A town on the ancient Regordane highway. In the days when the king of France was mostly king of Paris and a section of modern day northern France, he never-the-less owned a small piece of the southern region as well and a single port on the Mediterranean (Aigues Mortes). To get from Paris to the…
Category: France
Spoil tips and coal mines
Near the town of Alès, France, there are many reminders of a coal mining history. The mines have been closed for over 25 years now, but evidence remains. In particular, towering over the town in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains is a “spoil tip” (i.e. a pile of unwanted waste.) In the case of…
Workers gardens
In several Languedoc villages, usually just on the edge of the old town, there are “jardins ouvriers” or workers gardens. These gardens were set up as community gardens for industrial workers in the 18th or 19th century. Always located near a water source and enclosed by stone walls. These gardens have been abandonned in many…
A passing visitor
Seen on a recent hike.
St Agnès
St Agnès is the highest coastal village in Europe. Perched at about 2600 feet above the city of Menton, France, it is accessible by car – as long as you don’t mind steep narrow roads running along cliffs…. The little medieval garden is in the ruined castle above St Agnes about 400 m above the…
Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden
A beautiful botanical garden in the French seaside town of Menton, near the Italian border. Worth a visit in any season. Below – pictures taken in late March 2011.
Corbès
A tiny village in the Cevennes close to Anduze but off the main road. Just far enough away from traffic to be tranquil. Spring flowers, flowing river (they are often dry in the summer), sunshine!! The Auberge du Temps is a converted 15th century mill.
The “Cirque” at Navacelles
The Vis river cuts a deep gorge through otherwise barren landscape in the causse area. At this spot, the river used to flow around a tight loop, but over time it found a way to cut through its banks to abandon the old river bed. The river canyon is about 1000 feet deep at this…
Nojaret
An isolated village in the Cévennes range at altitude 2000 feet – seen while descending the trail from La Fage – a local peak of about 3000 feet. The village catches some afternoon sun breaking over a nearby ridge.
View in frosty blue / Horizons bleus
Wintertime : Departure on foot from Mialet in the Cévennes range. About a 2000 foot climb to get a look at the surrounding hills. Hiver : Départ à pied de Mialet dans les Cévennes. Une montée de 600m pour un point de vue dominant.
Iris reticulata
These bulb irises are usually the first ones to bloom in the north mediterranean climate. The first mild days in February bring them into flower, usually lasting about 2 to 3 weeks.
End of the road for the Aiguille cable car
I rode up this cable car on 2 Feb 2011 for the last time. As of 8 Feb 2011 this was no longer possible. The cable car (affectionately known in French as the “egg”) is being dismantled. Too old and too slow and (who knows?) maybe dangerous too but this wasn’t on my mind on…
Chapelle de Pise
A chapel that looks to be 800 years old – but was only completed in 1998, built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Edict of Tolerance (or Edict of Nantes) of 1598. The chapel is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, it is completely isolated in a remote country area and no signposts on local roads…
Skiing in La Foux
The Observatory. An exposed peak in the southern Alps. Altitude 2600 metres. Windy and very cold in January. The way up? an ancient cable car (due to be dismantled for scrap in spring 2011). The way down? A steep ski trail or if you prefer, an even steeper ski trail.
Lakes
There are very few lakes in the Languedoc where rivers and streams are dry for 4 or 5 months of the year.
Notre Dame de Gattigues
In Gattigues there is an old church with foundations dating from the first millennium. It was a way station on the Regordane highway during the middle ages at a time when the traffic from Paris to the Mediterranean sea had to be routed via the Cévennes for military security. The church is built in the…
Lavoirs
Public washbasins are a common sight in the Languedoc. Some were built as late as the 19th century, some earlier. Most were no longer in use by 1960. Today many are dry but some still have running water.
Iron Cross
Everywhere you look in this countryside there are crosses of iron and stone. Legend says that travellers in the middle ages were protected from highway robbery if they took sanctuary next to a cross.
