Stage 6 - The E4 from the Pyrenees to Carcassone

After the disappointment of Catalonia things picked once I got into France.  If the E4 through Catalonia was one of the worse bits of the route than the E4 from the Pyrenees to Carcassonne was one of the best.

This particular corner of France is a really great place to walk and the route of the E4 captures both the area's varied and beautiful landscape and its interesting cultural legacy.

E4 - GR36

Wednesday 18th May Duilhac Peyrepertuse to Lagrasse

Today was a bad choice day, I made the bad choices. In fairness to me I haven't made a self inflicted mistake for some time so I guess I had it coming. Well I got it today.

It was building up yesterday. I noticed that the route I had was not necessarily the quickest and that some of the GR 36 variants were quicker than the one on my GPS. I checked the maps last night (a PDF file on my iPad) and sure enough there was a GR 36b that seemed to cut some corners. This seemed helpful today because I had over 40 kilometres to do and I couldn't get away until gone 8.30.

Duilhac Peyrepertuse by the way is a really nice village. Basically a tourist village, but this morning I found the Auberge and the restaurant I missed last night and they looked great. Got some bread and cheese from the boulangerie but I also had a huge piece of orange cake from the lovely landlady at the chambre d'hotes.

Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse

Set of and more views of the amazing Chateau Peyrepertuse which despite getting so close, I have failed to visit. The walk was nice but not as nice as the last few days and I got locked into my IPod. After listening to the Archer's omnibus (sad but true) I really got into this lecture series from Yale on the history of modern France. Was making amazing progress along forest trails and at about 1 o'clock had walked 20 kilometres.

Chateau Peyrepertuse

All of a sudden the signs gave me an option, the GR 36 or the GR36b. Without getting my iPad out and checking the map I followed the GR36b still listening to the history of modern France, I think I was onto the Popular Front by now. After about 45 minutes I started to worry about how far east I seemed to be going but turning around meant confirming that I had wasted 90 minutes so I just kept assuming, despite the evidence, that any minute the path would take me in the right direction and head north. It didn't. Finally at about 2.30 realised that I would have to abandon the GR 36b and figure out how I was going to get to Lagrasse. I had walked by now about 10 kilometres in the wrong direction so decided to follow the roads until I found the main route to Lagrasse. This took me to 4.15 by which time I had walked 35 kilometres, the total journey was supposed to be just under 40 but the sign said I still had 21 kilometres to go.

I decided that for the first time in about 35 years I was going to try and hitch a ride. Initially I tried the sitting and waiting technique but that didn't seem to work so I tried the walking and hitching technique and that didn't work either. After walking for about 4 kilometres my luck suddenly changed and this woman picked me up and took me to within 9 kilometres of Lagrasse. She was lovely and she seemed very pleased that she was the first person to give me a lift in 35 years, she said she hadn't hitched for 40 years!

On the last stretch I saw one car, it stopped and took me all the way to Lagrasse.

Lagrasse is supposed to be the prettiest village in France, it is very pretty although to be honest it's more like a movie set than a village. It's a bit expensive, even now off season. Am staying in a Chambre d'Hotes and I must admit that, after my hitch hiking successes, I was quite pleased that the landlady felt she had to point out that the room was for one person only and that I shouldn't think about sneaking someone else in later on.

Lagrasse

Tuesday May 17th Caudies de Fenouilledes to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse

As well as huge numbers of bars, Spain also has huge numbers of local banks with ATM machines. France doesn't and French people seem to like cash rather than cards. So yesterday I was running out of food today I was running out of cash. When you walking everywhere, to a timetable, a deviation to a cash machine is a bit of a pain but no choice as Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse is a really small place (no ATMs) and I'm staying in a bed and breakfast (cash).

The extra destination was St Paul de Fenouilledes and going there meant dropping down into the valley again right in the heat of the day, probably walking an extra 6 kilometres, and this broke the magic of the walk.

Like yesterday the weather was perfect but today I was perhaps slightly higher, the countryside a bit more remote and the scenery was even better.

Roc de Chalabre

Apart from the visit to St Paul, I didn't go into any villages and today I was walking east from rather west so getting closer to Budapest rather than further away.

Again it was up from the bottom of valley and then high up along the ridge. Sometimes you were working through tunnels formed by the trees and sometimes you were walking across open meadows. Everything, apart from the flowers, was wonderfully green. Lots of wild thyme in full flower. For the fourth and what must be the last day Canigou, the mountain I climbed just before the storm five days ago, dominated the southern skyline.

Old Green Lane

Heather

The number of walkers is increasing, including some people carrying packs, and I was able to share the top of the Roc Paradet with four French walkers. They were walkers but I suspect a car was nearby.

View from Roc Paradet

The walk into St Paul slightly knocked me off my stride and what had been a really great walk started to become hard work. There are two options I think for the GR 36 around here and as a consequence I didn't really know how much further I had to go. Was also getting a bit short of water. As it was it was 5.30 before I saw the famous Cathar castle, the Chateau Peyrepertuse which sits on top of cliff above Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. By the time I got there I had walked 32 kilometres and climbed 1400 metres.

It's half a hour down a road to the village, I hadn't booked anything but knew there was a bed and breakfast which I found immediately. Couldn't find the promised restaurant, the villages have very little of anything (just like the UK), but saw a van selling Pizzas. Had to wait an hour for mine to be cooked so they are clearly doing OK but it was a big one and it was very good.

Have a big walk tomorrow, can't get away very early and I know it's a crime but I think I'm going to have to miss out on a visit to the Chateau Peyrepertuse. I feel bad because it is a Cathar highlight. Based on the last few days though I'm sure I'll be back.

Chateau Peyrepertuse

Monday May 16th Sournia to Caudies de Fenouilledes

What an utter pain in the arse, just discovered that the blog masterpiece I did yesterday has disappeared. Slightly dodgy wifi in the garden of the two Dutch bikers who were running the auberge in Caudies de Fenouilledes must have done for it.

The main problem I had yesterday was near starvation. It was Monday and there was nowhere to get food. French villages have just about lost all their shops and bars and the few they have seem to be shut much of the time. I read somewhere that in the sixties there was a bar in France for every 100 people, well those days have clearly gone.

The topography around here consists of a series of ridges running east to west, approaching 1000 metres high. The villages tend to sit in the wide and fairly lush valleys in between the ridges and walk is zig-zags it's way through the countryside. Yesterday it was up over the ridge from Sournia then west, away from Budapest, along the north side of the next valley, through a series of villages, then, in this case through a ridge, into the next valley.

The scenery is gorgeous. It must be the best time of year to see it and the weather at the moment is particularly good, clear, a bit sharpe and not to hot. So climbing out of Sournia I was again treated to great views of Canigou and the Pyrenees as well as the coastal plain and beyond that the Mediterranean. Going down to other side of the ridge involved a trip through a deciduous forest where the trees had only just come out in leaf.

Canigou from above Sournia

South West to the Mediterranean

The walk also involved a series of villages, firstly Le Vivier, then St Martin, then a number of houses which don't quite coalesce into a village but somehow manage three ruined Cathar castles, and then Caudies de Fenouilledes itself. Just before arriving at Caudies de Fenouilledes I was treated to a walk through the Gorge du Juame which cut through the ridge I had been walking along and took me into the next valley.

Ruins at le Vivier

Ruins at Fenouillet

The villages are very nice, the stone property has been well restored, and I suspect that a lot of the accommodation is used for second homes or for holiday lets. Ever getting hungrier I was hoping for a shop or a bar (in Spain villages this size would have had a least one bar), but no such luck.

The countryside in between the villages was great, hay meadows, vineyards, and higher up herds of cows with calves and a bull. The bulls looked pleased with life and were not going to bother themselves with an idiot carrying a large bag.

Happy Looking Charolais

Arrived at Caudies de Fenouilledes, which is a small town rather than a village, at about 4, spent half an hour trying to find the Auberge and in the meantime spotted the supermarket and boulangerie which will be open tomorrow. Total walk was 28 kilometres with about 700 metres of climb and I was well ready for my dinner when it arrived at 8.

Sunday May 15th Ballestavy to Sournia

A transition day in several different ways. Left Peter Williams, my walking mate for the last few days; the weather has taken a distinct turn for the better; and I have now left the Pyrenees and I working my way through much smaller mountains on the way up to Carcassonne.

Has been great walking with Peter, he's was excellent company and it would have been no fun walking alone high up in the Pyrenees given the terrible weather of the last couple of days. Shame we weren't on  on top of Canigou today as the views would have been amazing, as it was the views of the mountain were pretty impressive.

Fresh snow on Canigou

Today's walk was good although a bit longer than I anticipated. Essentially a walk down the Ballestavy valley heading north, across the flat east west valley and then up into mountains on the other side. Looking east you could clearly see the coastal plain and beyond that the Mediterranean. Towards the bottom of the walk down the valley I was walking through orchards and the cherries provided a really nice early lunch. Left Peter to catch the train at Vinca and crossed the bridge over the Tet reservoir. Slightly strange to be on my own again after 4 days so plugged myself into my IPod, went marching of up a very well marked trail and then missed a really obvious turning. Eventually got back on the route and the first highlight was the old monastery at Marceval.

Marceval

Marceval Monastery

The countryside is much lower than it has been for the last few days and the vegetation has changed. High in the Pyrenees it felt really north European and had sort of trees you would associated with the UK, dropping down a bit it has returned to the Mediterranean scrub I got familiar with in Spain.

The area I'm walking through for the next few days is famous for it's Cathar castles. The Cathars had there own variation of Christianity in the 13th and 14th centuries and at the time this was one of the richest parts of Europe. They built lots of spectacular castles generally located on the tops of hills. The then Pope eventually declared them heretics, called for a crusade against them and have a series of particularly bloody campaigns the Cathars were suppressed and the area lost it's prosperity. I think I saw my Cathar castle today.

Cathar ruins near Campoussy

Although I wasted half an hour or so when I got lost today's walk was a lot longer than anticipated, more like 36 as opposed to the 25 on my schedule. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come. I'm staying in the Gite d'Etape at Sournia. It's a bit like a refuge but there is no one else here. The key was left in the door and there was some food for me in the fridge. There was a bill on the table, all I have to do is leave the money before I go in the morning. All very trusting.

Wednesday May 11th Alp to Planes

In France!!!

For the last couple of weeks or so it felt like I was never going to get here but here I am. Crossed the border at Puigcerda at 11 which is about 7 kilometres from Alp and then walked onto Planes. I'm now following the GR 36 which, for the next three days, follows the route of the GR 10, the trans Pyrenean walk, a really famous route.

Slight embarrassment with the bottom half of my trousers before leaving Alp. Had left them in the sun on the window sill to dry while I had a kip and of course they blew away. One leg was easy to retrieve but the other had gone down into basement in a space which was enclosed. Had to persuade a reluctant landlady to let me climb out of the restaurant window. It was easy getting out but getting back was a problem. Still don't suppose I will be coming back to Alp in the near future.

Very easy walk to Puigcerda, held off from crossing the border and walked up into town and bought some new walking poles. Bit heavy compared to others but will do the job. Also bought a look alike Swiss army knife which is also a lot heavier than the real thing but I'm now fully equipped again.

Then across the border although to be honest you would be hard pushed to notice. Some redundant buildings all that remains, good riddance to borders I say. Stopped in Bourg Madame, the first town immediately on the French side, and ordered a cafe au lait. My French is already as good as my Spanish.

Remnants of the Spanish/French border crossing

Then I started my walk across France. Markings were great but in any event I'm very confident about my GPS trail. Unlike in Spain however I don't have maps on my GPS (got PDFs of the maps on my IPad) so I can tell from the trail if I going the right way but don't know if I arrived - sounds almost philosophical.

Anyway the walk was excellent. An off-road trail along the south side of a very broad valley gradually climbing all the way. Good views although it became quite stormy as the afternoon wore on. Walked through some lovely little villages, Err, Lo and Eyne and some not so nice ski resorts. Very sad photo memorial on the side of a building to two children who had been taken to Auschwitz in 1942.

Err

Village memorial to the Holocaust

Christine and I have walked around here before although it must be more than 10 years ago. We started at the Llavia, the Spanish enclave in France, did a big loop north before coming back to Mont Louis the huge French fort on the north side of the valley I was walking along today. I remember we had a big argument at the Eyne 2600 ski resort, which in the summer is a very ugly place and must set of lots of rows.

Got to Planes at about 6 after a walkof 30 kilometres and 1300 metres of climb. I'm staying in a Gite d'Etape and I'm not really sure what the designation stands for although it is definitely doesn't mean five star hotel. Had dinner at 7 o'clock which is a bit early for us Spanish types but I guess I'll get used to these north European ways in a while.

Peter Williams, a friend from London who also lives out here, is joining me in the morning and having some walking company will be a nice change. Stop me going mad. Hope the weather holds up because the next few days hold out the prospect of some wonderful walking.