Amelie-Les-Bains - lunchtime
Sue and Martin's Big Adventure
Day 51 - Tuesday 14 September 2004 - Stage 42
Postcard Summary
Gite
in cloud to Amelie-Les-Bains
Foggy descent, mainly on Deserted Dirt
Roads – 4.2 hours, 16 km, 100m ascent
The gite looked a bit like a prison, but
we spent a pleasant evening in the restaurant next door with Vincent and
Ann. Vincent is a fiddler who busks in Paris
Diary Entry (by Martin)
Wake at 7.15 in
our gîte dormitory and had a chatty breakfast with Vincent and Ann, our novice
walking friends. Ann tells us about her job as a production manager in a lasagne
and pasta making factory. She looks like a student.
It is still
foggy outside. We have only seen this place in the fog, and it does look a
little prison like. But it has served its purpose well and at 8.35 we stride
off into the fog. We follow Joosten's descent route to Amelie - a few
amendments to his description are needed as usual. Waterproofs go on and off.
They are not really needed, but it's a bit damp walking through cloud from 1500
metres down to 400 metres.
Dirt roads all
the way until the last few hundred metres through beech, etc woods. This is a
nice path along a rocky south east crest. We've been on a ridge (or next to one)
all morning, but the ten metre visibility hasn't revealed much other than the
dirt roads we travel on, a few trees, four cars, two mushroom collectors - dressed
like chefs - a fine collection that they proudly show to us - Cepes and
Girolles and more, and a man just above Amelie.
The hedgerow
came alive at times, with bright blue, yellow and white flowers (Mountain Lettuce,
Golden Rod, Yarrow, Forget-me-nots, etc), shining out of the fog. The
glistening, ripe, sweet blackberries were very difficult to pass by without
stopping. The Heather (Ling) is still going strong. Sweet chestnuts are
weighing trees down as they ripen, and small bat-like birds harvest the flies
above. (They may have been bats?) Overall though, fungi have replaced the
hedgerow plants in our line of view, autumn colours are well on the way, fungus
covers some of the damp rocks, and we wind our way down a path of leaves.
Even when we get
below the cloud, trees block our view of Amelie-les-Bains, but down below there
are Aloe Vera plants and tropical looking trees. Tall grasses and vetches line
the path into Amelie, where we soon find a café for lunch (12.45 arrival -
salad and cheese baguette) before it starts to spot with rain. So rather than
our planned camp in the sun, we go round the corner to Hotel Residence Jeanne
d'Arc and nab a room with a sink and a bidet (all en-suites are taken!).
As we utilise
the facilities the elements let loose and there is a big storm. Again we have
avoided the worst of the weather. And so, after showering, washing, texting
Kate, diary writing, etc, we set off to continue to enjoy our second wedding
anniversary by seeking stamps for all the cards written since Luchon (!!) and
tomorrow's lunch (as well of course as a suitable venue for tonight's feast).
Amelie graffiti
(Later.) Stamps
found, cards to be posted after breakfast. Walk around town. Ice creams. Walk
up Gorges de Mondony as far as we can from the town centre. (Thermes - this is
a hot spring town.) Old concrete platforms are attached to the side of the gorge.
It all has a rather worn look, but at least the place is busy. We choose Le
Poivre Vert as our favoured eating place and book a table. Later, realise why
lunchtime prices are higher: fewer evening customers - there must be day trips
to Amelie - heaving at lunchtime, quiet in the evening (like Gavarnie ).
And so - nice meal - liver and bacon salad, steak and chips for Sue, chicken
and chips for me, etc, etc. Very nice - then back across the road to our sparse
room - bed by 10 pm. Nice rosé wine again here.
Stats
and route (Viewranger):
16
km, 100 metres ascent, 4.2 hours
2 comments:
A bit more comfort on this day. for you?
I've just looked at my published journal and find my last evening (Day 51) is missing, but I have it elsewhere. It was perhaps the most memorable evening I can ever remember - there was more satisfying enjoyment before the following extract, but...
"I had an excellent meal in peace after the day trippers had gone, then I watched the sun go down behind Canigou. An atmosphere of magic tranquility prevailed, and for me the occasion was pleasantly reflective, against the background of a perfect evening and the overwhelming view.
This had been a very satisfying final evening that I am sure will remain very strongly in my memory, and it reminded me of a similar occasion at the end of a trekking holiday in Norway back in the Sixties with Pete Mansbridge when, on the final evening, we were stood on high looking down into a fiord and watching the evening sun go down."
Thanks Conrad, I've copied that and inserted it in my copy of 'your book with the missing day'...
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