Monday, 30th December 2019
A day of relaxing
Tuesday, 31st December 2019
Today, we went into Prades. I wanted to get some products from a shop that sells St Thomas Plancton Thermal products, which means that we don't have to go back up the windy narrown road to St Thomas, and the hot springs. As we arrived into the area that the Coop is located, we happened upon a market in the streets. I was quiet prepared to not go down the markets, but Bob insisted that we should walk through it. So we did. The markets went on down many streets, and as the time was just after 12.30, a lot of the stalls were packing up. However, we managed to purchase a coupole of things. A pair of braces for Bob, as I have not seen braces anywhere else, and we also got some mixed nuts, and some fresh vegies. There were many varieties of stalls, the usual suspects, but still none the less was great to wander about.
Next we go into the Coop store to find the products I want, and after a short time, we are asked by an assistant, if we needed assistance. We asked if they had any of the said products in stock and we we were shown what they had. We purchased some skin repair creme, and a face cream, that is made from the plancton and the hot springs water from St Thomas.
We then went into the Super U shopping market, and gathered a few things for the next few days. We then head back to our unit, and await the end of the this year, and the start of the New Year. We open a bottle of champayne, on midnight and toast the old year out, and the new one in. There are fireworks that we see in the distance from another village, but apart from the random firework here, there doesn't seem to be much celebrating happening.
Wednesday, 1st January 2020.
Happy New Year.
Today, we chose to stay indoors. It is a 0 degree morning at 10 am.
We watch movies and read a book.
Thursday, 2nd January 2020.
Our day is going to be a challenging day. We are aiming to climb up to Fort Liberia.
The Fort is at Villefranche-de-Conflent, which is 6kms away or 10 mins. It is perched high up on a mountain, that overlooks the three valleys.
It began construction in 1681 and is connected to the city by 734 steps inside a tunnel. It dominates the village, at a height of 150 meters. It served as a prison, and also housed women prisoners, one who was foud guilty of poisoning her father and brothers, and was eventually burned at the stake, after 36 years. Her lady in waiting, was also imprisoned for her remaining life, a period of 43 years, both being chained to the wall of their cell.
We walk up the mountain, following the stairs and track around the mountain, and take in the specatular views, and quite a few deep breaths.
Once inside the Fort, it is an amazing historical place, with good information about it, explaining various points and items. Like the hand rails were made on site, with iron from the local mountain, and forged there inside the Fort. They are 300 years old, and are not painted, and look in very good condition. . Another interesting thing, is that the doors in the long galleries, are hinged on opposite sides, for when the attackers manage to get into the galleries, they can't shoot staight up the hallways. There is going to be a door to stop the bullets travelling the full distance of the halls. It is such a simple thing, and it makes such a lot of sense, and as Bob said, it is the art of war. It is probably in other places we have been in, but we have never noticed.
There are a total of 1279 steps around the Fort, and the staircase connecting the city. It has been a very physical experience, but well worth every step. And to top it off, there is a bar/cafe located here aswell, so we have a well deserved coffee.
After we decend the steps, of which we estimate the angle of decent to be about 50 degress. We walk the streets of the town, and find somewhere to have lunch, at 3pm in the afternoon. We find a very busy tapas bar, and squeeze ourselves into a tablewere we enjoy a beverage, and some food. We then find the office of tourism, after which we then head back to our unit, to recover, lol.
It has been a wonderful day. I have pushed, and achieved myself to go up the mountain.
Friday, 3rd January 2020
Today, we are going to go into Perpignan, as Bob has another appointment with the Chiropractor for his back. It has been giving him a little discomfort. Our plan is to stop at the Grottes de Crandes Canalettes, and go inside the cave. Although we are suffing some muscle soreness today from our exploration of the Fort yesterday, we go in to discover this cave. This Cave is amazing when we get inside. From the outside, it doesn't look like very much, but once you are inside the caverns, it is truely amazing. There are different forms of stalacites, and Stalagmites, as well as wonderful red Marble walls. The caves were discovered in 1951 by chance, and has and is still being explored. One of the caverns continues 10 kms, but it is not accesssable to the public. There is much water inside this particularcave, in comparission to other caves we have been in. The formations of the pillars of where the stalacites and stalagmites have joined are very large, and some of them have been Radiochronology dated to be 350 000 years old. This little adventure takes about an hour and a bit, and we are so glad that we tood the time to look at this attraction.
Now we head off to Perpignan, which is another 40 mins from the cave. We arrive early for the Chiropractor appointment, and decide that we might find somewhere to have some lunch, so we walk in one way, nothing there. We go the other way, and not much there either. We spot a convience store, and grab a couple of sandwiches, and a drink, and eat then in the street.
Our legs are complaining about having to walk because of the soreness in then, and when we get out of the car, we almost hobble for a couple of mins untill the circulation begins again.
After the consultation, we head back to Vernet les Bains, and start to get ourselves organised to pack everything up again. Tomorrow we leave this area, and head off onto the next part of France.
Saturday, 4th January 2020
The day starts with moans and groans about how sore our thigh and calf muscles are. It is a struggle to walk properly, but we must. We have the place to pack up, and load into the car, which entails going up and down the stairs outside.
After everything is packed and tidied up, we say good bye and start on the road for Pechbonnieu, this will be a 4 hrs trip, or 216 kms, at least.
We follow the directions given byt the GPS, and I am sure, it is finding the most windiest route that there is. But it is not boring. There are lots of turns and up and down the mountains we go. However we do find some wonderful scenery as we travel onwards. Our aches and pains are still with us, which don't seem to have been relieved over night.
The first part of our journey has taken a bit of time, as I was driving, and there were many hair pin bends, and blind courners. We have a stop for some lunch, and fill in some time, as our check in is not until 6pm.
Continuing onwards we stop at the Aeroscopia Museum in Blagnac, and Bob get a couple of pictures. We don't actually go into the museum, it is only that we need a comfort stop, and this was the easiest place to find one. Then we venture around to Airbus in Blagnac. It is a huge complex, which has many large sheds where the Airbus's are assembled. There is much land involved with this plane business.
We continue on to our destination of the day, and as we usually do, there are wrong turns taken, and eventurally, we find the place, and the hosts are out walking, and are able to show us through the little house we have. Muriel, is a lovely little lady, as she is approximately half the height of Bob. She speaks great english, and we converse with her for a little while. Our dwelling is everything we need for the night, so we only bring in the exxentials that we need, and call it a day.
Sunday, 5th January 2020
We start the day with a heavy fog in the area, and we don't have to leave here very early, so we have a bit of breakfast. Our aches are feeling a little better today, although, I am not firing on all cyclinders this morning, but I am sure as the day wears on, I will continue to inprove.
I am driving again today, and we are headin to Rodez. A distance of 140 kms or 1h 40 mins. We leave our accommodation around 11, and make our way in the fog for the next journey. Most of this drive is on the free way. We again need to find a public toilet, and we leave the freeway to find one in a little village, but the service station is closed, so we have to advance onwards. We make a stop in the next town we drive through, and do find the required amenities, but that is an over statement. Thank goodness we have a box of tissues in the car. This is proably one of the grottiest toilets I have been to. Absolutly disgusting. But when you gotta go, you gotta go.
We get to our next place, a Motel around 1.20pm and check in. Maccas is 600 mtr away, and after we get the exxentials inside, we go and have lunch.
The rest of the day is spent chilling, and going to the resturant that is attached to the motel for tea.
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