Linn is an old friend from Derbyshire days. Now living in Bristol and happened to be in the south of France so called in. Her first visit to the barn and she stayed for a few nights. We managed to get some quality hikes in just around the area. She also introduced us to Molkky, a Nordic skittles game. Very kindly she left her set with us and we love it.
Our outdoor shower is an old recycled wine vat with a gallows like affair to hang a solar shower bag from. We set the vat on legs and cut out a section to get in and out. This was then attached to a deck we built about 16 years ago. Strangely enough, the framework of the deck is now rotten and requires replacing.
We were struggling to work out how to remove the shower assembly, replace the deck and then put the shower back. Until that is, Breezy came up with the idea of just replacing half the deck and sliding the shower across from the old to the new deck. Brilliant, no heavy lifting or wine vat disintegrating into the 50 (or so) component parts.
We set to dismantling half the deck and soon realised that the only thing holding anything together was the decking boards themselves. The framework was completely unattached and floppier than a very floppy thing. In order to maintain the half of the old deck with the shower we employed an old car jack under one of the joists.
The half we wanted to replace was surprisingly easy to take apart. A frame was built with treated new wood and the site cleared. We dug a soak away under the shower site and built up a stone wall for one end of the terrace to sit on. The next hurdle was to get the frame into place. Fortunately we saw some friends from the village walking on the piste past the barn and press-ganged them in to lend us some muscle. Two minute later the frame was in place and beers and coffees were enjoyed in the sunshine. That same afternoon we set to laying the decking boards salvaged from previous terraces.
We thought that it would take 4 people to shift the shower over to the new deck but we managed it ourselves by sliding it a few inches at a time. Once in situ we straightened it all up, fixed it down and tied it back to an anchor in the wall. Hey presto and Boom, it all worked and is ready for action again. With luck this version should last another 15 years or so.
Next step is to remove the last bits of old decking and decide what to do with the space?
Then replace the legs of the barrel and the gallows.
Initial plan was to do the Pic des Trois Seigneurs from Port de Lers. This we have done many times and is a favourite. Looking at the map we had never walked the ridge on the other side of the valley. Then rather than drive all the way to Port de Lers we decided to access it from Port de Salex above Aulus.
Once we left the summit of Pic de Girantes we didn’t see anyone until we got back to Port de Salex. For fairly good reason I might add. The ridge itself was fantastic. Not difficult walking and amazing views. We saw chocolate orchids, our first gentian of the season, five deer, 3 Ibex, loads of griffin vultures, two shepherds and a few frogs. The return track/path marked on the map was non existent so we followed animal tracks on skiddy grass and loose rock for quite a long way.
Next time doing the whole ridge and hitching back from Sentenac could be a winner.
Always the first Saturday in August. The French meet the Spanish at the Port de Salau. I should say the Ocitan meet the Catalan. People bring a picnic and musical instruments. There is some fairly random music, very random dancing, some speeches and some cheese and wine to share.
The weather was great and there were over 200 people at the Col. We don’t go every year but as the French contingent pass the door it’s quite nice to go and see.
There’s something nice about walking and talking, especially in a group of 5 or 6. It’s a great way to catch up with folk and have quality conversations with different people.
Starting at Parking d’Ayes on the piste from Lake Bethmale. Up through the forest to the Col D’Auedole. We decide to go clockwise up to Etang Eychelle and to Col de la Crouzette. Here be horses. From here we took a circuitous route to the Col de Roc Plat. Then dropped down into the valley to pick up the GR10 under Pic de Montgarie. Following the GR back to Col d’Auedole via Etang d’Ayes. Back down through the forest to the carpark.
Pic de Seron has a little of everything in just the right order. Set off from Cirque de Gerac where there is ample parking. Then the first steep ascent will be in the shade up to Col de Cerda. From then the path jiggles up and down (but predominantly up) following yellow markings to get to the first lake, Etang D’Aube. There are often some folk fishing and an odd tent on weekends but there is scope for a swim if one is so inclined this early in a walk. Change to red markings and more predominantly up to get to the Pic de Seron.
From the peak you get great view of the frontier, Certescan, Mont Rouch and accross to Valier.
Descend the same route from the summit to the Col and continue the red markers down to Cabane Turgilla. Continue down hill and the trail leads to another swim opportunity at Etang de L’Astous.
The return to the parking from the Etang is predominantly down and involves some ladders and cables accross two sections of rock face.
All in all, one of our favourites and a grand day out.
The fishing association of Salau put out a request for anyone willing to help clear the river banks in the village. The aim was to give the fishermen better access to the river and hence the fish. In return they offered a meal in the evening. We had the time and never turn away food so said yes.
It did require a 7am start at the old school in the village. 16 folk turned up so we were sorted into two teams, which was very convenient as the river had two banks. Each team had a chainsaw person and 7 luggers. The luggers were there to clear the debris created by the chainsaw person. In our case, as we were on the side of the road, we had to lug the debris over the flood defenses to a waiting chipper. The chipper then turned the debris into chips and fired them (or most of them) back over the flood defenses onto the luggers.
This is the first time this has happened and the impact was terrific. The buddleia was like a thicket and up to 5m high and had brambles growing throughout.
Starting at 7 was a great option as the day soon heated up. Working alongside some of the locals we didn’t know too well was also good for us. And attending an exclusive meal for 16 in the Maison de la Chase was great fun too. All in all it was a good do and will happen again next year so we have already signed up.
The meal was a huge selection of charcuterie followed by paella, desert was a slice of patisserie, all washed down with ample quantities of red and rose wine.
We had read about this section of the GR10 years ago but never even looked at where it was. Back in Napoleon’s days there was an area of forest with particularly good oak trees for making the masts of ships. These had to be carried out of the forest to the nearest horse drawn transport. To facilitate this engineers dug out a walkway 200m up a near vertical cliff face. The passage is over 1000 meters long and over looks the Fort du Portalet 1842. The Fort itself is also pretty impressive, especially from 200m above.
We chose to do a 3-4 hour loop to include the Chemin de la Mature on the way back from Rioja. We started at Passette on the GR10 and continued on red and white markings to just above Pont des Trungas then double backed to the road on which we had parked. Well worth doing and amazing history, both of the Chemin and the Fort, but probably not one to repeat.
We did however find an amazing little Table d’Hote to stay in about 15 minutes down the road. Fully renovated with lovely hosts. https://www.aubergetoisondor.com/
Last year we went to the Dordogne with Breezy’s Father. At the end of that trip he stated that his traveling days were over. We said that if he wanted to we would love to go away with him again the following year, but he had to decide where.
It didn’t take him long to decide on Rioja in Spain. Partly down to the wine and partly down to the food. Now, the Rioja area, or region, is different from the Rioja wine area. This may sound obvious but the Rioja wine area crosses into the Basque are to the north. This is the area famous for Pinxos, Small bites of food rather than tapas, often displayed on the bar. Racionnes are also available which are more the tapas style sharing platters. Each bar specialises, or is known for, a specific Pinxos. Also Pinxos are usually eaten with a glass of wine. You may be able to see where this is going. Each bar you go into means eating something that is two mouthfulls and incredibly yummy, and consuming a glass of wine. There are a lot more bars than my capacity to drink wine.
We based ourselves in an appatment in Fuenmayor near Logrono (the capital of the Rioja wine area). The town we stayed in has some great restaurants and bars but is small enough that you can walk around easily. Logrono is much bigger with a lot more bars and is thus much more dangerous. We did venture into Logrono for a lunchtime which has to be done. Some planning went into which bars we wanted to visit and Google maps is great as it can tell you if a particular bar is busier or quieter than usual.
We had a wine tour at Altes R Pigeage, organised by Iain, which was great. Really informative and we got to taste some lovely wines. Iain knew the wines through his dealings with Laithwaites.
Carline thistles seem prevalent both indoors and above doors outside to ward off witches.
We also got to visit a few small hill top towns and visited the Rioja Botanical Gardens.
Who knows where we will end up next year?
In 2015 Charlie and Becks Breese brought their two elders kids out to the barn with Breezy’s Father. Charlie is always up for a project; and so the “helipad” was built in a weekend. We had cut most of an old pine tree down behind the barn and the project was to build a terrace suspended from it by cables. Original post HERE.
When bits of wood started to fall from the underside this year and the cables had eaten their way into the truck of the old pine we decided it was time for it to come down. The risk being that a winter storm or substantial snowfall would bring it down anyway.
The problem was how to bring it all down safely without personal injury or breaking a flower.
As the terrace was held up on wires the first job was to make it some legs so that when the tension was off the thing stayed up. That done, next was to take some of the boards away to alleviate some of the weight before removing the cables. I thought that was the worst bit until we got to chopping down the tree itself. The trunk was half rotten and leaning towards the round flower bed, and the bar of the chainsaw was only 40 cm. The girth of the tree was about a metre. Having said that the top half came down quite easily with the assistance of a pull on a rope. Then an arduous chopping up session to get it into bits we could move to then burn it. Exactly the same with the bottom half.
The stump was then cut vertically across the centre so there was an eight pointed star in the top. A fire rag (we have cotton rags in jars soaked in used solvent and oil) was lit in the centre and left to burn out for 3-4 days.
The good timber from the terrace was stacked for future projects and the rotten stuff was burnt.
