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squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3071
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16th September 2014
Hiking - Walking: Les Crets des Pilats Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered:
Tuesday 16th September – walk ***** Les Crets des Pilats. Mag’s 54th
Birthday
Woke to a beautiful blue sky morning and were able to do our exercises and
have breakfast outside:) The cow bells were ringing, the stream trickling
and birds, including buzzards and peregrines flying around. We decided not
to travel today as we have done several days and it is Mag’s birthday!
She opened her cards after breakfast. We were planning a short walk up to
the Table of Orientation at the top of the Cret de Pilat, the highest point
in Les Crets des Pilats. However, we decided to carry on to see more and
did a circuit passing the Chalet Bourguisan, Col and Cret de l’Etacon,
Col and Cret du Rachat and the Col and Cret de Bote where we saw a
paraglider flying and two hang gliders talking about it and measuring the
wind strength. The Cret de Bote had some kind of military installation
which we could see from our starting point at the table of orientation so
we felt we had achieved our goal and headed back to the van at La Jassarie
along a lovely wooded path. Wish we had taken the gps as it turned into
quite a hike, about 5 miles(?) and nearly 3 hours. Had a late lunch sitting
on our chairs outside and then read and dozed until it was time for coffee
and birthday cake:) More reading followed by 2 sets of 3 games of Lost
Cities, we won one each so game on! A tin of chilli and left over bread
made it an easy tea:) Great day.
Wednesday 17th September - travelling
Didn’t sleep too well as it was really windy, howling and shrieking round
the van and the bike cover was flapping too:( Got up early at 7 and
decided as it wasn’t nice enough to lie in and read or do our exercises
we would make an early start. We left our lovely spot at La Jassorie at
about 8.30 and headed down through lovely forest (saw a deer) towards
Anonay which was a built up pain in the bum! We tried to park at a Super U
supermarket but it was impossible and then when we found Lidl the parking
there wasn’t much better:( Still we got our shopping and then called in
at a sports shop on the outskirts and visited the McDonalds for wifi. Had
a cuppa and Mag thanked all her birthday well wishers with a couple of
photos of us eating cake! We set off along the fairly big road which runs
alongside the river Rhone. A Roman ruin was marked on our map so we spent
a while looking for that, it turned out to be right at the side of the road
between us and the railway line so no opportunity to visit it and it
wasn’t very exciting anyway. Carried on along the river and crossed over
on one of the bridges to pass through Tain l’hermitage which although
built up had a really nice waterfront with a castle, old buildings and a
river cruise boat moored up in the river. The passengers were going on and
off the boat with their passes round their necks. We nearly got stuck
because of a very low bridge but managed to turn round and head back across
the river to have our lunch on the barrage at Tournan Sur Rhone. There
were herons, cormorants and egrets in the river below the barrage. Back in
the van and on to a place called Cruas which has a medieval cite on the
hill and a good parking place at the port on the river bank. We stopped
here for a cuppa and more cake!! Must stop that! It had started to rain so
we just went for a short ride up to the medieval cite to have a look then
parked under some trees near the port. We sat and watched at least 4 red
squirrels running themselves ragged collecting and hiding walnuts. There
were also 5 magpies having a right scrap! And Mag saw a treecreeper too:)
When there was a break in the rain and after a doze and a read we went for
a walk along the nature walk and to the table of orientation which looks
down the river. There were several barges and river cruise boats over the
course of the evening. Just got back to the van and the rain set in
together with a thunder and lightning storm which was right overhead. This
continued for most of the evening. We had salmon parcels, potatoes and veg
for tea:)
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