I made a mistake leaving Bédereux, and took thr wrong trail. So we did 5k instead of 2k. The climb up the hill to Carlencas seemed endless. The 12th century church tower of St. Martins loomed over the landscape here like St. Edward’s Tower does in Stow-on-the-Wold. A kind lady called Lucy gave me some […]

Packed up just after dawn, as was down to 7% charge on the phone and back-ups all used Was concerned that the GR7 had been re-routed, probably due to logging. So I was setting off blind. We wandered down the road in search of a “source” (spring) and suddenly heard the sound of running water […]

Set off today with limited charge to my phone and hence my ability to use the maps. This lead to a problem when I suddenly realised that I was 1k north of the GR7 route pn my map, even though I was following GR7 signs! I think it had been re-routed due to logging, and […]

Am sitting outside the Spar supermarket while the kind lady in the boulangerie charged my phone. 3 days in hills above Mzamet to Pic de Nore (1100m) and very windy and duvet jacket weather. Little water on SW ridge of the Massif  Centrale and one spring had dried up. A lot of logging, but good […]

Passed the Cap du Nore at over 1000m. Now on top of the SW ridge of the Massif Central and wind picking up. A series of windfarms be-deck the ridges and you can see why! I dodn’t quite put my tent up facing into the wind and it flapped all night. Down duvet jacket at […]

Left Mazimet on market day, so stocked up with bread and cheese. The kind lady on the cheese stall plied us with cheese rind for the dogs. A steep climb out, and at one point was beseigef by 30 schoolkids, staying at some outdoor centre, all wanting to meet the dogs! At the top of […]

A day of packing up. After just over a week here, Topsy’s paw has improved and I have decided 5o head for Mazimet. This is east of Castres abd qhere I would have left the GR36 to join the GR7. Topsy willing and able, I hope to walk from there to Liausson on Lake Salagou […]

Having bought the departing Iris a drink last night, her friend Elspeth (or Elizabet) arrived and so I bought her a drink as well. She turned out to be a guide at Le Grad Roc cave and so invited me up there today AND offered to keep the dogs in her office during the tour! […]

After buying her a drink last night at the campsite, was invited out by Elspeth, to visit Le Grand Roc cave, where she is a guide. I was told to say I was her cousin! She kindly offered to keep the dogs in her office during the tour. So we trouped up for the 11.30 […]

There is no such thing as a free lunch! Having plied my hosts with THREE tupes of wine last night, I was given the job of building up the log pile! Had just finished when a downpour hit us; and contiued as drizzle the rest of the afternoon. Walked to the supermarché and passed the […]