Chateau De La Caze Chateaux & Hotels De France Sainte-Enimie

Took us a while to find a park last night as we were aiming to stay in Le Rozier which is close to the start of Gorges de Tarn as that was the drive we wanted to do today. <br><br>Unfortunately roadworks stood in our way and we took the next best option of the drive through Gorges du la Jonte. <br><br>Stunning is the best way to descirbe this drive. I got the ...

... to a park range and has a great love of the area including the flora and fawna. I asked why there were people living in the park and if they were allowed to keep livestock. Apparently they are encouraged to continue living the lifestyle they have for centuries. Having livestock grazing keeps the trees from reinhabiting the land. Aparently that is a good thing. If trees come back than the animal species that have ...

... and white snap dragons, and wild hyacinths in pink, purple, and yellow. This area is really a nature lover's dream come true. From here we continued deeper into the canyon and followed the road along the river. There are two small villages on the opposite side of the river that are not connected with roads and are only accessible by hiking trails, boats on the river or by a "basket" that carries you across the gorge to the village!!! (see photos ...

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.

Well, as you can tell from the map pin, we still haven't made it to Spain yet! We are now almost a week behind schedule ... not that there was any real schedule to follow ... and hey, I'm always late for everything anyway! We got a late start the morning after the detours to the chateaux - Ian went for a ride ... and I had a sleep in! But it was ok, cause the plan was really very simple - head south ...

... day in June we were limited to the Cevennes, but that was spectacular enough. On the way we passed the Abime de Bramabiaou, where a river literally spouts from the side of the cliff to join the main stream. The second day was a mind-boggling trip down the Gorges du Tarn. This is perhaps the most well known of the French Gorges, and rightly so. Mile after mile of winding river ...

... as soon as we parked another shower hit us and we dived for cover under a shop awning. When it stopped, we headed up the hill through the winding medieval lanes. They are amazingly steep, and not easy to walk on, especially when the cobbles are wet. They are definitely worth the challenge and the town has made an effort to tell its history - if your French is up to it. The overhanging buildings gave us shelter from the next few ...

Tonight we are staying in a farm under the amazing Millau Bridge (or the Grand Viaduc du Milllau) "a thrilling and wondrous vision". H nips out every 10 minutes to take another photo in different light!!! We watched a program on its making on Discovery Channel before we left home and this was one of the main sights he wanted to see in France. It is 2 ...

... 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.

... breathing down its neck I suppose) it is still pretty impressive all the same - a fairytale castle town pre-eminent at the height of the era of nobility. Now new roadways ring the north and western parts of the town, crawling with traffic and unfortunately degrading the effect somewhat. Get inside the town though and you can get a close up view at a very sedate ...