservoir before dinner and settling in for the night.

Castres and Granite

After a quiet night in Albi sandwiched between the graveyard and sewage works we emptied and filled before hitting the road.

First stop was Castres where, after coffee, we walked into town along the river to look at the rickety cantilevered houses hanging over the water. There weren’t many as the old part of the town was quite small. Fortunately we managed to get some photos avoiding the 1970’s concrete carbuncles built alongside. We returned to Kiki and headed eastward into the Haut Langdoc national park.

At lunchtime we stopped at the Maison de Sidobre which is a tourist information centre and small museum. Unfortunately, as it’s out of season, it was closed. All was not lost however as there was a very good map outside showing the location of the sights we had come to see. After lunch we took a short walk around an “interpretative trail” which explained (in French!) all the granite boulders which this area is famous for.

Moving on, we stopped a few km up the road and took a short walk by lake Merle - the lake edge seemed to be full of granite balls. It was quiet cold but there were a couple of French families picnicking complete with table cloths and proper wine glasses - very civilised.

A little further along the road we parked again and walked up Le Rivière de Roche. This small river valley is choked with hundreds of granite boulders. It was a pretty walk beside the river but as it deteriorated into a muddy track we turned round and returned to Kiki.

Our final “Rock of the Day” was the impressive Peyro Clabado. This massive bolder is precariously balanced atop another tiny bolder and looks about to fall at any moment!

Our stopping place for tonight is the tiny village of Vabre which has a small Aire de Camping Car right next to the river. We arrived quite early so we decided to take a walk along the river. After a while we came across some old telegraph poles and concluded that we were on the route of a disused railway line. After a km or so we came to a bridge across the river followed by long dark tunnel cut through the hillside. A nearby sign confirmed this to be the “Route de Petit Train”. We found another path which enabled us to return to Kiki on the opposite side of the river. We passed a trout farm which had lots of big fish in long “tanks” which the river water was diverted through. We crossed the impressive 50m high and beautifully constructed town bridge before descending to our parking place.

Escape from Najac and Return to Albi

As we were packing up this morning, a man in a van arrived and duly unravelled the contents of the ticket machine. It turned out that the ticket roll had got crumbled which meant the tickets weren’t coming out. He identified and gave us our ticket and gave our new English friends theirs.

After emptying and filling - remember them’s the rules (empty & fill whenever you can!) we drove to the gate. Emma entered our code but the computer said no - “vehicle already outside”! Of course, we hadn’t used the ticket to enter so the machine assumed we were still outside. So with the assistance of the metal pole covering the road sensor on the outside, we entered the code on the outside keypad. Sure enough the barrier opened and quickly closed. Re-entering the code on the inside keypad opened the barrier and we finally made our escape.

First stop today was Cordes sur Ciel which is another hilltop town. It’s name means Cordes in the sky and from a distance you can see why - with low cloud or fog in the valley, the village would appear to be floating in the sky!

We had coffee and chocolate to fortify us for the climb and headed out to explore. This is small fortified town which sits astride a long steep ridge. The oldest part of the town was built at the top of the hill and was encircled by a high wall with reinforced gates. As the village grew, more houses were added outside the walls and lower down the hill. Another wall was built surrounding this next part. A third enclosed area at the lower part of the hill completes the village. It’s quite a climb up the steep main street all the way to the fortified church at the top. We made our way back down around the outside of the top enclosure and then followed the main street back down to Kiki.

Heading south from Cordes, we duly arrived at Albi and parked in the new Aire de Camping Car which is situated on the opposite side of the river to the town. Last time we were here we parked right next to the cathedral but there were only a handful of spaces.

After lunch we took a walk into Albi but as we’d already seen the centre we decided to follow a path along the river. The path took us past a weir with the obligatory old mill now serving as a Hydro Electric generating station. We then turned away from the river and followed a stream which skirted round the eastern side of the city. We survived a scramble over some slippery stepping stones and eventually came out at the far end of the main street. We followed the main street to the massive red brick cathedral where Emma took some arty shots. Finally we returned to Kiki via the vieux pont for our evening meal and spent the night in the Aire.