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I could go on and on ( I do,
often) about our adopted département – one of
France’s least populated, and scarcely known even to
many French people. Suffice it to say here that it’s
one of the most beautiful, unspoilt and stunning
that I’ve ever been to, with no big towns (the
préfecture, Foix, is the smallest in France with a
population of 9700) and a very laid back feel. If
you love France or mountains or both, I defy you not
to want to come here! If you want to whet your
appetite, try these links for starters:
A great site about
Ariège - put an hour or two aside for this one:
www.ariege.com
And another:
www.ariegepyrenees.com
This one,
www.netariege.com,
does what it says on the tin! Great for finding out
what's on and for the latest headlines.
This is for serious
mountain walkers:
www.09-rando.com.
Before long Grillou
will be in the middle of France's newest Parc
Naturel Régional: check it out at
http://www.projet-pnr-pyrenees-ariegeoises.com.
Ariège is a very
'green' department: the equivalent of our local
Wildlife Trust is situated a couple of villages
away:
www.ariegenature.org.
If there's one
really contentious issue here, it's the recent
reintroduction of brown bears to the Pyrénées.
Everybody has a view, one way or the other; you can
guess what ours is. This is the official 'pro' site:
www.paysdelours.com.
Fantastic 360
degree views of Ariège are here:
www.ariege360.fr.
Rimont is part of
the community of communes known as the Séronais:
www.seronais.com.
Our nearest town,
Saint Girons, has a lively and alternative feel, not
to mention the very best market in the department on
Saturday mornings:
www.ville-st-girons.fr.
Ariège has some
extraordinary prehistoric sites, including some of
the most extensive caves in Europe - one of which,
at Le Mas d'Azil just 15 minutes from Grillou, you
actually drive through! The caves at Niaux, near
Tarascon and around 45 minutes from here, are
amongst the most famous decorated caves and are a
must. They're highly protected; only a small number
of groups of limited size are permitted each day and
so booking is essential, even outside the summer
months. There's a wealth of information about both
caves and various other sites at
www.sesta.fr.
Our region,
Midi-Pyrénées, is particularly rich in festivals,
with Ariège having some of the liveliest. Check out
this official site to discover some of the classics:
http://festivals.midipyrenees.fr.
Most people in
France read a regional rather than a national paper:
ours is
www.ladepeche.com.
Want the weather
forecast for Rimont? Here it is:
http://www.meteofrance.com/FR/mameteo/prevVille.jsp?LIEUID=FR09246.
Bon surfing!
© Kalba
Meadows 2008-10. Last update 25
March 2010.
Award winning neighbourhood
restaurant with rooms, unique seasonal vegetable
cooking and fine organic wines; l |
