Just Humans Being...

On Monday, we had a full day out - in search of snowy mountains... From Carcassonne, to Limoux, Couiza to Quillan - where we joined the mountain pass down to Axat. The pass is literally cut through the mountains & the overhangs mean it's a bit tricky for high vehicles... On the other side of Axat, the pass climbs up & we finally see snow! And icicles...                      As with most of our days out from here, we hardly saw any other folks on the road. From Languedoc into the Pyrenees. The sky was beautiful yet again, although the temperature was around minus 7 degrees. Long stretches of forest roads... Snow covered lake - the town on the other side is called "Les Angles". Breathtaking scenery... All to ourselves. We stopped for a picnic by this ski station. The temperature rose to 10 degrees there & the sun was really strong... Then it was on to Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via & a look at their Solar C...

Bonjour et bienvenue au dernier blog. The title of this blog is misleading. The Knights Templar don't feature. There are no mentions of Freemasonry, Priories of Sion or Nectar Cards. However, we are in an area steeped (like a proper cup of tea) in history. The Cathars feature heavily in local guide books as does Mr.Bloodthirsty himself, the ever tetchy Simon (no relation) de Montfort (more later). Following a light petit dejuner of eggs, toast, good old baked beans and champignons, we decided to make the most of the sunshine, so had Jean Luc lash the steeds to the chariot and steer us in the direction of our destination for today - the charming Cite de Minerve. Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, Minerve or Menerba in Occitan has had a troubling time of it, but now it's a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours- especially this time of year when the little streets are deserted and you can snap away on your smart phones to your hearts conte...

How can the weather look so good, when it's gone so cold?  Today the temperature has dropped down to 4 degrees, but we don't mind - we're on holiday, we've got plenty of warm clothing & a cosy house! We are loving the blue skies & sunshine, the quietness of the rural roads & this feeling of totally unwinding... The day after we left the UK, we discovered our daughter, Rose had car problems - so Sime was "on pins" until she reported that it was all sorted! She only passed her test last June & he's struggled with the idea that we now have 2 daughters on the road (double the worry for him) & he likes to get involved with any car related problems either of them have. I get concerned, but know that both the girls are sensible, responsible young women, who will ask for our help if they need it! So the car saga lasted for a week, Rose has discovered the joys of owning a vehicle & Sime has finally relaxed & has completely immersed hi...

We have mixed feelings about animals in captivity, is it really a good idea to take these creatures away from their environment & dump them into a completely different climate - just for us humans to gawp at? We have lots of discussions about this subject. I understand why people want breeding programmes for some endangered species, but should it be up to us to mess with nature? What will happen to these animals if some kind of crisis happens - sudden peaking of oil, or an extreme weather disaster? Will it end up like the film "I am Legend" with wild animals roaming the streets of cities & towns - trying to survive... For Hugo's birthday, we ended up going to an  African Reserve . Like most kids, ours have always loved visiting zoos, farms, aquariums, etc. More often than not, we've come away feeling a little upset about some of the conditions the animals or fish are having to endure - small cages, compounds or tanks & it takes a lot to impress us! One o...