We started to think about this trip right after back home from the previous one. Were considering Greece and some other options but stopped on Pyrenees . The plan was to put stop on Spanish side and spend more time here. Still we did not find a studio type accommodation at the Spanish side – instead we booked an apartment at camping site in village of Laruns in France near the Spanish boarder.
We have spent all the time so far in Tet valley. So we decide to have a look on the neighboring Tech valley. To get there we drive to Prades and further to Ille sur Tet. Shortly before Ille sur Tet we turn to the right by the road that goes up in the mountains. At first we visit Seratonna abbey. To reach it we have to turn to the right again and follow uphill for some 4km a steep dead-end road. We are there at 9am. Unfortunately the abbey opens at 10am. Fortunately we find there a beautiful botanic garden.
We explore the garden and then move forward to Tech valley. The first sight we head to is Gorge de la Fou – a very popular sight indeed. We are there shortly after the opening time but we are not the first ones in the car park. In no time the first tourist couch arrives – so we better hurry to the entry of the gorge. Gorge de la Fou is couple of km long, some 100m high and very narrow. At the narrowest section of the gorge the branches of the trees from the opposite edges meet. There are over-hangs with some nice stalactites.
We go by the metallic plank-ways and ladders fastened to the cliffs some 5 meters above the stream. The stones of different size have been falling (and are falling) into gorge. The larger ones have transformed the gorge into cave in some places. There is a double grid above our heads. The one with larger meshes protects against the larger stones. The other one – against the smaller ones. The helmet everybody gets when entering the gorge is meant to protect from the smallest stones.
The next stop is Prats-de-Mollo. This is last town before the Spanish border. The town is fortified and has a stronghold up the hill – very much the same as the Villefranche de Conflent. This is not a surprise because both are built by the same man – Vauban.
We climb up to the fortress to find that it opens at 2pm – means we should have wait an hour. We decide to explore it from outside instead. We enjoy the gorgeous views on the town below and then move down to find the subterranean stairway similar to that of Villefranche. Unlike the latter the stairway here is not subterranean in fact – it is just a concrete tunnel covered with earth.
Down in the town we explore the streets and the fortifications. The town resembles Mosset in some extent.
Next we turn homeward (I mean Fillols). On a way back we make a stop to look at old city and abbey of Arles-sur-Tech, then drive through Amelie-les-Bains and have a look at buried in flowers village of Pallaldo. Then – back to Tet valley. We drive another road – closer to Canigou to have a look from opposite side. And we are rewarded. Views are stunning indeed – to the Canigou and to the valley. When in Tet valley we drive through huge vineyards and orchards of apricots.
Tomorrow we go to Carcassonne, London and then back home.
We have Pic d’Eyne summit for today. The summit is not far from yesterdays Puigmal d’Err. Acccess by the same route – Mont-Louis, then turn-off to village of Eyne.
The path follows the Eyne stream in a beautiful valley. It runs through a wood, then meadows full of rhododendrons and other flowers, then rocks. Just before the Eyne pass we see the flock of about 10 wild goats. We approach carefully – Ilze takes shots non-stop. The goats are shy but do not run away. We manage to get as close as 50 meters.
The summit comes easy. We are not alone there. Hikers are on the summits around as well. Not a surprise because the weather is perfectly good. We take a rest, then climb the nearby Nuria summit, and then climb down to the parking place. We have spent 8 hours in a route. The height difference – 1300m.
We get up early – today’s destination is the 2910m high Puigmal d’Err summit.
The path starts at the parking place of Planes ski resort. We arrive there by the Mont-Luis road. We pass by the turn-off to Err and then take a road to ski resort Puigmal. The road goes up the hill but is wide and straight enough do drive on 80 km per hour.
We park the car near the road and follow the road on foot. In a couple of km road turns right and we follow the path straight ahead. It is sunny but no hot (we are 2km above the sea level). We ascend by the stream, then cross it and follow stright up the slope. We can see the summit all the time we go (and we can see the car as well). We get up to the mountain ridge (which is the Spanish border) and then follow the ridge up to the summit. While we go dark clouds have accumulated and the cold wind is blowing. The clouds are near us and for a while we see nothing on the Spanish side.
On the way down we select another path. There we see a flock of some 15 wild goats. A light rain starts. Looks like elsewhere the weather is worse – we see storm clouds and hear a thunder.
Our destination is Orgues – sandstone cliffs near Ille sur Tet. Ille sur Tet is a town by the higway to Perpignan. On the way we drop in to take a look at two other towns – Marquixanes and Vinca.
Orgues are sandstone cliffs some twenty or so meters high carved by the rain water. The tour to Orgues includes a path of some 800 meters where one has a diversity of plants, animal sculptures (mammoth inclusive) etc. Obviously the kids are frequent visitors there. The path is followed by a narrow and dry ditch. We find out later that 5 tons of water per second runs through it during a rainfall…
The path takes us to the cliffs after all. One can find there cliffs of different shapes – including ones that resemble an organ (Orgues means organ in French). One can walk around the cliffs and watch them from every side.
We notice similar cliffs at the distance and decide to look at them as well. We drive a couple of kilometers and then climb the thorny path up to the nearby hill to have a panoramic view. It is very hot but the sights from the top compensate this.
Next we drive back to explore Ille sur Tet and Eus. Eus is charming little village with an old church on top of a hill and old little houses around. The church looks like a stronghold a little bit with thick walls around. The streets are narrow and steep. The village has about 300 residents, most of them, perhaps, artisans. The painters are doing their job on the street. They say in our tourist guide that Eus is the sunniest village in France (we wonder – is this the only one sunniest??).
On a way home we make another one stop in Catllar.
