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squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3071
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9th October 2011
Hiking - Walking: Forest at the Abbaye De Fontroide-France Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Windy and cloudy Max Speed: Distance Covered:
No lovely sunrise this morning at Peyriac, a bit cloudy but lots of funny
antic from the flamingos :) We had a leisurely start and ate breakfast
outside on the mat cracking yet more walnuts. Stopped in the village and
went to the Boulangerie where we enjoyed the usual Sunday banter with the
locals and the lady behind the counter desperately trying to tell us the
story behind the cake I had chosen – something about a dead singer who
sang this particular song and she gave us a few verses too :) We met Pete
and Gill and drove along the beach at Port Nouvelle to see that yes it was
even windier than yesterday, gusting 58mph – wild we get this every time
we come here just too much to sail :( There were three French guys out
further back towards the town but it was hard work and no one else out at
all so thats a good sign that conditions are too much. Decided to get away
from the coast and left Pete and Gill to go to Leucate. As I had read
about a calm sheltered forest up near an abbey not far away we decided to
head up into the Corbiere hills behind Sigan and Peyreic. Beautiful
scenery and not a car on the road, then suddenly as soon as we got to the
car park for the abbey there were literally hundreds of cars! There were
car park attendants, including one with ‘responsible organiser’ on his
jacket, a full black ski mask (!), sitting on a quad bike, blowing a
whistle! We were ushered into our space then ate our lunch watching their
organisation fall to pieces! Cars everywhere it was hilarious. We were
curious to know what was going on but were a bit apprehensive about setting
out towards the abbey with all these people but we didn’t want to go in,
only do the walks. Amazingly we walked straight through all the crowds
onto a walk up to a cross on the hill above the Abbey and there were hardly
any people at all :) They were all queuing (100s of French people queuing
– that’s a novel concept) to get into an orchid exhibition with reduced
entry into the abbey and were all leaving with carrier bags full of orchids
in a howling gale – not a good idea. We found the other walk and
although we did our usual and got a bit off course and walked a lot further
than we should it was beautiful scenery and for most of the way sheltered
from the blooming wind! Back to the van after a couple of hours and it was
carnage in the car park, swirling dust, temporary fencing blown down and
Mr. Ski mask, his quad bike and his whistle had completely failed in his
task to keep organised! Someone had reversed into our bike rack indicator
light and smashed the orange plastic cover but we didn’t discover this
until later. Drove back through Narbonne and stopped at Bages to have our
cake and coffee watching the flamingos doing their weird flight, running on
water routine and the windsurfers on the etang, sailing out of Port
Nautique where we were the other night. Back to our lovely Peyreic for tea
and the night and a great meal of pork, onion and fried potatoes –
delicious :) and please less wind tomorrow so I can get my boards wet!!!!
Pete and Gill arrived at 8.45 after a good day in Leucate and he says he
got internet access and it’s looking good for tomorrow :)
Check out photos on Facebook :)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2198098704648.2117316.1012660562&l
=c817137869&type=1
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2216178836640.2117957.1012660562&
l=4f3333d9fa&type=1
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2280865373763.2120108.1012660562&t
ype=1&l=5552812a20
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