Cathar castles and Cup finals

I took myself off for a drive yesterday, not wanting to spend a lovely sunny Sunday sat inside the apartment, especially when there is so much to see, and so much that I haven't seen, within a couple of hours fabulous drive from here - and fabulous it is to drive on virtually empty French roads, and with the roof down on the car the countryside seems so much closer.

I decided to visit a Cathar castle that I have been meaning to go to for quite a while. My wife and I had driven to Peyrepertuse one Sunday two years ago after a Saturday that I'd like to forget when our relationship was at it's lowest ebb - inevitably there was a tenseness in the air that day, which was completely at odds with the stunning scenery and the spectacular location of the chateau. We drove up as far as we could but didn't make the final walk up to the remains of the chateau - in a way my visit felt like unfinished business.

However, instead of just the one, I visited two, because the route I took went right past (3km detour) another Cathar castle, at Puilaurens. One of the features of Cathar castles is that they were built, as were many middle age castles, in defensive positions on top of high ground. Now in England that probably means you have to walk up a slight rise to get to the castle, whereas in the Languedoc it means you have to be an experienced mountaineer with a strong heart and no dodgy knees. These things were built on the top, and I mean the very top, of mountains. How they achieved it, a thousand years ago, with the technology they had is an absolute wonder and a miracle. So visiting one was a good workout, and visiting two in a day required determination and stamina.

At Puilaurens you can see the chateau from the village, sat on it's promontary above, and it gets closer as you drive up the windy track until it disappears from view in the trees when you get to the car park and ticket office. You might think you are there but no, there is still a 500m virtually 45 degree climb up through the trees to get to the 'defensive zig-zag stone stairs' leading to the main gate. When I reached the top my thighs were burning and I was gasping for breath - I really couldn't have spoken for a couple of minutes and everyone else who was there had clearly gone through the same experience as they looked on in sympathy from their seated positions inside the walls - and inside the walls is an apt description because you can't get to look at the best thing about climbing all that way - the view. What a let down. You can walk around this medieval wreck with it's piles of rubble and trees and wildflowers where there were once dwellings and stables but all you can see outside is a glimpse through an arrow slit, here and there. The upper walls have crumbled or been stolen and are too unsafe, even by French standards, to let the public up there.

Between Peyrepertuse and Puilaurens is the Gorge of Galamus, which frankly sounds like something out of The Lord of the Rings. I expected to see trolls and elves and whatever the really ugly baddies are called, as I drove through, but mostly there were motorbikes of all shapes and sizes, and Gandalf didn't ride a motorbike, although in a contemporary version of the film he'd probably be on a Harley. Still, it seems that riding through the Aude countryside in convoy on a Sunday is a big thing to do - and who can blame them because I was enjoying the drive as much as the scenery and places I visited.

You can see Peyrepertuse a long time before you get close to it. It sits on top of a limestone ridge and defies description or explanation. You watch the changing angle of it's perspective as you drive along the valley to the north and then briefly lose sight of it as you round the end of the ridge before dropping into the town that sits below the chateau and then starting the long winding road up the mountain. You get as far as you can go, park up, pay and start walking - disconcertingly downwards at first as you walk around the end of the ridge to the entrance high up on the opposite side. Once inside you appreciate the vast size of this chateau and that it was constructed in three parts, you now only being at the lower end of something that climbs up with the ridge for at least another two hundred metres. The top of the topmost top bit of this chateau is absolutely awe inspiring. You feel as if you are on top of the landscape - you can see everything down four valleys on every side - even if the climb hadn't done so, the view would take your breath away.

By the time I got home I had been out for six hours and after the two climbs was feeling a bit weary. The day before I had taken my bike out for it's first (overdue) outing of the year. A gentle cycle down the banks of the River Aude which turned into an hour and a half of cycle exploration as I rediscovered the joy of pedal power. I used to think that going to a gym three times a week was how to stay fit - how wrong I was - Cathar castles, pedal power, a big property renovation and a diet of duck confit, garlic and red wine is the answer, and if anyone nicks that from me I will sue them.

Tomorrow (1 May) is a bank holiday here in France. It is also a Tuesday, which means there is this odd day between the weekend and the holiday. Proprietors of businesses up and down the land have said to themselves "Is it worth opening up today?". No. The fact is that because today was a Monday half of them weren't open anyway and the other half needed very little excuse to stay in bed. There are three bank holidays in three weeks here, all falling on Tuesdays or Thursdays, which basically means three, three day weeks, which you either respect or hate but either way it's going to happen.

Despite that, there is vast excitement in Carcassonne at the moment. The rugby league team has reached the final of the French rugby league cup. It is 15 years since Carcassonne won the cup and they have lost two finals since then - but they are in the final this year, which is being played tomorrow night in Carcassonne. The whole town has been abuzz all week as only a town can be when it is involved in a cup final - it reminds me so much of an FA Cup Final town in England, especially when it is not a big city involved. They have been talking about it all week and selling club shirts and tickets in the market and the bars and at Tridome, our favourite DIY store, who sponsor the local team. It will be a party whatever but I am really hoping for a home town win - I think the knock-on effect will be enormous, but also, I will be proud to be a Carcassonnais for the day - "Allez les jaunes et noires"