Chateau D'Ayres Chateaux & Hotels De France Meyrueis

... view from the drivers side as I was looking right into the gorge (don't worry mum I drove very slowly and was very careful not to drive too close to the edge). Luckily there were many parking areas to stop at so both of us could get out and really appreciate how beautiful it was. On the downside it was still a little wet so hiking was off the cards...next time.

At the Chateau de Malerargues, surrounded by trees everywhere, Sebastian has voice training for the next couple months. The work consists of a mixture of breath, movement, and massage, as well as singing, sounds, and group work. It's hard to describe exactly what goes on, and each day is different. But the isolation, beautiful weather, and delicious fresh foods make for a great place to work, relax, and reflect. So why do so many people have so many nightmares here?

Leaving Portiranges was not a hardship. We had enough of the condo life and were ready to get back on the road heading north. So bring out the long underware and here we go. The flat marshy coast gave way to rolling hills covered in vineyards. This time of year it seems most of the wine tasting (called degustation??!!) rooms seem to be closed. That is a shame because we really would like to try the local wines rather than do a ...

We departed Florac and headed by car deep into the incredibly beautiful Tarn River Gorge/Canyon in Cevennes National Park. The canyon runs for about 40 miles and it is breathtaking. The river is so clear, clean and blue. The walls of the canyon are very sheer and dotted with abandoned castles, manor houses, and old chateaus. The village of St. Enimie is in the canyon and is another one of the designated "prettiest villages" We LOVED this village ...

We are still staying in Florac tonight, but we took a beautiful drive to this village today. The Cevennes national park countryside is gorgeous with big, green hills and hardly any homes or buildings...just countryside! We went on a 5km hike to the Chateau Roquedhouil, a nice old home built in the 1500's. There was a very tall sequoia tree that was planed in 1887 and was about 25 feet in circumference.

... we reached Spain. But we sort of got sidetracked (AGAIN!) on the way down. We went to see the Geoffre de Paridac - "an enormous circular chasm or pot-hole 99m across & 103m deep, with lifts & staircases that take you down to a remarkable series of underground rivers & lakes". It was actually pretty good (not sure that my photos can do it justice though). Our second sidetrack, was a visit to ...

... months exploring the hills and valleys in this region. We have just two days. The first we went to Mont Aigoual, which at 1567m (5100ft) is the highest peak around, the site of the French Meteorological research centre and the source of spectacular views including Mont Blanc, most of the French Mediterranean coast and the Pyrennees. That is on a clear day in January. On a ...

... drier than the 2 star ones so we settled on 2 star St Lambert and - guess what - it has an unsecured network, so I've been able to update my blog. It cost us €12.36, but we have paid for electricity tonight. If the campsite is dark and gloomy it's mainly because of the weather - on a hot day in August we would be glad of it. It's very wet underfoot as well, but what can you expect on a river bank in a storm? The toilet block ...

... We just had the best meal! We bought prawns, ham salad, beetroot salad, egg salad and a crunchy baguette and ate it in the garden washed down with some local wine, and finished off with Roquefort cheese (which comes from near here) It doesn't get dark until about 10pm so we went for a walk afterwards towards the bridge across the fields....magic!!!!!

... there was still some snow on the highest parts of the Cevennes, especially near Mont Aigoual. Usually the weather is rather stable in this time of the year, but it was not so much when we were there. Rather changeable weather, although often it is much better in Montpellier, which is about 45 minutes by car.