One Man Travelling...

A surprise email from my brother and his wife inviting me for Christmas resulted in an unexpected return to Spain. Searching for the best way to get there I discovered that air travel from Toulouse during the winter months was not the best option, it would appear that the French prefer to visit during the summer months. I was also interested in finding the rail route over the mountains. The train from Toulouse to Les Cabannes continues on to Latour-de-Carol where, I am told, a Spanish train bound for Barcelona departs from another set of tracks. Incidentally during the summer the narrow gauge "Yellow Train" runs through the mountains from this station too. Despite many searches I could not find a connection. In the spring a trip to the end of the line to investigate will be necessary. Meanwhile my route, all booked using the apps, Trainline.eu and OUI.sncf, will take me to Toulouse, across to Narbonne, down to Barcelona and finally to Valencia. My brother will take me too a...

Where has the time gone, I hadn't realised that my last entry was in September. It is 09:30 hours on Saturday 15th December 2018. I am contemplating two musical Christmas cards sitting on the shelf in front of me as I drink my morning coffee. Purchased in November events overtook their intended use. At this moment I receive a message from friends in Spain that their family will be gathering in Madrid. Decision made, one addressed there and the other to my friends in the "Garage Club" where I lived in Bulgaria. Perhaps if I drive into Tarascon-sur-Ariége the larger post office there may be open on a Saturday morning so off I go. What a surprise, arriving down the back road from Aulos I swing right over the river bridge adorned in traditional bows, Christmas anthems to be heard as I drive. Finding a parking bay near the post office it is in deed open and the Christmas music is louder. Speakers mounted in the streets broadcast the local radio DJ to all parts of the tow...

I read somewhere that there was a 'Reconstituants Médiévistes' weekend at Château de Lagarde. That' a Medieval weekend to you and I. Having attended such events from similar periods of history in the U.K. I thought that this might be worth the journey. About an hours distance by Google Maps. Saturday 22nd September arrived bright and sunny so I got my act together and off I went trying,out the directions via my new mobile phone. This worked exceedingly well placed on the passenger seat I could hear the instructions quite clearly. I arrived in Lagarde village around lunchtime sticking to the instructions rather that following a sign which I noticed as I turned off the main road. I was pleased that I did, ultimately I parked in a small car park just outside the outer castle wall. I was able to see the arched construction of the steep narrow road leading from the village to the main entrance to the Château. From this point I could walk around two sides of the outer wall t...

Having returned to France from my "holiday" in England sans camera my thoughts returned to my blogs and the ever increasing number of photographs and posts which I have to edit and complete. It is now a year since my rail journey across Europe, time disappears so quickly, and my thoughts turned to completing that journey on line. Talking to people here and back in the UK reminds me also of the other locations I need to finish too. To this end it is my resolution to attempt two post a week, this may mean that I will have to refine photo albums later, I am still searching for a replacement for Picasa, my favourite but now extinct photo editing platform. I hope that this will not detract from your enjoyment of my adventures and I am sure that there are more to come. As you can see, a shopping trip to Foix resulted in a little adventure following a narrow side road up the mountain instead of returning home via the motorway. I woke up the other day to find a landscape garden...

Light and sound in the form of fire and music from Foix on Saturday night outside the castle. Tomorrow I go on holiday for a month. Hopefully when I return I will update my blogs at last. I hope that you all have a great summer.