Seix to Les Cabannes

Les Cabannes

From Seix to Les Cabannes, still in Ariege

Gradually working our way through the Midi-Pyrenees, and still in the Ariege region.  Ian set off over the Cols de La Trappe, D’Agnes, and the Port de Lers before dropping down to the village of Vicdessos and later Les Cabannes.  I followed the easy road to St Girons, and its massive paper-making factory, then on to the medieval town of Foix, with imposing castle, and then Tarascon-sur-Ariege and on to a “aire” at Les Cabannes, another tiny little village.  Today was good – a visit to a artisat cooperative to buy goodies like home-grown herbal tisane, home-made chocolate from Foix, elderflower digestif of 12per cent proof, and best of all some lovely hand-crafted buttons, made from local birch and fruit woods and finished and drilled locally.  A little chat with the owner confirmed that houses in the area are bought up as second-homes by English and Dutch.  The town, Castelnau Durban is full of traffic and people for a few short months in the summer, but closed from the second week of September onwards.  So glad to be here when it’s so quiet and people have time to make conversation, but absolutely dead at night.  Good job we’re not interested in night-life, and are quite happy with a glass of wine, The Wire dvd, and an early night.

Much hotter today, and sunny all day.  The landscape changed to more Mediterranean almost upon leaving Foix.  It was such a clear change, or was it just the weather.  Forecast for the next few days – hot and sunny.  At last!!!