Driving in the Pyrenees

After breakfast we conferred and decided that Quillan should be La destination du jour. Leaving Carcassonne proved usual, with Hazel and me having words. It should have been around 50 Km for the day, leaving plenty of time to relax and read a bit. There might have been time for a little guitar practice too, had the place at Quillan not been overrun with a car-boot sale. I’ve been saying since we left UK how odd it is that there are no “booties” in France, then the first one we find is on our free over-night stop. Bum.

A quick look at the book revealed a not too distant alternative, so with Hazel re-programmed with a simple route we set sail for Puilaurens. The book was a bit vague on what to expect but that was fine as we were entering the Pyrenees proper and imagined we’d find a superb Puppy wandering path leading somewhere.

Castle view at Puilaurens

What we found was exactly that, but with the added bonus of the ruins of Puilaurens Castle for me and Sue to investigate too. We quickly locked up and set off puppy in tow, up the hill to the castle – impressive from a distance, built on top of a rocky outcrop. We all enjoyed the short trek up there. I was saddened on arrival, though, as there was an entry fee of €5 (though Powell was free!). We decided that we’d be ‘happy’ to pay and would indeed be happier to spend €20 to get into a castle over paying the same sum for some sweets so I cried and handed over the dosh. We weren’t disappointed with the deal and enjoyed the next hour or so, scrambling around the ruins and jumping for something or other (maybe Sue will elaborate later....).

All castled out by lunch time we quickly refuelled ourselves and realised we’d got up too early after all and should really move again. I, for a split second, regretted not spending one more euro this morning then smiled at the thought of having another free night to look forward to. We decided on Thues entre Valls. Despite the €8 price tag for staying overnight it has a gorge walk and sits comfortably in the “Park Natural Regionale des Pyrenees Catalanes”.

I spent most of the driving time today speechless (apart from pleading with Sue for another travel mint). The area is absolutely awe inspiring. The roads are small and windy, to the extent that Top Gear should feature some of them in a “Southern France special”. They give Sue a chance to practice her brake pedal control too, while we don’t have a car, and strengthen her forearms. Seriously, anyone with a nervous disposition should consider a daily dose of being driven down these routes in order to strengthen their finger muscles – just ask Sue how white she got her knuckles, and how often. I think the most disconcerting incident was the near miss with the unseen, oncoming bus. The only thing which really concerns me on these passes is watching the fuel consumption drop as we rise. Thankfully it goes back up again when we go downhill....

Here are some of the driving views we've had over the last day or two, all taken by my trusty co-pilot, AKA, my Sue...it's been fun!

yes, that's a road down there!

The vegetation is noticeably more Mediterranean now and as todays descent began we could see the Mediterranean sea – we were definitely spoiled with the weather this afternoon, particularly as it’s half way through November.

Tomorrow should be a good day, provided the weather holds out for the gorge walk – I don’t really fancy a flash flood down there......