August 23, 2016

Cathares trail

Cathares Trail, Aude, Southern FRANCE. 

27/Aug/2016 to 11/Sep/2016.


12 Days hiking tour along the medieval Cathar fortresses in the foothills of the eastern Pyrenees. 
The 250km long "Sentier Cathare" follows the trails between the strongholds of the Cathars, 13th century heretics brutally suppressed by the Inquisition.
http://www.cathar.info/ 

 Itinerary :
Toulouse – Carcassonne – Port-la-Nouvelle – Durban-Corbières – Tuchan – Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse – Cubières-sur-Cinoble – Bugarach – Quillan – Puivert – Espézel – Comus – Montségur – Roquefixade – Foix – Toulouse.

The hiking tour takes the northern option (Cubières-Bugarach-Quillan).
Pope Innocent III excommunicating a group of Cathars.
From the fourteenth century Chronique de France (Chronique de St Denis).
Defenseless Cathars are cut down by French Catholic Crusaders.
Right hand side of a two panel illustration (the left half is shown above).
(Click to EXIT)

Friday 26/Aug/2016.
Home to TOULOUSE journey.
Toulouse, train station.
Toulouse, Capitole square.
Toulouse shops.

Toulouse, Saint Sernin basilica,
the largest romanesque building in the world.

Toulouse, Saint Sernin basilica, Saint Agatha bust.
Toulouse, the "Pont Neuf" over the Garonne river (not that new).
Toulouse, recumbent bike trial
(oops, passersby took me for a disabled person).


Toulouse, tapas dinner with freshly arrived fellow pilgrim Philippe.
Toulouse, the "Pont Neuf" at night,
with picnicking people on the Garonne riverbank.

 - Carpooling, from Aix-en-Provence Pont de l'Arc to Toulouse Malma metro station, 8:30-12:30, 4h, Blablacar 26.33€.
|---| Ibis Budget Toulouse Centre-Gare, Toulouse, 41€/room.
Saturday 27/Aug/2016.
Toulouse to CARCASSONNE train journey and CARCASSONNE visit.
Fellow pilgrim Lara arriving at Toulouse-Blagnac airport.


At the train station, to catch the train for Carcassonne.


Train station, terrorist attack safety instructions.




Saint Vincent church, with a wide nave, more than 20m width.


Carcassonne, the walled city.
Carcassonne, the Pont Vieux over the river Aude.






Carcassonne, funny gargoyles masks.
A lucky coincidence... it's Feria Day in town.



Feria evening !

- SNCF train from Toulouse to Carcassonne.
|---| Hotel Central, Carcassonne.
Sunday 28/Aug/2016 - DAY 1.
Carcasonne to Port-la-Nouvelle train journey and Port-la-Nouvelle to DURBAN-CORBIERES hike (27.1km, +612m -521m, 10:05-18:00, 7h55 including picnic and stops).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare1.php 
10-30 - Port-la-Nouvelle, starting point of the Cathares trail.
Trail marking with red and white stripes, as for any GR.
12:00 Start of a descent into a greener landscape.
14:30.
16:45 - After running out of drinking water (>2 liters each !),
a kind forest ranger saved our lives sharing his stock of water bottles.
An excellent poor man's dinner, collected from generous villagers,
after the innkeeper refused to sell us any food while all shops were closed.

 - SNCF train TER70647 9:05-10:03, 0h58, from Carcassonne to Port-la-Nouvelle, 11.10€.
|---| Camping l'Espazo (bungalow), Durban-Corbières.
Monday 29/Aug/2016 - DAY 2.
Durban-Corbières to TUCHAN hike (28km, +873m -807m, 8:40-18:10 including picnic and stops). 
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare2.php
Durban-Corbières fortress.
The Virgin of Recaoufa statue.


 


Château d'Aguilar, the fortress of Aguilar.

|---| Hotel Le Globe, Tuchan.
Tuesday 30/Aug/2016 - DAY 3.
Tuchan to DUILHAC-SOUS-PEYREPERTUSE hike (22.8km, +841m -655m, 8:40-18:05 including picnic and stops).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare3.php
Leaving Tuchan.


The Grau de Padern ("Grau"=inlet),
a magnificent gorge. 


Padern village.
Padern village, "France profonde".






Prieuré de Molhet ruins.


Cucugnan village, a welcome wine bar.







 |---| Gîte d'Etape l'Embellie Cathare, Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse.
Wednesday 31/Aug/2016 - DAY 4.
Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse to CUBIERES-SUR-CINOBLE hike (13.2km, +602m -457m, 8:20-18:30, including castle visit, picnic, stops and swim).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare4.php  
Leaving the nice gîte.

Peyrepertuse fortress.
 
Peyrepertuse fortress.
 








Found a welcome buvette !


Ermitage cave.
A one-way road winds through the Canyon de Galamus.
A welcome swim.
Cubières, the mayer's house, also our excellent Bed and & Breakfast palace.

 |---| Chambres d'hôtes Le Saouze, Cubières-sur-Cinoble.
Thursday 01/Sep/2016 - DAY 5.
Cubières-sur-Cinoble to BUGARACH hike (16.8km, +526m -578m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare5.php




Panoramic view on Camps sur l'Agly.


Prairies de Campeau.


Picnic.


A lovely waterfall and pool, the Cascade des Mathieux, near Bugarach.


The sacred mountain of Bugarach, where thousands of people with exoteric beliefs sheltered on 21 December 2012 for the Apocalyse.
Tapas dinner at the hostel.

  |---| Maison de la Nature et de la Randonnée, Bugarach.
Friday 02/Sep/2016 - DAY 6.
Bugarach to QUILLAN hike (23.4km, +698m -874m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare6.php
Early morning departure.




Le Bézu village, church.
Saint-Just village.
.


Reaching Saint-Julia-de-Bec (Moulin de Balence).






Reaching Quillan.
Quillan.
Quillan Castle.
 
Quillan.
 
Quillan, the hotel for tonight.

 |---| Hotel Restaurant Canal, Quillan
Saturday 03/Sep/2016 - DAY 7.
Quillan to PUIVERT hike (21km, +638m -454m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare7.php


Brenac village.
Brenac village, Perus Amelius (Pierre Ameilh de Brenac) statue.
 
Château de Puivert fortress.

Puivert village.
Notre-Dame de Bonsecours.
Theatre-puppet manufacturing workshop.


   
|---| Gîte d'Etape Relais des Marionettes, Puivert.
Sunday 04/Sep/2016 - DAY 8.
Puivert to ESPEZEL hike (17.1km, +611m -201m)
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare8.php
A last glimpse on the Puivert fortress.
 




Picnic at the Maison Forestier des Ombres.
Montplaisr village.
   
|---| Gîte d'Etape Relais du Pays de Sault, Espézel.
Monday 05/SEP/2016 - DAY 9.
Espezel to COMUS hike (19.7km, +563m -256m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare9.php
A huge termite mound.
Plateau de Langerail.
 
Plateau de Langerail.
 
Plateau de Langerail.
 
Plateau de Langerail.
 
Comus village.


Flemish comic strips at the "Silence du Midi" gîte.


|---| Gîtes et Loisirs de Montagne, Comus.
Tuesday 06/Sep/2016 - DAY 10.
Comus to MONTSEGUR hike (14.5km, +513m -813m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare10.php
Leaving the Gîtes et Loisirs de Montagne gîte.




Gorges de la Frau.




The Château de Montségur fortress.
 




Lunch at Montségur.
Path to the Montségur fortress.
 
Montségur fortress.

How the fortress might have looked...
(picture stolen from the internet).
 
Montségur village, as seen from the fortress.
 
A monument stele commemorating the Cathar victims (see also the picture below).
325 Cathars were burned alive at Montségur for disagreeing with Catholic theology.

 |---| Lou Sicret, Montségur.
Wednesday 07/sep/2016 - DAY 11.
Montségur to ROQUEFIXADE hike (16.8km, +614m -760m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare11.php
Picnic.
Second world war resistance army memorial stele.
The gîte for tonight.
 
Roquefixade as seen from the fortress ruins.
|---| Auberge des Troubadours, Roquefixade.
Thursday 08/Sep/2016 - DAY 12.
Roquefixade to FOIX hike (18.0km, +582m -957m).
http://www.lagrolleducaroux.fr/Cathare12.php 









Foix, the end of the Cathares trail, the castle.

|---| Auberge de Leo, Foix.
Friday 09/Sep/2016 - ANDORRA visit.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra 

 |---| Hotel Président, Toulouse.
Saturday 10/Sep/2016 - TOULOUSE visit.








|---| Emilie's house, Toulouse.
Sunday 11/Sep/2016.
TOULOUSE visit and Toulouse to HOME journey.
Biking along the Canal du Midi.


A very last picnic, now with "old friend" Emilie.

 - SNCF train 4665 from Toulouse to Marseille, 16:54-20:42, 3h48, 20€.
- Bus from Marseille to Aix-en-Provence, 0h45.
- Fifteen minutes walk from the bus station to home.

|---| Home, Aix-en-Provence.



(Click to EXIT)

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