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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2886 |
1st June 2015 Wild - Open Water Swimming: Caune de l’Arago - La Franqui Beach Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: 30 Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered: Monday 1st June 2015 – relax and open river swimming **** Caune de l’Arago - sunny We had another leisurely start to a sunny glorious day. We spent all morning relaxing and after a late breakfast, set off to retrace the route we took on our bikes yesterday but in reverse. I forgot to take the gps yesterday so wanted to get the track because we couldn’t believe how far it was and how up and up we had peddled!! We were really pleased to see some Bee Eaters on the wires just before Tautavel:) We arrived at Caune de l’Arago, expecting to have the place virtually to ourselves apart from a few holiday makers, just in time to see one coach leave and two others parking full of school children!! They ranged from primary school (all very sweet) to high school (oafs throwing stones and rocks into the pool)! We walked to the pool and mouth of the gorge but when we saw older people having a beer fuelled bbq with loud music we decided to head back down river and found the perfect place for us. Secluded, quiet and with lots and lots of birds!! We spent a good hour bird watching, fish watching and nearly stood on a frog! After our lunch of chicken rolls we braved the river in our swimmers (!!) and although Mag was quite happy wading I actually launched off swimming (I usually hate getting in but it was surprisingly bearable) and then Mag stumbled on a rock and was swimming too! It was great fun swimming up and down our bit of the river which was really deep on the far side. Some OAP’s decided to come and turn the waterfall into a Jacuzzi just up from us so we walked through the reeds up to the main pool which was a lot quieter by now (just the OAPs having a wine fuelled party on one side and the teenagers having a beer fuelled party on the other!). We swam in the pool and into the mouth of the gorge where a few people were scrambling on the rocks and others were actually proper rock climbing up the steep sides! Back to our spot to dry out in the sun and read our books. We left just before 5 and carried on our bike route. We were treated to some French Traffic Management on the road linking Vingrau with Tuchan which was being surface dressed. The road was officially closed but the cars in front of us went through so we followed on and just had to wait for a few minutes until the lorry had reached a point we could pass. Back to our spot at Aguilar for the night. Read and dozed, and had a make do tea:) Photo Gallery here Tuesday 2nd June – Hike and open water swim ***** La Franqui Beach – very hot and sunny Not really sure what we are going to do now as this is very strange for us – we usually finish holidays here not start them! The wind has gone and it is very hot so we think we should move on but as my camera is now out of order and I am using the snappy one, I am loathed to go anywhere new without a good camera. So I amnot keen to go on my planned route to a lake near Grenoble so we are taking each day as it comes. We spent the lovely sunny morning bird watching and Mag saw the most beautiful windchat shrike – black and white with an amazing red head:) It had flown away by the time I had a look! She also saw a deer! And walked down the road and back through the bushes to see if she could see him but no:( We have seen lots of Dartford Warblers here – like sparrows!! We packed up and left about 11.30 and drove the lovely Vins route stopping at Durban for bread. We looked at local wine to take back for Jay but although a box had a great story about the area on it it was too much – we only want one bottle with a local aspect so left it there. Decided to go to the beach as we were so close and after driving along Port La Nouvelle sea front and seeing a surprising amount of big campers parked on the beach at that end we decided to go to our favourite spot near the jetty and parked up on the beach which is really hard packed at the moment. It seems very strange to be here with no wind blowing at all!! We walked over to the sea shore with our lunch and our chairs. We spent a lovely couple of hours reading and eating lunch. Mag returned to the van to make a cuppa and after that we both fell asleep on the towels – what is going on we never do this!! I even went for a swim in the sea!!! That’s two days running I have got in without a fuss! We walked along the shore and as per usual over did it and ended up walking all the way to La Franqui village which must be over 3 miles from where we were parked!! It was lovely but on the way back we both commented on what would happen if someone had pinched the van!! The key was in the lunch bag hanging on the back of the chair and we couldn’t even remember locking it!!! Everything is in there so it was a worry once that thought was in our heads. We are far too trusting but we hadn’t really expected to walk so far and be out of sight for so long. Needless to say we walked back a lot quicker than we walked there! It still took us an hour though. There were a few people on the beach having fun with their families, kite surfing, one windsurfing, fishing and land yachting and kite buggying. When we got back and the van and the chairs and the key were still all there we sat for a little while before leaving the beach and driving up to Roquefort des Corbieres where we have parked before, up on the cliff overlooking the old village and the corbiere hills on one side and the Leucate etang and town on the other:) There are old windmills without sails up here and we loved it when we were here before. Had tea and were both shattered. Lovely sunset:) Photo Gallery here |
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