2018-04-08 Northern Italy and Southern France Montsegur to Labruguiere

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Northern Italy and Southern France Montsegur to Labruguiere

Northern Italy and Southern France by Hymer Motorhome

Montsegur to Labruguiere

The heavy patter of rain on the roof wakes us, sleep comes again, then I am awoken again by very heavy pelting of rain; I look at the clock and it is 7.40am. I look out of the window and there is low cloud, a scarf of cloud wrapped around the mountain opposite and Montségur is hidden completely.

We have breakfast, the rain is still heavy and shows no sign of easing off. We have a relaxing morning and leave about 11.00am, from Montségur on the D9 we climb to 1059m at Col Montségur and then descend around a series of hairpin bends into Monferrier, Les Chaubets and D117 to Lavalenat. We stop at Super U in torrential rain and find fresh milk and also buy some good local Provence and Languedoc wine. Top up with more diesel; we have been caught with little fuel in the past, so like to keep the tank filled up especially when we can buy diesel at supermarket prices. There is an argument that says we are carrying extra weight which increases fuel consumption, however, when you have had to turn back and retraced your drive back to a filling station you don’t forget it!

Back on our way we retrace our tracks on D625 through Mirepoix, D119 to Fanjeaux where we stop for lunch and empty the toilet at the Borne camping site there. It has just about stopped raining. Next, we follow the Medieval Cathar route on D9 through Bram to Villelongue Abbey. We cross the river on the stepping stones and walk down to the Abbey, it is €6 each and a very rowdy party of about 30 French people arrive, so we decide not to stay. The inside of one abbey is often similar to others.

Back on the road we take the D164, a narrow road through a wooden valley to Saissac Castle where we park on a new car park and walk through a narrow streets to the old castle. We pay our €5 each and wander around the old ruin. There is not much to see but a lot has been done to clear the debris or restore the outer walls. The sky darkens and threatens rain, so we start back to the camper but are caught in a torrential shower and get very wet… enough to change our clothes when we are back.

The rain does not ease, so we take the D4 through the forest from Arfons in the south to Escoussens in the north following a tortuous route round severe hairpin bends and steep roads through the Regional Park du Haut Languedoc. Then to the small town of Labruguiere where we find a new Aire du Camping-car with about 26 spaces. There are 8 of us parked up (two of which are travellers with a lot of junk and untidy pitches). There are good facilities here, hook-up, water and all disposal facilities included in our €7 camping charge. We find a spot overlooking the woodland and set up for the night. The rain is torrential and continues all evening and all night. We lie in bed and listen to the rain as it thunders on the roof of the camper well into the night. We wonder if we might float away at some point!

Our Hymer motorhome trip to Northern Italy and Southern France

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Summary of motorhome journey – Montsegur to Labruguiere