The Pyrenees

Thursday 22nd May 2014

[caption id="attachment_870" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Relaxing morning[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_873" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Blog catching up![/caption]

The beauty of what we are doing means that we generally have no time constraints and can just take the day as it comes. Today is definitely one of those days. After a short stroll into the town for coffee and croissants, we spent a very happy morning catching up with blog writing, cleaning Bluebelle and the bikes, chatting to locals and generally pottering. It has been very relaxed and great to take time just to be.

As I said yesterday, we planned to continue on our way via the Pyrenees, so we set Trusty Tom Tom to direct us to Axat via the D618 and then towards Mont Louis via the D118. As we left Salleles D’Aude, the countryside was reasonably flat, full of vineyards and swathes of vibrant poppies....I wanted to stop and photograph them all but one poppy is much like another...and we’d never had made any progress today.



 

[caption id="attachment_875" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Climbing higher[/caption]







Gradually, the landscape began to change. Hills and mountains took shape on all sides, vineyards were clinging to sloping fields, the growth around became incredibly lush and green. We saw many more chateau and fewer and fewer villages and towns. As we ascended higher and higher the road became incredibly narrow and in some places you could see where it had been hewn between the rocks...we only just made it past several overhanging rocks. At times we had to squash ourselves against the rock face to avoid being crushed by fast oncoming traffic! Having said all of that, it was well worth the drive.....the views were stunning. We never knew what was just around the corner and the anticipation kept us moving on. Our first glimpses of the snow capped mountains filled us with absolute joy...they are awesome. One minute we could see them, the next they were gone and didn’t reappear for a long time. Along the wayside the flowers were gorgeous. Little blue starry flowers littered the roadside, along with campanula, cowslips, rosemary and many others....beautiful.





[caption id="attachment_881" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Blue stars[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_884" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Rows of plane trees[/caption]

What was amazing was that as we ascended the mountain the hill side was covered in every kind of tree possible...all of them looking so alive and lush in the ever increasing sunshine....we were just so awed at the colours, textures and shapes...it really made our hearts sing! (Not quite Sound of Music..but you know what I mean!!!) Once we reached a plateau the scenery changed altogether...it became flat, open and full of meadows bursting with wild grasses and buttercups, vineyards and cattle grazing. The houses are all much more chalet like and we are spotting ski slopes all over the place.

We stopped for lunch with a view of the mountains....

[caption id="attachment_882" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Lunch stop[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_885" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Sorry about the quality of some of the photos…as you can see they were taken as we were driving![/caption]



 



[caption id="attachment_890" align="aligncenter" width="427"] The rock faces were very close at times[/caption]









 





[caption id="attachment_897" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Le Gorge de St George[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_898" align="aligncenter" width="427"] We have followed the river Aude nearly all day[/caption]







 

[caption id="attachment_902" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Luscious trees[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_905" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Snow capped mountains[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_906" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Plateau[/caption]



and afternoon tea was by the lake at Matemale.....

[caption id="attachment_909" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Matemale[/caption]







Having moved on from the lake to find a stop for the night we followed the D60 to Lac des Bouillouses hoping that this would be the perfect spot. We climbed higher and higher, noticing the temperature dropping rapidly and seeing piles of snow along the roadside. We eventually reached 2000m above sea level and the lake...it is amazing...



[caption id="attachment_914" align="aligncenter" width="427"] It's fffffreezing!!![/caption]

...but as it is SO cold and fairly developed we decided to head back down to the Lac at Matemale and set up camp for the night. We watched as vast black clouds gathered above the mountains on the otherside of the lake and then saw lightening and heard thunder rumbling in the distance. Fortunately for us, it rumbled away in the opposite direction. We have however, retreated inside Bluebelle for the evening as it is so cold outside tonight!!!