11/14/2005

A Pretty Garden on the Road to St. Pons

Mountain Village

Click here to see the "whole roll of film"

Montsegur

"Are you going to make me climb that?"

Sure, It'll be fun!

View from the path up (and down as it happens)

Victory over Vertigo, but I think you can see those kilos..(or is it just my sweater?)

There's some new age theory about the solstice sun rising directly in this window (which it might - many medieval churches and fortresses are aligned due east to west). But if so, it doesn't have anything much to do with the Cathars. If you want to know more about the Cathars and about Montsegur go here.

And, just so you know, our car is OK.

November 14, 2005

Day trips North and Southwest: Les Montagnes Noirs et Montsegur

Last week the weather here held blue and beautiful and we decided that it was time for a couple of day trips into the surrounding countryside, maybe gather some picture painting fodder, and a good lunch in the country. It did seem like a better thing to do that to sit around wondering how many cars were being burned in the banlieues. I thought that it might be nice to drive up to St. Pons through the mountains north of here.

The first day we drove up into the Montaignes Noirs to the north and northeast of Carcassonne. After about a half and hours drive (via Caunes-sur-Minervois) we began to wind up the hillsides through little mountain villages and enclaves. But there weren't too many.....mostly a winding and climbing road through wooded mountainside - very pretty on a bright fall day. Just about at the top of the mountain we were delighted to get a call (well, a phone message) from our dear friends Glenn and Sharon in Pasadena - it must have been about 6:30 am for them!

A few minutes later we were able to pull over at a spot where we were pretty sure that we could get a signal, and gave them a call. Although we've been keeping in touch by email, it was lovely to hear their voices. While Dave was on the phone I looked around and realized that wild rosemary and thyme were growing pretty much all over the place. So I picked some thyme to take home (there's already some rosemary in the garden there).

Because....like most days, we got out to a sort of late start ...we decided not to continue on over the other side of the hill to St. Pons, but to descend via another road and then to visit the village of Homps on the Canal du Midi, where we stayed the night five years ago. We ate at a very nice Auberge just on the edge of the canal there, and I wanted to see if I could find it. And, yes, it was there ... and the view of the canal was very pretty - despite a new housing development on the other side of the canal that we don't remember seeing in 2005. However, the Auberge was closed for its annual "congé" (leave or vacation) to open again at the end of November.

So...my hope to sit in a warm room overlooking the canal with an aperatif and perhaps a little something to eat will have to wait.

We think that the dinner that we had there was quite good, because we don't remember it at all! (Or maybe it was the wine that was good). But I certainly have a pleasant memory of the place, and plan to come back in December.

(We are going to be going to Normandy to visit friends around Thanksgiving, and then to London for a few days in early December).

We headed back into the setting sun through the towns of Marseillette and Trebes, all along the canal and all reminiscent of our boat trip 5 years ago.

Montsegur - The Last Cathar Fortress?

The next day we managed to get ourselves up and out of the house at a reasonable hour*, and decide to head southeast to the town of Foix, which is near the base of the Pyrenees. We had heard from friends who have a house in a village in the area that the drive south from there going into the mountains was beautiful just now.

So we headed out, trying to keep to the small (but not impossibly small) roads as much as possible. As you drive west from Carcassonne, the valley widens and changes from vineyards to general agriculture. After a bit we turned south, and the hills start to crop up. We decided to check out the hill town of Fanjeux - a beautiful view over the valley towards Castelnaudry.

We stretched our legs by taking a little walking tour around Fanjeux. It was just a bit past noon, so we thought we might try a little restaurant that advertised local cuisine. Plus, from the where is was located it looked like the interior rooms might have a view similar to the one shown below. The first sign we saw said that they were open every day -- but it turned out to be one of those classic french "heures d'ouverature" signs that on closer inspection said "sauf" (except): Sunday dinner, and Monday, and - in winter - Tuesdays. Since it was a Tuesday, and we hadn't seen anywhere else promising in the village, we decided to carry on to the next town.

View of the Valley from Fanjeux

The next town was Mirepoix (we couldn't help but wonder if all the food here would be based upon a sauteed dice of onions, carrots, and celery?). Mirepoix is quite different from the other villages in the area as it has a notably medieval looking center square, full of half-timbered buildings rather that the usual stone. And it has a bit of a more open feel.

Though you might notice that the ironwork market cover looks quite Victorian. At any rate there were quite a few cafés, brasseries, and restaurants surrounding the square (one offering "chile con carne" as part of the menu du jour, which kind of put us off). We found a nice little place with lots of exposed heavy beams and hunting pictures and such, and a very busy but friendly proprietor. One of the menu offerings was "Civet du Cerf". When we asked the owner what "cerf" meant he tried to sort of pantomime it, but ended up taking Dave to another part of the room and showing him a painting with a stag in it....and "stag" is what cerf means. After being assured that the dish wasn't stag giblets (the owner had used the words "gibier" which means "game", in trying to describe a "cerf"), David decided to try it. "Civet" by the way, is a stew, not a kind of polecat. I had the grilled trout. Both were good...but when I tried a bite of the cerf, I was attacked by a shard of stag bone! Right into the gums! YOW. I have noticed that the french are a little laissez-faire (so to speak) about such thinks as bones and olive pits in their food, so it pays to chew carefully -- even the olives on pizza are rarely pitted. But, I am proud to say, I had absolutely no problem filleting my trout!

Anyway, after lunch we continued south to where we were planning to turn west towards Foix, but before we did so, we started to see signs to "Montsegur", one of the mountaintop Cathar strongholds that David had been wanting to see. So -- see a pattern here -- plan B, and we turned southeast and started to climb into the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Soon after, Montsegur appeared through the trees, flashing in and out of view as we rounded the curves. It's quite dramatically placed, as you can see from the pictures. It suddenly occurred to me that David would probably actually want to climb up there - if it was possible -- and I started to make my excuses - getting late, not enough time, not wearing the right shoes (true enough), etc. etc. But when we drove by the entry point it didn't look all that challenging, and - well, I have been complaining about the kilo or so I have put on in the last couple of months (that's 2.2 pounds or so to you). So up we went.

TORTURE. Not a bad path, only a little slippery, but lots and lots and lots (200??) big sort of wooden steps. Great for the thighs I imagine. But we made it, huffing and puffing, and encouraged by the (generally younger) folks bounding by us on their way down. The views were incredible though.

* Partially because we were awoken - or almost - by the doorbell ringing, which happens more than we expect here! It was (a very good looking) french postman, who bless his heart, had brought the box we had shipped from the states a good ten weeks ago. Looking a little worse for wear....but still containing our winter coats and boots and travel books and such.

This was sent via the cheapest U.S. Post office "slow boat to China" method (cost about $40.00). It arrived just within the 4-10 week promised timeline - but from the looks of it, it was a hard crossing. Nothing damaged though, and I am glad to have my boots and winter coat!