I-will-be-Dazzler1308
241/366: Monastery St Michel de Canigou
Day 241: (Holiday 12/17). Awakened by a boy excited by thunder as a small storm passed over just before 7am. Looks like Msr Le Waiteur's iPhone had raisons (i.e. the forecast was right). After getting up it cleared quickly and the sun came out and the sky was blue so off we went. Again we left by 9.30 but this turned out to be misleading as we couldn't find the CDs. Wife went back to house while I took pics of the swallows in the square. When she returned empty handed I had to go back and eventually found them hiding under the kitchen table. So more like 10 before we left the village. On the way down the hill I saw some Interesting Birds so stopped the car immediately suspecting a flock of bee eaters. Soon as I opened the door i heard that same evocative and exotic call as when I saw a flock of bee eaters last year. If you want to know why this is interesting, use a Famous Web Search Engine to look up photos of bee eaters. They are a fantastic bird. Didn't get a great look as the sun was behind and they moved away quickly. There was also a big raptor flying past, maybe a buzzard but couldn't tell. So then on into town to get the motorway. Took a wrong turn that turned into a toilet stop at a marche. Finally arrived at Casteil at about 11.25 when we had to wait ages for a lorry before we could park in a very tight place on a muddy slope (so really hope that it doesn't rain before we get back). By now we have about 35 minutes to climb 1000ft for the 12noon tour. It was blooming hard work and steep and Daughter moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned all the way up. At the top were some killer steps but Son just ran up them where the hell does he get the energy?! Somehow we got there with seconds to spare (though by now I was a living Sweat Monster). I bought tickets and as I went to loo Wife and kids went to join our tour. We all waited outside (must have been 40 of us) while our guide gave us a long intro in French. Fortunately we had a crib sheet from ticket office so got the gist of its history from that. Then we went around the abbey and saw the cloister (and ravens!) and the Capital stones there (tops of the columns in the Cloister) and funeral stones and then the crypt and the church. In the church no pics allowed but I took one from outside which is bending the spirit but I feel did no harm. Then there was some thingummy behind the church under the tower but no idea what, the tour being all in French, then it was over. While there we had a viewpoint over the abbey pointed out to us, so I checked with the guide it really was only a five minute walk which he confirmed so we decided to eat our lunch - which brave strong clever Wife had brought all the way up the hill. We ate that in the shady area by the shop. Literally as we finished the sky darkened and a distant peal of thunder boomed ominously. But Son decided it was missing us and the sun came out again so we set off up the rocky steps to the viewpoint. After only 3:58 minutes we were there enjoying great views. While there saw more ravens and way, way in the distance an Egyptian vulture :-) (not a great view but it's very pale feathers are essentially diagnostic on a vulture-like bird in this region). Daughter continued as our Lizard Spotter finding one on a rock. Then another rumble of thunder urged us down the hill via the loos. At the bottom of the hill Daughter had brightened up at last so we had coffee and DIY chocolate and a coke in the hotel at foot of the hill (though the service was awful, the coffee slightly better, the loo a hilarious thing in a cupboard with no lights, and a mental dog that barked at everything). Then into town to try to find the thermal baths. A hilarious aborted parking in the main street gave the watching cafe patrons a laugh, then Wife went to the tourist info and got directions to a public lido. I dropped them there and walked into town: i got a map from tourist info then mostly followed the short tour around the town which to be fair wasn't up to much beyond general "how others live" observation but did involve a couple of miles and some reasonable up hill bits. After I got back to the town square figured I earned a coffee so here I am. Now time to go get 'em. Got back to car with no sign of them so sat and watched a game of Boules in the park by the lido. I begin to suspect this is the French version of Mornington Crescent. Eventually family came out and I got to hear all about how Son got locked in a changing cubicle. Eventually l'homme had to come and dismantle the broken lock. Sounds like Daughter was very helpful with possible strategies and Son stayed calm throughout so well done both. Then we headed home for showers and Chez P. I got a bit more grief off Daughter cos I wouldn't let her on her DS then out to Chez P. Turned out to be Chez Non cos they were fully booked so we booked for tomorrow night in the hope of third time lucky. Back to Hol House for delicious Wife-made shop curry. Saw ravens and Redstart from balcony of the holiday house so a good day for birds all round. Kids to bed and I lost by one point at blokus.
Today's pic: shows the monastery from above (the little viewpoint a few minutes walk further up the hill). It is intended to be a remote place, at which it succeeds I feel.
241/366: Monastery St Michel de Canigou
Day 241: (Holiday 12/17). Awakened by a boy excited by thunder as a small storm passed over just before 7am. Looks like Msr Le Waiteur's iPhone had raisons (i.e. the forecast was right). After getting up it cleared quickly and the sun came out and the sky was blue so off we went. Again we left by 9.30 but this turned out to be misleading as we couldn't find the CDs. Wife went back to house while I took pics of the swallows in the square. When she returned empty handed I had to go back and eventually found them hiding under the kitchen table. So more like 10 before we left the village. On the way down the hill I saw some Interesting Birds so stopped the car immediately suspecting a flock of bee eaters. Soon as I opened the door i heard that same evocative and exotic call as when I saw a flock of bee eaters last year. If you want to know why this is interesting, use a Famous Web Search Engine to look up photos of bee eaters. They are a fantastic bird. Didn't get a great look as the sun was behind and they moved away quickly. There was also a big raptor flying past, maybe a buzzard but couldn't tell. So then on into town to get the motorway. Took a wrong turn that turned into a toilet stop at a marche. Finally arrived at Casteil at about 11.25 when we had to wait ages for a lorry before we could park in a very tight place on a muddy slope (so really hope that it doesn't rain before we get back). By now we have about 35 minutes to climb 1000ft for the 12noon tour. It was blooming hard work and steep and Daughter moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned moaned and moaned and moaned and moaned all the way up. At the top were some killer steps but Son just ran up them where the hell does he get the energy?! Somehow we got there with seconds to spare (though by now I was a living Sweat Monster). I bought tickets and as I went to loo Wife and kids went to join our tour. We all waited outside (must have been 40 of us) while our guide gave us a long intro in French. Fortunately we had a crib sheet from ticket office so got the gist of its history from that. Then we went around the abbey and saw the cloister (and ravens!) and the Capital stones there (tops of the columns in the Cloister) and funeral stones and then the crypt and the church. In the church no pics allowed but I took one from outside which is bending the spirit but I feel did no harm. Then there was some thingummy behind the church under the tower but no idea what, the tour being all in French, then it was over. While there we had a viewpoint over the abbey pointed out to us, so I checked with the guide it really was only a five minute walk which he confirmed so we decided to eat our lunch - which brave strong clever Wife had brought all the way up the hill. We ate that in the shady area by the shop. Literally as we finished the sky darkened and a distant peal of thunder boomed ominously. But Son decided it was missing us and the sun came out again so we set off up the rocky steps to the viewpoint. After only 3:58 minutes we were there enjoying great views. While there saw more ravens and way, way in the distance an Egyptian vulture :-) (not a great view but it's very pale feathers are essentially diagnostic on a vulture-like bird in this region). Daughter continued as our Lizard Spotter finding one on a rock. Then another rumble of thunder urged us down the hill via the loos. At the bottom of the hill Daughter had brightened up at last so we had coffee and DIY chocolate and a coke in the hotel at foot of the hill (though the service was awful, the coffee slightly better, the loo a hilarious thing in a cupboard with no lights, and a mental dog that barked at everything). Then into town to try to find the thermal baths. A hilarious aborted parking in the main street gave the watching cafe patrons a laugh, then Wife went to the tourist info and got directions to a public lido. I dropped them there and walked into town: i got a map from tourist info then mostly followed the short tour around the town which to be fair wasn't up to much beyond general "how others live" observation but did involve a couple of miles and some reasonable up hill bits. After I got back to the town square figured I earned a coffee so here I am. Now time to go get 'em. Got back to car with no sign of them so sat and watched a game of Boules in the park by the lido. I begin to suspect this is the French version of Mornington Crescent. Eventually family came out and I got to hear all about how Son got locked in a changing cubicle. Eventually l'homme had to come and dismantle the broken lock. Sounds like Daughter was very helpful with possible strategies and Son stayed calm throughout so well done both. Then we headed home for showers and Chez P. I got a bit more grief off Daughter cos I wouldn't let her on her DS then out to Chez P. Turned out to be Chez Non cos they were fully booked so we booked for tomorrow night in the hope of third time lucky. Back to Hol House for delicious Wife-made shop curry. Saw ravens and Redstart from balcony of the holiday house so a good day for birds all round. Kids to bed and I lost by one point at blokus.
Today's pic: shows the monastery from above (the little viewpoint a few minutes walk further up the hill). It is intended to be a remote place, at which it succeeds I feel.