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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2937 |
28th June 2011 Hiking - Walking: Camurac and Axat - France Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: hot and sunny then thundery with very strong winds !!! Max Speed: Distance Covered: White water rafting and walking – Not a very settled night. It was sooooo quiet but too hot! I as really uncomfortable with the eye as well. We eventually opened the door and the boot to get a through draught and slept round the other way! Then had to close the boot because it got a bit breezy. When we eventually woke up about 6.15 we could hear the bells and looked out to see the cows all coming past the window up the hillside – and what a view to wake up to – fantastic, you really do have to pinch yourself :) My eye possibly even sorer today:( It didn’t spoil the day though and we had a brilliant time. After Mag had done her exercises and we had breakfast the cows with their noisy bells came really close to us, they are really inquisitive. We went for a walk and although it was too hot it was lovely. Lots of flowers and cow bells! Set off for our white water rafting appointment at 2 and drove through two more ski areas, Ascou Pailheres and Mijanes Donezan. It was a wonderful route, fascinating to see where the pistes are because it looks so unlikely in the summer! The highlight of the journey was coming to the top of a col and seeing about a dozen horses in the middle of the road with more on either side. Ten were foals :) They were gorgeous horses, brown with blonde manes – some looked as if they had been crimped! Some of them were a bit frisky to say the least and because they were only a bit smaller than a Suffolk punch were a bit scary! We stood and watched some old boy come up the windiest , steepest road you have ever seen on his racing bike and all his mates (must be a OAP cycle club) who had already made it cheered, saying Bravo, Christien! I think they must be completely bonkers myself the road had to been seen to be believed. The flowers here were even more amazing than before and we saw an eagle/buzzard disappear behind the peak really close to where we stood. We then attempted the unbelievable road ourselves and it was hairy! Down through the same gorges as yesterday to Axal. We made it by 1.15 amazingly and had our lunch by the river at one of their picnic tables. They kitted us up with wetsuits, windcheater style tops and life jackets and after helping to carry the raft we all got in a big yellow van. There were 5 of us and the guide (Dom? Who looked just like Germaine from flight of the conchords) a Belgian couple and a lady who had just got a job as a receptionist for the rafting company and they wanted her to try it out. None of the ladies were very brave but up for giving it a try. We all helped carry the raft down to the water and Dom told us the rules and what to do. We all got in and the fastest, roughest and trickiest bit of the whole thing is right at the start! So we were straight into paddling forward, back, to the left and the security position! It was terrific fun and he was a great guide. Half way down the gorge he stopped and tied the boat up so we could swim – he threw himself into the flow from the ledge and showed us how to go down feet first then swim to the side and get out on the same ledge further down. Ihad already had a bit of a swim as he dropped out of the boat and went downstream before realising we were all on the ledge and had to swim back! The wwr job lady didn’t go in but all the others went then Mag sat on the ledge and got in – it was brilliant, the best bit. Because Mag didn’t jump she wasn’t far enough out for the flow so had to kick her legs lying on her back until she was in it then went down like the others then swam for the side. Excellent fun. On down the river through the town of Axat, bumping into rocks and bridges and turning round in the river. It was an easy run really and for a lot of the way we didn’t even have to paddle! When we were nearly at the end he let other people drive the raft but this came unstuck when we had to land back at the base – we didn’t quite make it in time to get to the safe landing and the poor guide ended up right in the water over his head and under the boat! He saved the day though and we got out and helped carry the kit back. What a brilliant afternoon – well worth the £40. We drove back into Axat to take advantage of the free wi-fi at the Marie for my gps and forces stuff and had a cuppa (or two in my case!). The sky has gone really dark and it is thundering. It was glorious this morning and this has come in really quick! Dan texted to say it is thundering at home too. Off again to aim for somewhere near La Franqui for big Wednesday! We had a couple of near misses – a little dog ran out in front of us and I amazingly just missed him but the brakes really squealed and we thought it was the bloomin dog!!! Mag went completely white and was pretty shaken by that :( Then when Mag was driving some idiot started to overtake coming the other way right in front of her and luckily there was a hard shoulder to pull over onto otherwise he would have killed us all! Usually on these roads there is a gully along the edge but not here luckily. We parked up for the night overlooking the etangs quite high up near a castle just inland from La Franqui at Perillos. The wind is really building though so could be another sleepless night. . PS We had to move because it is soooo freakin’ windy!!! We drove down another amazing road, full of wind turbines and views of the etang and laucate :) Got to Fitou and drove through looking for somewhere sheltered to stop. Drove up to the chateau which is in really good condition but a restaurant so came back to the village and found the perfect car park – even had a loo but lots of bunting flapping and fluttering so moved on up the village to another car park which you couldn’t manoeuvre out of without hassle then straight into an ancient street soooooo narrow we could hardly scrape through!!!!!!!!!! Luckily a man who was out buying a bottle of coke walked behind and directed us. How can you get into such a muddle in such a muddle in such a short space of time. Found another car park (it is a popular place – famous for its wine and very beautiful old town) near the church – again narrow, narrow street but this is it we are here. Phew – got the kettle on and ate our crème brulees :) |
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