♥♥Gone to pastures new. Thanks to all of you. You are a lovely crowd, but time does not ...
♥♥Gone to pastures new. Thanks to all of you. You are a lovely crowd, but time does not permit me to do the site justice any more♥♥
Member since:01.08.2003
Reviews:633
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I want to write about Ariege because it is a place I was introduced to by someone I met on the net. It is their home town and they were very proud of it, and it has become one of my favourite places in France.
Ariege is the smallest county in France, and lies in the mountains just south of Toulouse. The avenues that lead out to Ariege are lined with trees and it always makes me think of what pictures France conjured up in my head long before I ever came to France.
The countryside in this area is outstanding, and the historic interest that is alive today humbles a human being into knowing that events that took place in the past were huge events, and made a bigger impact on this earth than we will ever make. I say this because in this region, you have the Cathar strongholds dating back centuries. The Cathars moved away from the Roman Catholic church and the remains of these vast Cathar castles on top of huge hills is astounding.
Ariege is one of the least populated areas of France, and the beauty of the mountains and valleys is astonishing. My breath was taken away by the views from hilltops, and the greenery of pastures that lay in little valleys. This is to me one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of France and lies near the Pyrenees.
Throughout history, Ariege has had its role to play going right back to cave men, and the caves are still there for people to see and enjoy. During Cathar times, Ariege was a refuge for people whose belief was different from Rome, and even in recent history, Ariege sheltered pilots and then smuggled them over the border to Spain away from the eyes of the Nazis.
This is not only an outstanding area from the point of view of what you find there. There are many attractions as simple as walking holidays, fishing, kayaking as well as Ariege having an ambiance of peace and calm in what is otherwise a life of storms. This little piece of Earth is outstandingly beautiful, and easily accessible to all.
Travellers from the UK can take a plane with Ryanair to Carcassone and then hire a car and within an hour, they are in the heart of Ariege.
Little villages snuggle in mountainsides, blue skies behind green and lush hills, and in the distance, you can see the snow topped mountains of the pyrenees.
This is a place where what you see is the treat. I love this area with a passion, and I want to share with you photographs from my last years holiday because until you have experienced Ariege for yourself, description is difficult because the beauty is such that words are not enough.
There is a Bridge which is very famous here called the Devils Bridge and when you look from this bridge down through the valley at the river flowing off into the distance, it is magnificent. The stories about the devils bridge are numerous but it is said that a man disguised himself as a pig so that he could cross the bridge, because all men who tried to cross it were killed.
I want to share my photographs because if I can pursuade anyone of the beauty and charm of this place, then my review will have been worth writing. The people are French of course, and are very friendly, and I love the accent of the area which is more a singing kind of french.
Eating out is a delightful experience and you can get all inclusive meals for as little as £5 a head which is the dish of the day plus wine plus coffee. As for general expenses in the area, I found that this area was no more expensive than other parts of France and that it is in fact cheaper to eat out than at home.
For night life, it is better to stick to towns because there really is not a great deal of nightlife, but here you have the best of two worlds, because you can have the daylight in Ariege and breathe in the mountain air and views, and then drive to Toulouse for the evening, where the night life is alive and humming.
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