Lunch in the desert

Spanish shepherd

MIDSUMMER

We have just spent the midsummer riding horses through the arid desert country of navarra in Northern Spain. We went on a ride with a French family we had met earlier and a French guide. The horses were excellant and the countryside quite amazing - the following is an account of the 22cnd June - the second day of the ride.

The day was spent in a fantastic landscape of eroded stark hills and gullies, flat topped mesas and deep canyons. Very few trees and those that we did see were generally a very sparse looking conifer, the ground cover, however was wonderful, a mixture of Rosemary, Thyme, Spinifex and a wonderful array of desert flowers and prickly bushes. We constantly had the aroma of dry fresh herbs with us as we rode. We climbed on the horses to the top of a high rocky mountain with stomach churning cliffs all around - made a little more interesting by the presence of horses and unpredictable movements - views forever across the dry Spanish countryside. After that some excitement riding up and down through a hidden world of deep gullies and canyons - the horses are very sure footed thank goodness - all the time topped by a skye of startling blue -" Velasquez blue". A gallop across a wheat field and to the shepherd's hut which was our accommodation for the night.

After feeding and watering the horses we all climbed a little mesa behind the hut to enjoy the everlasting sunset of midsummer. Sitting there quietly we saw coming in the distance a large mob of sheep and goats. Two shepherds striding out in the lead with walking sticks and small back packs, a couple of dogs with them and a mob of over 1,000 sheep and goats following, bells ringing a multitude of different tones. Every now and then a few sheep would try some succelent pasture off the track, look up and see the mob moving off and gallop to catch up. The shepherds stay in the front calling the stock and if too many stray off the track they send the dogs after them. A wonderful timeless scene, our horses grazing below, the sheep and goats with the shepherds and dogs, sunset over the mountains in the distance and jet trails in the reddening sky - timeless and yet located in a multitude of times and places. The mob gradually disappeared over the nearest hill and the sound of the bells and the calling of the stock continued while the dust settled and the sun finally set, the moon and the first stars appeared.

The next morning I was sitting on the mesa again enjoying the early morning, clear skies and the clean air of the morning in arid country. Another shepherd came past with his mob of sheep and goats following - a smaller mob but the same effect - the shepherd in front with his dogs calling continually and the sheep and goats following, tinkling bells and bleating sheep. Looking over them to the endless desert and mountains I am reminded of the pace of change and at the same time the lack of change. They too disappeared over the hills followed by their sounds - shepherd calling, bells tinkling and sheep and goats calling.

Below I could see hungry horses and the camp beginning to move - time for another day on horses in the Bardenos desert.

Riding in the Spanish desert

Lauzerte

A French Experience

Ashur and I are sitting at a table in an arched arcade facing onto the square of a medieval town in Quercy in south western France - the long, soft evening light is slowly fading. Lou Reed is playing and we are sharing the cafe with an eclectic mix of young dreadlocked hippies, artists, down and outers, religious pilgrims, travellers and wealthy retired Europeans.
As you look down the arcade through the curved stone arches you can see across to the other side of the valley and the red, red sun setting above the thickly forested hillside. We have the Macbook connected by WiFi and are checking emails.

We chanced on the beautiful, medieval village of Lauzerte and booked into the Hotel du Quercy - our room is all white with a tall window looking over the valley to the south - wheat fields turning gold, fruit trees and vines, oak forest on the hills. The village was founded in 1000 AD and is set on a hill at the confluence of two valleys. It is apparently one of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France"

Ash and I made our way to the top of the village from our hotel along a road winding up under the ancient city walls, tree lined with walnuts, chestnuts and figs, with views down the valley. At the top we walked through narrow streets decked with flowers in pots on the cobble stones, hanging from windows, above doors, in windows, to the town square - a cobbled area surrounded on three sides by buildings built out of a creamy stone with an arched arcade under the buildings around the square - on one side is the church with a clock in the bell tower - the bell rings every half hour. In the square are two shady chestnut trees with chairs under them and in one corner is the cafe with chairs under the arcade and spilling onto the square. Once again there are flowers, predominately red, in pots everywhere.

Lou Reed still playing and Ash and I having a glasses of Rose and Apple Juice, checking the net and watching the sun set.

Lac d'Isabe

Lac d'Isabe

I had to include a small note on our walk to Lac d'Isabe. Lac means lake as I am sure you will have already translated.

We had a day when the Meteo predicted a fine morning and possibly storms in the late afternoon so we decided to take on our most challenging walk. The weather prediction is posted each morning in the village square in Laruns and they are quite accurate on a short term - we have a few translation problems from time to time but they are gradually disappearing. The weather is described in poetic from so we have - "the peaks will appear in a sea of clouds" - and - "a veil of mist will descend in the heart of the afternoon" and so on.

We headed off and after a short drive left the car in a deep gorge and hit the track. We were lost for a while at first - the track notes also have to be translated and the odd navigational/translation error does occur - and made a steep ascent for 30 minutes only to have to retrace our steps - a good warm up for what was to come. On the right track we followed a beautiful, rushing, river through mossy gardens and dense forest. The river was up so we made a few tricky crossings and then left the river for what turned out to be a continuous steep climb. The total climb for the day was 1,000 metres which is quite a bit when it is almost straight up. We walked up through thick beech and conifer forest for the first hour or so, hearing the bells of cattle and horses through the trees. Eventually we reached the limit of the tree line and climbed up through scree and rocks and over a number of small streams tumbling down the mountainside - drinkng the clear, fresh water whenever we could. We could see the Cascades de Isabe a little way over across the slope - the water falling down out of the lake.

Climb, climb, climb - when you go straight up you can gain a lot of height very quickly - not without pain however and it was hard work. Sue and I carry the food and the jackets etc and Ash scampers up unhindered by weight or fear. He is light and quite fit and doesn't think about the consequences of a slip or a tumble. After another hour or so, not far from the top Sue's good walking boot gave out and the sole slipped right off - we stopped for some lunch on the side of the mountain and Sue and Ash decided to head down - a long walk with one bare foot didn't sound like a great idea although they were so close to the top. I couldn't resist and continued on - another 20 minutes and I reached the lake and found the most spectacular place I have seen in the Pyrenees.

A still, deep, blue lake backed by tall dark cliffs ,with water tumbling down the cliffs in 4 or 5 major falls and a myriad of smaller cascades, snow above the cliffs and more peaks in the clouds above the snow - the only sound the roar of the waterfalls and the water running out of the lake. An absolutely stunning place !! Snow down to the water in many places and perfect reflections of the snow and the waterfallsin the still dark water - a place of incredible power and beauty. Deep blue-green water and every now and then a ripple would appear in the water - fish or a monster - I wasn't sure. Time disappeared and I stayed there forever. I was the only person there with the sound of the water and the stillness of everything else, very aware of the raw power of the place and the smallness of myself.

I was about to leave, reluctantly, and I looked up and saw an Izard high on the cliffs above the falls, sillouhetted against the snow - perfectly at home !!!

I will attach some photos although they are only a poor representation of what you can see and feel.

People

People

People

We have been constantly surprised/reassured by the friendliness of the people we have come across as we have travelled across the country. Surprised by the generosity and welcome and reassured about human nature. We have already had many wonderful experiences and been shown great kindness by many people - French and Etrangers. At the moment we are staying in a hotel in Pau and the family who run it have two kids - a boy of 11 and a girl of 8. Ash and I played soccer with Richard yesterday and will again this afternoon and we will stay in touch. The mother - Aude rides and has just purchased an Anglo Arab stallion and we will meet the stallion soon.

In Laruns at the Auberge the boys who manage it - two young brothers took us fishing, organised WiFi connection at the Auberge and after two weeks said they were going on holidays and would we like to caretake the Auberge for 10 days. Our friends in Alsace took us in and worked steadily through the French beaurocracy to help us buy a car, get it registered in our name and organise insurance - no mean feat in France where the "functionaires" run the show !!

Charmie, Julian and Judy and the English mafia in the Gers have been wonderful and have passed on many valuable tips about how to thrive in France as well as taking us into their houses.

Yves and Chantal welcomed us with our limited language and we feel we have friends there and much in common as well as many differences that will be interesting to explore - many other instances of welcome and help freely given which have greatly helped to make our stay so far very enjoyable and rewarding !!

The horses are magnificent !!!

Cheese making

Dogs and kids

Farmers

We have met a very interesting farmer in the Valley. He was a recommendation from the local cheese merchant, so we went to visit him. No English at all, of course, so we stumble along in our developing French. People are very kind and helpful and every conversation turns into a French lesson. After our first meeting Yves pointed to the shed doors and said "see those big doors - they are always open for you." - So, we have some farming friends in the valley.

Yves and his wife Chantal and their little daughter Claire run about 100 cows for meat - Blonde Aquaitaines, and milk about 50 goats to make cheese - the goats are a French Alpine breed. He markets all his own produce. The meat is sold in 10 kg boxes which we understand he delivers himself around the valley and much of the cheese is sold into Spain, he also delivers the cheese. They also have 5 mares which are used to breed horses for meat - beautiful horses - big and wonderfully proportioned - Yves says they need the same conformation charasteristics as beef cattle !!!. Yves says horse meat is good for the health, but he says the main market for horse meat is now in Italy. They also have 5 dogs much to Ashurs delight - 2 Pyreneean Mountains dog pups and their mother, a Border Collie and a local stock working dog.

They live in a house next to the house where his parents live and where his grand parents lived, in a beautiful little village in the valley. The bottom floor of their house was recently flooded in a big storm, so unusual weather is a constant theme.

The goats spend their time in a shed or on pastures nearby and the cattle are in a shed during winter and in summer go to the mountain pastures. We have been invited to go on the Transhumance, which is when they shift all the livestock up to the summer pastures in the mountains. They move over 2,00 cattle, many more sheep and goats and lots of horses over 2 or 3 days. All the stock have bells, different sizes for each breed and especially big ones for the leaders, so a moving mob is an orchestra. At the moment all the stock are gathering on a big flat plateau in preparation for the move - the plateau is village land - no fences and all the stock are mingling. In the mountains they graze on village land or in the national parks. (There will be plenty of opportunities to look at and talk about land use agreements, multi level land use and common property management I am sure.)

WE spent an afternoon with them one day watching the cheese making process - all by hand with unpasteurized milk and then visited the plateau with the local horse reproduction technician, pregnancy testing and insemminating mares. All very interesting - no doubt there will be much more to report on Yves and Chantal and Claire.

Horses

We have had an experience with horses which emphasises the different understandings you can have in a different culture

For quite a while as we have travelled through the country we have marvelled at the beautiful horses - big and imposing looking, extremely well fed and beautifully proportioned. Much heavier than our horses and built more like draught horses - obviously very well cared for. There are lots in this valley and we have been discussing how they must uses horses to carry the cheeses down from the mountains and provisions up to lonely shepherd's huts - a lovely image - for us.

We recently met a farmer who told us the real story - the horses are for eating and the very well proportioned horses are the breeders which are used to breed horses for meat. It gives a different perspective, however they are still beautiful horses. The shepherds use four wheel drive vehicles - as you would !!

Snow climbing

Ashur - the climber

Snow and more snow - perhaps the climate is changing

We have been having snow in the mountains here which everyone says is very strange for this time of year - almost summer and after a winter with very little snow!!. However, we have been enjoying it and have been toboganning in a snow storm, building snow men and having lots of snow fights. Walking in the mountains, we are always at risk of a cold ball of snow hitting us in the face or the neck and sliding down inside all clothing - you look around and there is Ashur grinning happily.

The snow has added a few challenges to the walking but it has made the mountains absolutely spectacular - the fresh snow is beautiful and we have been walking in the forest with snow falling softly and all the trees carrying snow on their leaves. On some mornings we look at the mountains and they have a fresh dusting of snow - just magnificent !! On the sides of the mountains it is a bit tricky as the snow is slippery and it is impossible to tell how deep it is - we are working it out and it adds another dimension of excitement.