France 4

Here, as you can see, it was a bit cloudy on the Spanish side of Canigou but I got this, and a couple more, fleeting views while eating lunch on top. You can see that the vegetation had rime ice on it. This is the stuff that used to sink trawlers. It sticks to things and makes them heavy. The best example I ever saw was in Derbyshire. It had formed on a fence that was normally only a couple of millimetres thick - with the ice, it was more like four INCHES!!!!

After a hasty lunch, we set off back down to the backdrop of a perfect sky. I am really SO moved by this sort of view. JUST look at it.

Another day - another treat! Brenda took us down to a small settlement called 'Villefranche de Conflent'. The famous little yellow train has a station here, and the line upward is, they say, one of the best train journeys in Europe. I have been on the train before, but it was a lovely day, so I decided to have another go! I was dropped off at V de C and went as far as Mont Louis, where the French Commando's are trained. Mannes and Brenda took the dogs for a walk, then came and met us at Mont Louis, and brought us back home.

This is the suspension bridge. During the line's construction, the man who built it all was on the inaugral trip. Something happened, I think the train ran away - the guard forgot to put the brake on - and the train tragically fell from this bridge, killing the creator in the process, along with several other people, so he never got to see his great feat of enginerering come to fruition.

Here's another bridge - this time an impressive stone viaduct over the road.

We alighted at Mont Louis, and then went into the village to have a walk around. As it was such a clear day, we got some great pictures. This one was taken from the walls that surround the village.

I am not really one for churches, but I DO like to see the opulence that usually constitutes the altar. This one looked like it was quite lavish.

And that's it!

I DO have lots more pics, but I thought this was enough for here.

After Mont Louis, we returned to Brenda's for yet more of her wonderful hospitality, and a wine or two with her and Mannes.