In the Midi and Pink

We stayed at Camping Florida at Elne on Sunday night – the best that can be said is that is was functional and gave us the opportunity to recharge + do the washing! We then moved on towards the coast….and Flamingos! We had read that some of the Camargue Flamingos overwinter at some of the etangs nearer to the Pyrenees and it turns out this isn’t a myth.

We headed to Peyriac de Mer and just had to stop when we spotted a group of nine birds…quickly grabbing the camera I hopped out to get some pictures while grinning and pinching myself. The wind was blowing and the birds were sheltering from the cold sharp mountain air rushing across the etangs, but they were Flamingos!

 

The Aire at Peyriac was lovely, and within walking distance of the etangs – or for Gary and the youngsters, running distance. They went for an early morning run instead of a walk, Skye and I took the camera out again the next morning, and sure enough as the wind had dropped there were more birds….

We spent a bit of time wandering along boardwalks to the village, admiring the birdlife…which included a bit of impromptu tolling from Wings….as the local ducks clearly were following the script about ducks being easy to toll IF the predator isn’t in hunting mode. He makes it look easy, but getting any dog to completely ignore the birds approaching is something!

 

 

When we thought we were leaving the Flamingos and heading northwards, we drove along the road between the sea and the etangs…and almost around every bend we saw more and more birds….Flamingos in the water, and Eagles floating on the thermals overhead! We reckon we saw about 400+ Flamingos, and probably 10 birds of prey (not all identified).

From the coast we headed inland aiming to get to Carcassonne, after stopping overnight at an Aire in the village of Villeneuve-Minervois. Nice quiet Aire until the army veterans had a gathering at the village hall, complete with music, marching and flag waving, luckily they finished fairly soon after!

Then we spent Wednesday at the medieval city of Carcassonne, which was a bit touristy but still amazing and full of history about the Cathars and the Languedoc region. If I explain that in the designated carpark there were 14 coaches and only 10 motorhomes – you get the picture. As the coaches appeared to be parties of teenage school kids we wondered if educating them about the historical significance of the town and famous siege is part of their national curriculum.

Still in Cathar country we moved on to Fanjeaux, another hilltop medieval village, but this time on a much smaller scale than the impressive Carcasssonne.