Walking in the French Pyrénées

Patrick Arrieula was born in the south-west  of France in a little village at the foot of the French Pyrénées in the Béarn region near the Spanish and Basque borders.

Since 1996 Patrick and his wife Robbie have escorted groups on unique tours in the Pyrénées region during spring and autumn. They love sharing their passion for this beautiful part of France. The tours are based in the country, giving one the rare opportunity to meet the locals, taste the regional produce, admire the beautiful landscapes, and experience the culture.                                                     

The walking tours are suitable for all those who enjoy walking as well as good dining.  There are usually two itineraries which are suitable for two types of walkers. One, for the more energetic, with longer walks and the other combining shorter walks with slow food & cultural activities.

On another tour, run biannually, they retrace 102 kilometers of the ancient  Santiago de Compostella walking trail via the Le Puy route said to be one of the  most beautiful. On the easier walk and the Compostella trail it is necessary to change hotels but they try to keep that to a minimum. For the other tours, they settle at the one hotel for the entire nine day stay. The small family-run hotels have been chosen for their comfort and good food. All rooms offer private ensuites and shops and banks are within walking distance of the hotels. During the tours, participants have the choice of joining daily activities or relaxing in the village for the day.

Patrick makes a great effort to involve the participants with the locals whenever possible, give them a chance to experience the real France and practice their French.  One of the days on the May itinerary is spent in his village playing ancient games, being officially welcomed by the mayor and sharing lunch with the locals.

In order to have just the right size tours, groups are limited to a maximum of 20 people and a minimum of 10.

 For more information please contact Patrick or Robbie:  PH: +61 0248625711 Email: pyrenees@acenet.com.au,   Web: http://www.pyreneestours.com.au  

 Accommodation

              The Perfect Escape in the French Pyrénées

“Pistoulet” was built in the 1800’s in the village of Lagor on the ridge of a hill overlooking the Pyrenees. It has 3 bedrooms & sleeps 6 people –1 queen and 2 twin rooms.

Downstairs there is a fully equipped kitchen, dining and living area, glassed verandah, separate toilet, bathroom and one bedroom. From the glassed verandah there is a view of the Pyrénées over the garden. Parking is available at the front of the house inside the courtyard. Upstairs there are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with toilet. The village has a baker, a general store and a restaurant as well as few other small businesses. Within 5 kms there are supermarkets, shops and fresh produce markets. The village has kept its heritage and still retains a country feel with all amenities close by.  
 

The Béarn region is full of history, character and has so much to offer to holiday makers. The Pyrénées Mountains, the Atlantic coast, Spain and the Basque region are all situated within an hour’s drive. The gastronomy is one of France’s best.

Weekly rent ranges from 350 to 550 € depending on the season. For more information on Pistoulet contact Patrick or Robbie Arrieula, PH:+ 61 0248625711 E: pyrenees@acenet.com.au , Web :http://www.pyreneestours.com.au 

Visiting Orvieto, Umbria, by Deborah Taylor

As the funicular climbs vertically out of the station and the views open up you can see why Orvietoʼs spectacular location, high on a flat volcanic extrusion, ensured that it was defensible by the Etruscans.

We had chosen this Umbrian town from a picture book loaned by a friend because it is on the main railway line from Venice to Rome (just over an hour away by train), has one of the best Gothic cathedral in Italy and is known for its excellent regional food and wines. In addition everything is within walking distance and in October there are few tourists apart from Romans visiting on weekends. There are also many museums and galleries, some with Etruscan pottery and jewellery, there is a stunning Opera House with regular performances, two wells (pozzi) to visit, and a walking track around the base of the mountain. As Orvietoʼs enviable position made it vulnerable to siege two spectacular wells were dug to ensure access to water. The building of the Pozzo di San Patrizio began around 1527 at the behest of the Pope of the day. Popes regularly escaped Rome for this safe haven. You descend the well rather like you might ascend a lighthouse but via ramp(for donkey water carriers) rather than stairs, viewing others on the same journey by the light of low block windows in the internal circular wall. If you are game you can lean out and peer down to the water 60 meters below you. Due to the finite area of land for producing food and the risk of siege, most houses had a series of chambers and tunnels beneath them. They were used for keeping food cool, growing fungi, raising pigeons (with openings in the cliff faces for entry), making wine, cheese and olive oil, and for burying waste in long narrow vaults. 

We read that pigeon was still a specialty and featured on some of the local menus. Despite asking around, we didnʼt find any but did find wonderful and inexpensive restaurants offering regional dishes and the famous Orvieto Classico white wines. Our pick of places to eat were Osteria Numero Uno, Trattoria del Moro-Aronne and Ristorante Zeppelin that also has a cooking school. We returned home with preserved truffles and vacuum-packed wild boar prosciutto, and managed to fit two beautiful ceramic wine jugs and various leather bags and belts into our swollen cases. All were wonderfully crafted and inexpensive.

The best view of the town rooftops, cathedral and surrounding countryside is from the top of the Torre del Moro. From here you can appreciate the Gothic features of the cathedral with its black and white marble banding and highly coloured façade.

We stayed at the San Lodovico monastery established in the1300s, where the charming ensuite rooms have views over the gardens and the tariff is very reasonable. An added bonus was the opportunity to practice Italian, as the very friendly sisters spoke almost no English. (Segretaria Casa di Accoglienza Religiosa San Lodovico: Istituto San Lodovico s.lodovico@orvienet.it)

 

EYE ON CENTRAL ITALY – 2.The village of Castiglione Garfagnana - Toscana

Castiglione (the name derives from the Latin "Castrum Leonis", the "Lions' Camp") is considered  the ancient capital of Garfagnana and is a magnificent fortress. The town is surrounded by well-kept medieval walls and splendid towers.
The ancient fortress dates back to the year 723 A.D. and is open to visitors. The walls of Castiglione were built in the fourteenth century but have undergone a full restoration. Garfagnana is rich in history and tradition and is located in the northern part of Tuscany close to the enchanting towns of Lucca and Pisa.   

The town lies on a hill, from which it dominates the valley set between the Appennines and the more imposing Alpi Apuane (Apuans Alps).                                                                                                                               In the high part of the village, the imposing fortress rises on a rocky spur. It is a defensive structure with an irregular perimeter and three towers on a semi-circular plan. Near the entrance are the remains of a square tower that was the defence for the entrance. The height of the walls varies between 11 - 17 meters according to the gradient of the land. From the fortress there is a wonderful view of the surrounding valley.
Inside the fortress there have been modifications because of the change from a fortified town to a residential village.   It began as an ancient “castrum” built by the Romans, located in a strategic position in the valley that, in Roman times, was crossed by an important road between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.                                                                                                                                                                           Due to its strategic position it had a stormy past and it suffered many sieges.  The first one, by Lucca,  in 1170 caused a lot of damage. The surrender to Lucca led to the reconstruction and the elevation to the Center of Vicaria. But fights and onerous taxes caused new wars.  In 1227 it was besieged and suffered more destruction at the hands of Lucca’s soldiers. The Peace Treaty of 1371 delivered the fortress permanently to Lucca which installed a permanent commissioner and the town walls were reinforced (the walls that can still be seen today).

The village, which is now an important summer resort, is in a splendid position and has a particularly charming atmosphere. In fact the centre of the little town lies inside the fortified ring of walls built by the Lucchesi. Castiglione developed around the fortress and for protection it was surrounded by walls and towers. The walls extend for 750 metres and were equipped with loop holes and a watch walk. On two of the towers we find the bell towers of the principal churches – St. Pietro and of course St. Michele, the most important monument in Castiglione dating back to the XV century. Its unfinished facade is decorated with little arches and columns and a porch from the XVIII century.

Inside there are remarkable works of art: a canvas representing the Virgin with child painted by Giuliano di Simone in 1389, a black wooden Crucifix dating back to the XV century, a fine marble tabernacle for the Holy Oils of the XVI century and in the vestry, a beautiful silver thurible, made in the XV century representing a medieval castle.  Today one can enter the town through three doors, but in the past there was only one access with a drawbridge because around the walls there was a deep moat. The other two doors were created in the XVIII century to make entry to the village easier. The fortified complex of Castiglione could be considered one of the most important examples of a “living Castle”.

                            Accommodation – Toscana - We recommend  

                                                 Casale le selve, Castiglione di Garfagnana

Casale Le Selve is located near the medieval town of Castiglione di Garfagnana, in the province of Lucca. It is entirely made of stone and dates back to the late 1700s - the date being obtained from an estimate made by the Church. To the South and West of the Farmhouse there is a spacious garden with a comfortable gazebo and a stone barbecue.                            

Entering the Farmhouse there is a large living room with a mosaic stone floor and an oak beamed ceiling. The room has large comfortable sofas and satellite TV. Adjacent to the living room is the kitchen with a full size cooker and fan forced oven. It is complete with all the necessary appliances. There is also a table which comfortably sits 7 people. There is a small storeroom, a bathroom with a Jacuzzi shower and at the rear, a laundry.                       

Upstairs there are three bedrooms with parquet flooring. One bedroom is larger with a double cast iron bed and can if necessary accommodate an additional single bed or a baby's cot. The second bedroom also has a double bed and the last bedroom contains two single beds. On the same floor there is a large bathroom tiled in baroque style, with a corner bath tub.                    

By the side of the house stone steps lead to the terraced swimming pool. There are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. All in all a very comfortable, well-appointed home away from home!                                                                                                                                                                     

Casale Le Selve, Loc. Le Selve,21
55033 Castiglione Garfagnana,
Lucca, Toscana. Italia
 T: + 39 0583 689963; E: info@casaleleselve.it