Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Day 58 - Epilogue 4

 

Sue and Martin's Big Adventure

 

Day 58 - Tuesday 21 September 2004 - Epilogue 4

Going Home

 

Diary Entry (by Sue)

Flying home day. A cool breezy morning. Bought pain au chocolat for breakfast from the campsite shop, and packed rucksacks for the final time.

 

Left the campsite and parked between the town centre and the Cité. Did a tour of the town centre bookshops to find a relief map of the Pyrenees, but only a large one (at €72) was available. Shopped for lunch and tea at a small supermarket. Returned over the river to the Cité, to purchase a few small gifts, and to relax over a coffee in the leafy square.

 

Then we headed for Perpignan airport along the autoroute. Extremely windy, but it became sunnier as we travelled east. Nice salad lunch at a picnic area, and we arrived at the airport just before 3 pm, having refuelled at the Intermarché at Rivesaltes.

 

The flight left early. On its route, we flew west, and out of our window, a panorama of the whole Pyrenees range, with a sea of cloud part way up on the French side. Apart from Canigou, we couldn't identify any peaks, but it was immensely satisfying to know we had crossed it all.

 

 

 

The plane veered away to fly up France's west coast, so we had to let go at last. At Stansted, hired a Peugeot 206, stopped for our last picnic of baguette and pâté on the dark A14, and arrived in Timperley at 11 pm.

 

 

The 'Big Adventure' is over.

 

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Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Day 57 - Epilogue 3

 

Sue and Martin's Big Adventure

 

Day 57 - Monday 20 September 2004 - Epilogue 3

Ille-sur-Têt to Carcassonne

 

Diary Entry (by Martin)

 

Leisurely start from Ille-sur-Têt on as direct a route as possible to Carcassonne, less than 100 km away. First we stopped at Estagel, bought chocolate croissants and ate them on a bench next to some people washing up the contents of two cool boxes, under a peculiar clock (pictured above) and a noisy loudspeaker which was advertising the local market.

Unsure of our route beyond here, we wisely bought a 1:150,000 map. Thus we navigated easily to Quillan, for coffee and a supermarket where lunch was obtained. This place lacked the interest afforded by our next port of call - Limoux - a smashing little town with ancient churches and squares, on the banks of L'Aube. On the way we passed through a narrow gorge full of various rafting ventures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After delightful Limoux we continued towards Carcassonne and left the main road to complete the last few kilometres on minor roads. We pulled in to a field of vines for a lunch of salads, tomatoes, cheese, crisps, yoghurt and the rest of our much loved toblerone bar (mountain food for the last couple of days).

 

 

There was much waving from local van and tractor drivers passing to and fro with loads of grapes. An excellent lunch.

 

Then to the Cité campsite at Carcassonne. 3* - "Sunny or shady?" We chose a shady site that also had a sunny spot and which overnight was dark and secluded.

 

A visit to the old Cité followed. Here we wandered around before completing our postcards for this trip, and enjoying a coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of English here. Back to camp. Shower. Back to Cité for a nice final meal (despite nearby noxious English) at Le Plo restaurant. Salads, salmon, cheese, cakes. And late to bed - 10 pm!

 

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