The River Orbiel runs from the Montagne Noir into the River Aude at Trebes.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Limoux, Eastern Pyrenees. Feb 2005
This was a Sunday parade where most of the participants were young children.
Limoux, Eastern Pyrenees. Feb 2005.
All costumes on each parade are virtually identical making it virtually impossible to identify the wearer.
Limoux in the Ariege Department.
Limoux is a medieval town situated about 15 miles south of Carcassonne.It is the home of the famous "Blanquette de Limoux",a famous champagne distilled before the advent of real Champagne hundreds of years ago.
It is a beautiful old town built around a covered market square underneath which there are fantastic bars and restaurants.
On every Saturday and Sunday, three times a day,between January and March there is a ritual parade in Limoux where the locals dress up in magnificent costumes and parade around the square meandering from restaurant to restaurant. Always accompanied by a brass band, this parade has been going on for hundreds of winters with many choreographed movements passed down through the generations from family to family.
The dancing is carried out in such a way that only the hands, head and legs can be moved.There is to be no untoward movement of the body.
For many of its' participants it is an opportunity to whisper insults and abuse at other townsfolk who have maybe upset them in the previous twelve months. This is possible because no-one is allowed to touch the dancers or remove their masks.Every winter around five tons of confetti is caste over the heads of visitors who come to see the spectacle.The dancers approach you stare at you through their masks and nonchalantly empty a handful over your head!!
The whole idea of the Limoux Winter Festival is to chase the winter away and to welcome the onset of spring.
It is a beautiful old town built around a covered market square underneath which there are fantastic bars and restaurants.
On every Saturday and Sunday, three times a day,between January and March there is a ritual parade in Limoux where the locals dress up in magnificent costumes and parade around the square meandering from restaurant to restaurant. Always accompanied by a brass band, this parade has been going on for hundreds of winters with many choreographed movements passed down through the generations from family to family.
The dancing is carried out in such a way that only the hands, head and legs can be moved.There is to be no untoward movement of the body.
For many of its' participants it is an opportunity to whisper insults and abuse at other townsfolk who have maybe upset them in the previous twelve months. This is possible because no-one is allowed to touch the dancers or remove their masks.Every winter around five tons of confetti is caste over the heads of visitors who come to see the spectacle.The dancers approach you stare at you through their masks and nonchalantly empty a handful over your head!!
The whole idea of the Limoux Winter Festival is to chase the winter away and to welcome the onset of spring.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
The stables at Millegrande.Trebes.Aude.
Millegrande is a medieval domaine some two kilometres east of Trebes. It is near this hamlet where the original site of Trebes first evolved prior to the Romans populating this part of Gaul.There are horse riding lessons available during the summer.The horse trekking available takes you along the Canal Du Midi to Trebes.It is a wonderful experience for youngsters.The staff are wonderful.
There are many fantastic areas to explore near Trebes.In particular, the "cite" at Carcassonne is one of the top five tourist attractions in France.
It is divided into two parts, the lower "basse" town and the "cite" which is located on a steep incline south of the River Aude that bisects both the lower and upper towns.
The lower town is where the main commercial enterprises of the town are situated.There is a market every Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday in the central Place Carnot.There are fantastic shops and restaurants all within a short walking distance from the square. There is an irish themed pub called "O'Sheridans" just off the place Carnot where there is live music most Thursday nights.It's a great place to enjoy major sports on the big tv and there is a late licence until 2 am every night.This is a real cosmopolitan place to meet new friends.It is probably the busiest bar in the lower town. The beer is a bit expensive though. The upper town is a real tourist trap but a sight to behold nonetheless.There are numerous websites relevant to the cite and many of them are in english.
For a general overview of the area including tourism,commerce and property interests,including up to date news and events links, I can heartily recommend Peters' site at www.midi-life.com.
It is divided into two parts, the lower "basse" town and the "cite" which is located on a steep incline south of the River Aude that bisects both the lower and upper towns.
The lower town is where the main commercial enterprises of the town are situated.There is a market every Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday in the central Place Carnot.There are fantastic shops and restaurants all within a short walking distance from the square. There is an irish themed pub called "O'Sheridans" just off the place Carnot where there is live music most Thursday nights.It's a great place to enjoy major sports on the big tv and there is a late licence until 2 am every night.This is a real cosmopolitan place to meet new friends.It is probably the busiest bar in the lower town. The beer is a bit expensive though. The upper town is a real tourist trap but a sight to behold nonetheless.There are numerous websites relevant to the cite and many of them are in english.
For a general overview of the area including tourism,commerce and property interests,including up to date news and events links, I can heartily recommend Peters' site at www.midi-life.com.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Trebes, Languedoc, France.February 2005.
The view of the old village taken from the banks of the Canal Du Midi next to the vineyard.
The 13th century church of St Etienne can be seen in the background with the Alaric mountains beyond.
Pont de La Rode, Trebes, Languedoc.
This bridge was actually designed in the mid-seventeenth century by architect of the Canal Du Midi,Pierre Paul Riquet .The canal was originally built to link the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans and actually starts at Toulouse.The River Garonne at Toulouse runs to the Atlantic and the building of this magnificent waterway removed the need for traders to take the long route around the straights of Gibralter. It eventually runs into the Mediterranean near to the port of Sete near Montpellier.
For a full history of the canal and great photos go to www.canalmidi.com.
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