Dear reader,
Thank you for visiting our blog. Maybe you 've seen that we haven't been very active recently in publishing new stories. Unfortunately we had to change our blog, so to read more about us and our trips, please visit us on: http://wawa-sisi1.blogspot.com/
Thank you and we hope you visit soon our new, old blog!
Laura & Simon
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Easter Weekend, day 4
Well, the these days passed quickly, the 4th was already our last day. On the way back to Barcelona we first stopped near Narbonne to visit the Abbey of Fontfroide (Abbaye de Fontfroide). This monastery has a nice cloister and is located in the middle of nowhere, there are just trees, flowers, a river and mountains around it.
Afterwards we continued and near Perpignan we went to Salses-le-Château, where we visited the castle of Salses. This impressive fort built by the Spanish at the end of the 15th century was once important to secure the boarder to France which was here before the Pyrenees contract was signed.
That was the last stop, after Salses we drove back to Barcelona on the motorway.
Abbaye de Fontfroide in a valley and around is only nature.
The Fort de Salses has big and thick walls and was built with the best defences they had at this time.
Afterwards we continued and near Perpignan we went to Salses-le-Château, where we visited the castle of Salses. This impressive fort built by the Spanish at the end of the 15th century was once important to secure the boarder to France which was here before the Pyrenees contract was signed.
That was the last stop, after Salses we drove back to Barcelona on the motorway.
Abbaye de Fontfroide in a valley and around is only nature.
The Fort de Salses has big and thick walls and was built with the best defences they had at this time.
Easter Weekend, day 3
First of all we went to Carcassonne on this day to visit the medieval city (UNESCO world heritage) which is surrounded by 2 walls with many towers. We visited the Cathedral, went through the streets of the Cité and then along the wall from where we had a nice view of the region and the new town.
Afterwards we drove by car a bit to the north where we visited 4 ruins on a mountain in Lastours. It takes some time to climb up to each castle, but the view is nice and the weather was sunny again.
Later on we continued to Limousis, which isn’t far away, to see the Grottes de Limousis. This cave is long and has about 5 halls inside it, some also with water. It was nice, especially the last hall which has a stone which he hadn’t seen before. It’s just always the guided tours where they have in many places which take a lot of time and which are only in French, sometimes quite boring.
At the end we drove back and on the way we stopped in Villeneuve-Minervois and Conques-Sur-Orbiel, 2 villages with some old houses. Back in Carcassonne we enjoyed the view of the Citadel which is illuminated at night.
The medieval citadel of Carcassonne with the cathedral, narrow streets and the big doule wall is very impressive.
The Grottes de Limousis is nice and cool inside.
The village of Conques-Sur-Orbiel.
On the way we also passed the Canal du Midi, also UNESCO world heritage.
Afterwards we drove by car a bit to the north where we visited 4 ruins on a mountain in Lastours. It takes some time to climb up to each castle, but the view is nice and the weather was sunny again.
Later on we continued to Limousis, which isn’t far away, to see the Grottes de Limousis. This cave is long and has about 5 halls inside it, some also with water. It was nice, especially the last hall which has a stone which he hadn’t seen before. It’s just always the guided tours where they have in many places which take a lot of time and which are only in French, sometimes quite boring.
At the end we drove back and on the way we stopped in Villeneuve-Minervois and Conques-Sur-Orbiel, 2 villages with some old houses. Back in Carcassonne we enjoyed the view of the Citadel which is illuminated at night.
The medieval citadel of Carcassonne with the cathedral, narrow streets and the big doule wall is very impressive.
The Castle of Lastours, not only 1, no, there are 4 ruins to see.
The Grottes de Limousis is nice and cool inside.
The village of Conques-Sur-Orbiel.
On the way we also passed the Canal du Midi, also UNESCO world heritage.
Easter Weekend, day 2
On the 2nd day we drove first from Axat to Lapradelle where we wanted to visit the Castle of Puilaurens (Château de Puilaurens). Unfortunately it rained cats and dogs and was foggy, so we decided to continue directly and not walking up and visiting this Cathar ruin on the top of a mountain.
So, by car we drove through the Gorges de Galmus, a nice canyon without a lot of traffic so it wasn’t a problem to get through. Then we went to visit the Castle of Peyrepertuse, one of many more from the Cathar’s which are remaining in this area. The ruin is located on the top of a mountain surrounded by cliffs. Sometimes it was covered with fog and suddenly the sky opened for a few minutes and the surrounding landscape was visible.
Afterwards we went to the next ruin, the Château de Quéribus, also from the same time. It’s on a steep rock from where we had a nice view towards the mountains (when the fog it permitted).
On the way to Trèbes near Carcassonne where we slept, we passed through Villerouge-Termenès with another castle and Lagrasse where a nice monastry is.
Gorges de Galmus
The Castle of Peyrepertuse is divided in 2 parts, a lower and the higher one which is reachable after climbing up narrow steps.
And finally the Abbey and town of Lagrasse.
So, by car we drove through the Gorges de Galmus, a nice canyon without a lot of traffic so it wasn’t a problem to get through. Then we went to visit the Castle of Peyrepertuse, one of many more from the Cathar’s which are remaining in this area. The ruin is located on the top of a mountain surrounded by cliffs. Sometimes it was covered with fog and suddenly the sky opened for a few minutes and the surrounding landscape was visible.
Afterwards we went to the next ruin, the Château de Quéribus, also from the same time. It’s on a steep rock from where we had a nice view towards the mountains (when the fog it permitted).
On the way to Trèbes near Carcassonne where we slept, we passed through Villerouge-Termenès with another castle and Lagrasse where a nice monastry is.
Gorges de Galmus
The Castle of Peyrepertuse is divided in 2 parts, a lower and the higher one which is reachable after climbing up narrow steps.
The Château de Quéribus sitting at the top of a rocky mountain.
The Castle in Villerouge-Termenès.
And finally the Abbey and town of Lagrasse.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Easter Weekend, day 1
For the Easter vacation we rented a car for 4 days to explore a bit the south of France. On the first day we drove via Vic directly to Puigcerdà, in the Pyrenees on the French boarder. Here we stopped to have a look around in the center where a nice market square attracts the attention.
In Llívia, a Spanish enclave just a few minutes away from Puigcerdà, we had lunch and a walk through the village with some nice houses and the church which has some remaining towers of a former castle.
The weather was sunny, but when we continued further fog came up and it also started raining. We visited Mont-Louis, a fort with a village inside constructed by the famous French architect Vauban at the end of the 17th century to defend the new Spanish boarder after the Pyrenees contract. However the fog was so dense that it was really difficult to see the impressive walls and impossible to see any mountains around.
To get away from this fog, we drove down direction Perpignan and in Villefranche-le Conflent it was much better. This place which also Vauban built into a big fortress is the fortified town surrounded by high mountains and on one side, about 300 meters higher the Fort Libéria. To get to this fort we had to climb up, it’s connected by an underground tunnel which leads from the town to the fortress taking about 1000 steps. From the top we had a nice view down to the town and of the 3 valleys which come together in this strategic site.
At the end we drove further to Axat where we spent our first night.
In the Pyrenees close to La Molina with our Smart for Two.
Puigcerdà with the nice square and Llívia's church where once stood a castle.
Vauban's fortress built next to the Spanish boarder has impressive big walls but unfortunately due to the fog it wasn't possible to see a lot.
The walls of Villefranche-le-Conflent and higher located on a mountain Fort Libéria.
The entrace and walls of the Fort Libéria from where we had a nice view down towards the town of Villefranche.
In Llívia, a Spanish enclave just a few minutes away from Puigcerdà, we had lunch and a walk through the village with some nice houses and the church which has some remaining towers of a former castle.
The weather was sunny, but when we continued further fog came up and it also started raining. We visited Mont-Louis, a fort with a village inside constructed by the famous French architect Vauban at the end of the 17th century to defend the new Spanish boarder after the Pyrenees contract. However the fog was so dense that it was really difficult to see the impressive walls and impossible to see any mountains around.
To get away from this fog, we drove down direction Perpignan and in Villefranche-le Conflent it was much better. This place which also Vauban built into a big fortress is the fortified town surrounded by high mountains and on one side, about 300 meters higher the Fort Libéria. To get to this fort we had to climb up, it’s connected by an underground tunnel which leads from the town to the fortress taking about 1000 steps. From the top we had a nice view down to the town and of the 3 valleys which come together in this strategic site.
At the end we drove further to Axat where we spent our first night.
In the Pyrenees close to La Molina with our Smart for Two.
Puigcerdà with the nice square and Llívia's church where once stood a castle.
Vauban's fortress built next to the Spanish boarder has impressive big walls but unfortunately due to the fog it wasn't possible to see a lot.
The walls of Villefranche-le-Conflent and higher located on a mountain Fort Libéria.
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