Foix to Roquefixade.
(Please refer to the previous blog I posted for the background to this holiday).
So it was July 1987, the day after the festival in Foix (in the Eastern French Pyrenees) when I set out to achieve my next ambition of this 'Bucket List' holiday, by setting off to spend a couple of days walking in the foothills of the Pyrenees, taking in some stunning landscapes, wonderful flora and fauna, and some interesting history. To do this I would be following part of the 'Chemin des Cathares', or as I now see it named as 'Le Chemin des Bonshommes' (1).
I found the path down by the main road at the bottom of the valley in Foix, and then had a very very steep climb up 100s of feet, and a fairly overgrown path, but it gave me marvellous view over the small historic centre of the city.
Soon after I took this photo, I managed to loose the path, and found myself in this farm yard (I think it was this one?).
In the yard was an old woman, in my terrible and limited french I asked "Ou est les Chemin les Cathares?" She gabbled-away a completely incomprehensible reply. Which was difficult to do to me, as I have always been better reading 'Johnny Foreigner' languages that understanding their spoken 'bar-bar-berings' (not the Classical illusion to this bit of tongue in cheek English racism! LOL!). I repeated my question a few times and she conditioned to jabber. Then she realised not only that I didn't understand her, but that also I wasn't German (it seems that it was mostly Germans that did this walk if foreign, and not many Englishmen had been seen here). So she then started talking to me in French! Yes! French! She had been talking in local Languedoc patois! How marvellous! The language of the Troubadours! I love Medieval songs, but that didn't help me understand it when I heard it spoken! LOL!
Anyway! I was soon at the top of the climb and things became far easier as the path followed the ridge eastwards; sometimes in luxurious beech woodland, and other times out on flora rich downland. Just like where I had been training for my walk in the Chilterns, only much bigger, and in theory hotter and drier!
But as you can see, despite being in the middle of July, and so far south from home, the weather wasn't exactly a heatwave (fortunately, as it turned out for such a pasty Englishman like me). But as you can see the views were still beautiful, and that more atmospheric for the cloud. This is a good example of the lovely grass downland between the woods. Not only was it cramped with wildflowers, and ant hills (the hummocks), but there was a riot of butterflies too; many of which I had hardly seen, some I had only ever seen in books, and some I didn't know at all. There were some that looked like little day flying bats when I first saw them; black with white stripes, which turned out to be White Admirals (despite being more black than white! LOL!). And then there was this one; -
My one and only sighting of a Camberwell Beauty!
My walk continued along more such wonderful landscapes. It was such a delight to be there for me, with my love of countryside and history.
And as you can see, occasionally the path came close to the scarp edge of the ridge; giving vast panoramic vistas of the lands below.
I always love a mysterious path through woodland; but also as still an horticulturist at the time, I found it interesting how the understory of these beech woods was mostly of what is a rare plant in English woodland. That was Box! But here, the foresters were ripping it out as a weed!
The trail then led down into the valley, heading towards my target for the day (although I had no real idea what I would find there, or where I would sleep, etc.). Yes! I think this was Roquefixade in the near distance. And as I approached I was greeted with this sight; -
Oooooo! Looks a bit, errrr... mmm... steep?
And as it didn't look and less steep as I got nearer.
Now I can't quite remember which route I took to the top, but I met a local boy scout who showed me the way, and I know it involved a scramble up a steep grassy slope. And it was at this point that the little boy exclaimed a warning to me "Regarde le Viper!" Before leaving home, I had been warned by a number of people to watch out for Adders in the Pyrenees. In fact I was supposed to have an anti-venom kit, just in case. But I didn't of course. And here I was facing one of the monster! Well hardly a monster, as it was only a baby one, and I wouldn't have seen it if the boy hadn't said anything (actually, earlier in the day I think I saw the biggest Grass snake I had ever seen?). But this danger turned into a bit of a damp squib!
But once I was up the top it was well worth the climb. Here is a view below of the village of Roqufixade, one of the numerous 14thC 'Bastides' of the region; i.e. a fortified village!
I had been introduced to this form of village on my trip to Gascony the year before, but there they had mostly been round. This one was more like a Roman fort (I wonder if that was intentional?). Oh! and I shoulld say that the castle has 12thC origins, did have connections to the Cathare heresy, but apparently most of the surviving masonry dates from the 14thC to 17thC, when it was finally knocked down. And it was marvellous (again)! For me, as the romantic natural historian, a wonderful overgrown, untended, un-managed, un-touresty ruin! (well it was then. I don't know about now?).
And then the weather began worsen, with lowering, glowering cloud, as a terrific thunderstorm began!
So much for the balmy sunny days and hot Summer nights I was expecting! (It seems that just the other side of the mountains, on the Spanish side, there was virtually a desert, but here the Atlantic storms were pushed up and along the mountains, almost as far as the Mediterranean!
I managed to find shelter in the ruins of the castle guardhouse. And had a very uncomfortable wet night (but romantic and comfort rarely go together, as I found out many years later when I actually got to live in a castle).
Here's a picture of me I managed to get using the timer on the camera.
Yes! That's me.30 years ago! And looking rather damp.
Not surprisingly, I didn't get much sleep, and was up and about very early, and was awarded with the sight of clouds rolling down the valley below me, and distant views to the high Pyrenean still snow-capped peaks (which don't seem to show in these pictures now).
I soon left my overnight eyrie and descended to the valley below, and set off on the second leg of this journey, to the famous Cathare castle of Montsegur. (the subject of my next blog).
But one final look back at Roquefixade. And as you can see, it was also the last picture on that roll of film too! LOL!
(1) http://www.tourisme-occitanie.com/sur-les-traces-des-cathares-le-chemin-des-bonshommes/foix/tabid/2275/offreid/aa3b4c79-9ac0-410d-9c4c-8cc8798a3bb0/itineraire.aspx
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