because life's too short
because life's too short
Newly minted UNESCO sites, the Royal Castles of the Languedoc, in southern France, were once a hotbed for the Cathar religion – none more so than Montségur, where 225 people were burnt for refusing to give up their beliefs.
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It is a distinctive giant wedge in the heart of the Couserans region of the Ariège, yet the 1,903 m peak of Mt Béas is strangely overlooked as a walking destination – it shouldn’t be!
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The Pyrenees offer some of the best horse riding options in France on routes which can cover tranquil villages, forestry roads and old beech forests or the spectacular high mountains – and quite often a combination of all of them.
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Australia was deeply involved in WW1 and a cluster of monuments in the Somme at Villiers Bretonneux highlights this: the soldiers are commemorated at the Australian National Memorial whilst the rebuilding of the nearby school was funded by the state of Victoria. The nearby battle of Le Hamel was a textbook success commandeered by an Australian general.
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Shepherds cabins are found throughout the Pyrénéan mountains where herds once grazed. Whether ruined or restored, they are a delightful feature of any walk and a historic link to lost communities.
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The Port de Salau has been used as a crossing point between Spain and France for centuries. The lowest col in the Ariège, it is the site of a yearly pujada when the different nationalities meet to cement their friendship.
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The Mine du Bulard has had many names. Today it is often called the Machu Picchu du Biros for its spectacular knife edge ruins which lie under the forbidding face of the Mail de Bulard …
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This is only a short section as it is stunningly beautiful and it is worth lingering along the lakes if there is time. A balcony path provides some relief after a steep descent.
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Le Mont Fourcat is a rather nondescript rounded peak but what it lacks in grandeur, it gains from its stunning 2,001 m summit views. Throw in a cloud inversion and it becomes quite magical.
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Old tracks from Aulus lead to the busy Coumebière intersection, and onto the fabulous lakes and mountains scenery of Bassies.
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