Monday, September 29, 2014

Les Gorges de Colombières / 콜롬비에 협곡

As soon as I arrived in Montpellier, I'd searched all kinds of internet communities to learn about this region.  I was so lucky to find the Meetup group, Montpellier rando & plein air (hiking & outdoors) group.   Thank to the group and the organizer, we've done many hikings in this beautiful Languedoc-Roussillon.  (Oh well now I think, I should post them all on my blog soon…) So far my favorite is Saint Guilhem-le-Désert; the beautiful village where you can take a break after the wonderful hiking… it's hard to compete!, but IF! les gorges de Colombières were near or next to that kind of village, I'd have to say that it'd be my most favorite hiking trail!  Unfortunately ( well fortunately for me, I actually like to hike under little cloud :P) the weather was very gray with little bit of rain drops so my camera couldn't capture the beauty but with all that odd, it was a awesome hiking.  According to my Fitbit, I climbed 210 stories, over 270,000 steps I walked! I wish my husband was with me … So I am posting the photos for him and you all :) 

몽펠리에에 도착하자마자 마구 인터넷을 뒤져서 찾은 밋업그룹, 몽펠리에 등산 그룹 ( 한국말로 등산 하니까 느무 욱기심 ㅋㅋ) , 정말이지 잘 찾아서 조인해서 지금까지 아주 잘~알 등산을 하고 있는데요 어제는 이동네에서 한시간 정도 떨어진 콜롬비에 협곡으로 갔읍니다.  한국 말로 협곡이라네요 계곡? 이랑 뭐가 다른감? 암튼 아주~ 예쁜 곳이었읍니다!  이동네사람들에게 유명한 곳이라고 하네요.. 즐기시길…. 


The first half was very steep.  My hamstring says so today… :P
정말 첨올라가는길이 음청 가파른곳!  내 다리가 오늘 그렇게 말함… 지금 비도 오는데 아무것도 않하고 이렇게 블로그 하기 딱 좋은 날씨에 내 슬픈 다리통 ㅋㅋ


I thought " wow it'd be stunningly beautiful if it was a sunny day! "



Even without sun, it was gorgeous hike.. Look at all the rocks!
햇빛 없이도 이리 예쁘신..






Frisko & Glasgow! The best hiking puppies! 



I love gorges! If it was during summer, I'd definitely put my feet in and relax for a while. 


물이 예술 깨끗!  여름에 딱 발 담그고 수박 먹기에 좋을 곳!






가다가 발견한 짐승들.  이름은 모름 ㅋ


Do you know what they are?  Someone said "Bambie!"


Beautiful rock color…




Lunch!  We deserved it!  The most sophiscated lunch spot ! :) The great thing about this hiking is that next to this lunch spot, there is a water tap that you can refill your bottle.  So next time when you come for hiking at this place, just bring half portion of your water~ 


Happy Frisko with super clean gorge!


Waiting at the plateau…




The lunch spot! 아까 밥먹었던곳



This reddish brown bush was purple!  It must've been amazing… 이것들이(이 불그스레 갈색것들이.. )보라색 꽃이였다는… 정말 예술 이었을듯!



햇빛이 쨍쨍 했다면 정말 벽걸이용 사진퀼러티 였을것을… :)




I had to take a photo of her.  She was the brightest of them all~ :) 


Meetup hiking group members~




The end of the trail… What a gorgeous hiking trail!  I'd love to do again! Yayou my Kom! 

정말이지 예술 등산로였다는… 다음에 울 신랑 모시고 ㅋㅋㅋ 또 오고 싶은곳! 

Friday, September 26, 2014

Pyrénées trip 2. Foix, Carcassonne, Cévennes and everything in between…

After hiking around Bouillouses, we drove toward to our next stop, Foix!  The driving was really great.  We enjoyed all the beautiful Pyrénées and somehow ended up checking Andorra.  We didn't have time to drive little further as everybody recommended but just saw the ugly shopping mall with tons of cigarette signs and turned around :) 


I didn't take a photo but Andorra to Foix, it's stunningly beautiful! Highly recommended!


Again somehow I found this auberge ( Auberge Les Myrtilles) and we loved it! It's about 30 min drive from Foix so little bit long but it was the right choice.  We will definitely go back if we go Foix area again. 


L'Azinat - the local specialty!


Le cassoulet au Confit de Canard


We had to try this blue berry pie since the restaurant+auberge name is myrtilles! (blueberry :P) It was really really good!


Next morning, we got up super early like 6:30 and headed out for hiking.  The owner of the auberge recommended this hike trail and it was fantastic!


It was little confusing but we met a french guy who knows this area. :) Lucky as usual~




So peaceful, beautiful….




Sun came out and getting hot hot hot… good to start hiking very early in the morning~





The map of this area.  We'd love to come back explore all the places!


I already posted all the Cathar castles we visited.  I visited most of the famous ones except Foix because it was far up north.  I expected it as Carcassonne but meh… very little one.  It's cool but little.  We spent  about 2 hours and left… I am so glad that we stayed the night at the Auberge; there isn't many things to do inside Foix just you know….








From Foix to Carcassonne, we drove through the plateau and it was full of sunflower field!  So beautiful, cheerful and many huge fields full of yellowness :P 


They are all looking at me :P since I am a so very sunny person…



I love Carcassonne!  We stayed again! Last November we visited but just you know, November is the worst weather season in south France… cold, windy, rainy….


See?  So much prettier under the sun :) 




We went to the same restaurant again :) 3 times! Adelaïd





My husband really wanted to take the sunset photos so we hastily ate all our food and left the restaurant. 






I don't know the name of these musicians but it was an absolutely fantastic concert on the bridge! 


Carcassonne at night



I love stopping at the Plus beaux villages while we are driving.  There are a lot of them but very often it's worth it.  This is Minerve.  We stopped at this village when we came back from Dali museum but it was cloudy and cold.  I'd like to take the photos when it's sunny but we had to pay 3 euros! for parking.. there was nobody but us! so we took this photo and left :P BTW it's a very cute nice village.  If we had some more time, we'd have been staying for a while…


Next stop! Another Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Olargues





Charming little village…. 


Next one! La Couvertoirade


It's very nice village inside rampart.  It's also famous for the sheep! You can smell them when you enter the cité :P


We had lunch at Auberge du Chat Perché but it wasn't that good.. Looks great, right? but taste? not so much….




But nevertheless charming!  There were actually the Chat Perché~ in the garden :)


The sun came out when we had the lunch, Great!




Isn't it so cool! You can just walk less than 10 min and go up to this windmill



Our plan was going to Cévennes and couldn't miss the famous Viaduc de Millau! 


Apparently this area is the major center for outdoor sporting activity as you can see!





Very very touristy but there is reason why…




Drive toward to the Cévennes nationa park … Wow I just google it and saw this photos from National geographic :) Same spot but much more pretty ( well they photoshopped) !


Finally we arrived at our hotel in Cévennes but the weather was aweful so we couldn't do hiking.  The hotel was very nice.  - BTW you don't have that many choices in that area.  The villages are super small the roads are extremly narrow - can't pass 2 cars same time- but beautiful! 



We had very nice dinner and listened all night the local band playing.  Next morning, sadly it was raining so we drove back to Montpellier! 

It was a great trip!  Pyrénées, we'd love to go back again!