Barbara's visit

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When friend Barbara came to stay, I knew I’d need to have my walking boots in good fettle. And now she’s gone home, the walking boots are having a bit of a rest (DIY calling), but they did have quite an exciting week.

We really wanted Barbara to see what a great variety of walking country we have easy access to here. We also wanted to have lots of good food at local restaurants at lunchtime, when the best food is often being cooked. Luckily these two wishes sit very well together. So here’s what we did…….

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Photos

Shrouded in cloud.....
The first day it rained in the morning. By midday it stopped, but the top of Montsegur was still invisible, so we didn't climb up

Walking near Roquefixade
Paths through oak and beech forest bring you to craggy outcrops like this

Looking down on the chateau at Roquefixade....
..we loved the moody brooding light brought on by the recently finished rain

The next day, out into the Pyrenees proper
Auzat was our lunch stop. There was a daube, with sticky rich juices almost caramelised after long slow cooking, and an intensely chocolatey mousse at the local cafe, plastered with anti-Sarko posters

After lunch, a walk above Vicdessos
..to walk off all those calories, and to enjoy the winter views in the distance. Snow had only fallen the night before, but we walked in hot sunshine

On Friday- Gorges de la Frau
A narrow path leads you through this steep-sided gorge, with Autumn tinted trees clinging to the rocks.

About to start the return journey
...and at that moment, we heard a tremendous distant thunderous noise.....rocks falling. We never found out where

Last day. Engravies
The softer rolling countryside of the Douctouyre valley. We started near the organic vineyards at Engravies - we'd been drinking their wine the previous evening

At the top of Thuriege
This hill was new to me- a newly signposted route not on the map. But what a view! From east to west, the peaks of the Pyrenees marched in a striking and apparently unending line. We enjoyed seeing from a distance some of the peaks we'd been much closer to earlier in the week.

And finally.....
....lunch on the first floor of our atelier, overlooking Laroque and the mountains beyond. After that, off to Toulouse for Barbara's plane home