Walking the Gorges de la Frau in the Ariege
Thinking of walking the Gorge de la Frau in Ariege? Here’s how we get on with a three- and a five-year-old. In summary, a short sharp walk with an excellent picnic stop! Hard hats recommended!!
Outdoors
If Carlsberg did cycling events…
Well, maybe it wasn’t that good, but for me, getting out on my bike to ride an event I’ve had my eye on since we came on holiday here 4 years ago, it was great! The event was the VTT Ronde 3 Quilles, an annual event with three routes of 15km, 30k, or 45km, in the…
A Short and Sensible (But Not Fast or Easy) Walk Around Bugarach
The Plan When a friend suggested joining them for a walk naturally I agreed. We don’t get out on “proper walks” as often as I’d like and making a date with someone else is always good motivation. Said friend suggested tackling the Pic du Bugarach. Okay, I said. I checked the route she was thinking…
DD’s First Big Ride! Esperaza-Campagne and Back
She started pedalling at the beginning of the holidays. I was impressed with how easily she migrated to pedals and attribute that to her riding the same bike without pedals for the prior 9 months. It meant she got her confidence on it, grew into it, and was as confident on the bigger bike as…
Cycling | France | Outdoors | Things to Do
Riding the Voie Verte from Lavelanet-Mirepoix (Part 2)
With the last week of the holidays looming, I really wanted to get out and finish the remaining 20km of Lavelanet-Mirepoix voie vert (greenway). I rode the first “half” (from Lavelanet to Chalabre) with DD and DS a few weeks before and it worked out well. It was much easier than I thought it would…
First Family Camp in the Pyrénées-Orientales
It’s the summer holidays and we live somewhere breathtakingly beautiful. In the UK we were always off camping for the weekend, usually to Wales, sometimes to the Lakes. We would walk, rest, read, revive and restore ourselves. Then we had DD, then DS, and then we left the UK and moved to France. We were…
Cycling | France | Outdoors | Things to Do
Riding the Voie Verte from Lavelanet to Mirepoix (Part 1)
Update 2021! There have been considerable improvements to the surface of this route since I completed this ride. We’ll be riding it again soon and report back with updates. In short, the rough section from Sainte-Colombe is now greatly improved and is a fast, easy-going surface. Much more enjoyable and accessible. Before the holidays, determined…
A Day in the Woods
Yesterday, except for the bit where I lost my bank card and DS screamed the whole time that I was on the phone to the bank, I think we had the perfect day. The sun shone, we met some friends, we played in the woods. All Day Long. Some friends are organising regular get togethers,…
A Short Walk along a Long Distance Path (GR7)
We used to walk a lot both before DD and when she was still small enough to carry. Since having DS and also moving, we’ve mostly been limited to short works to and from the park or thereabouts; walks of a distance just far enough for the big one to walk both ways and the…