Spacebetween

Go dust down your ice axes!!!

2012-02-13T04:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.vesubie-mercantour.com/cascade-de-glace-boreon.html

http://www.space-between.co.uk/winter-activity-holiday-france-mercantour.html

Denis le cheval devient Denis la vache!!!

2012-02-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

Hi - everyone's favourite Mr Denis - now has expanded his "herd" with two cows - no not for riding - well certainly not yet - currently "settling" in Sainte Agnes.....moooooooooo........my boys!!!

Carnaval!!! in Nice

2012-02-05T05:29:00.001-08:00

Anthony Peregrine in the Telegraph recently stated that he felt that the Nice Carnaval (no I don't know why it is Carnaval with an "a" either - but it is!!) was the best in Europe....who am I to argue...I think that unfortunately for us locals it is more of a time when we might choose to avoid the streets of Nice (and Menton too - where there is a lively Citrus Festival at around the same time) due to the influx of the great and good to the town!! However that said - it is a fantastic spectacle - running this year between February 17 and March 4 - the Nice Carnaval website gives details of all the events and how to get tickets - you many choose the join the throngs on the streets or take your chances with a €10-€20 ticket in the seating areas. The theme for the Carnaval changes every year - this year it is sports orientated, and around the parades which take place, there are beauty pageants, flower battles and all sorts of mayhem. It's a great time of year to be up and about in the early morning with your camera with more that just a note of Blade Runner in the confetti strewn streets and surprising towering papier mache figures around every corner......always surprised that most people don't seem to understand that it is - Mardi Gras - a pancake day sort of indulgence - feasting and letting your hair down before the rigours of Lent. It is non tacky - and must cost the town a huge amount of money - which must be more than made up for by the tourist dollar!!! If you have February flatness (and/or fatness!!), get yourself on a plane or train to Nice and come and enjoy some mindless fun.....street party sensation..... for us at spacebetween - we are occasionally minded to escape from our mountain idyll - the organisation of walking holidays here in the Mercantour and so forth - and to get down to the coast to woop it up. If anyone has been over to the Venice Carnival - I'd be delighted to know!! although I gather it is almost impossible to get any sort of transport booked at that time- never mind a hotel room!!!! Enjoy .......

France in pole position still!!

2012-01-31T02:40:00.000-08:00

According the the United Nations Tourist survey, France still tops the lot when it comes to attracting the most tourists every year - coming in at a staggering 76m++. Behind France comes the US, China, Spain, Italy and then the UK. It is a shame to see the UK (despite the sometimes unsure weather and high costs) lagging so far behind - despite a growing feeling that London has much more to offer spectacle wise, and culinary wise even (sorry French friends!) than Paris itself....hopefully the Olympic Games 2012 and the Queen's Jubilee will give a bit of a filip to proceedings. The Olympic Park certainly looks impressive - cheek by jowl with some of the poorest housing in London - this must be so strange for local inhabitants - although I remain unconvinced about the raison d'etre of that ghastly red metal centrepiece!! The arty among you could perhaps enlighten me - PLEASE??? The French are keen however to work their way up the rankings in the spend category where they come in at a meagre third. So far this year from our reservations at spacebetween (http://www.space-between.co.uk) for holiday accommodation and walking and adventure holidays in the Mercantour and beyond - it is the British who seem to have cast off their gloom (happy at last that the UK have their own currency?) while the French seem much more circumspect about spending money - hardly surprising perhaps with the uncertainty of the Euro and the elections this year where there doesn't seem a lot of choice other than the bitter little guy and the extreme right.

The image is of Nice Carnaval a couple of years ago - the Alpes-Maritimes continues its year round sense of fun!!!!

Snow cleats!!!

2012-01-30T09:32:00.000-08:00

You may have thought that owning a pair of snow cleats said as much about you as possessing those must have frumpy checked shirts advertised in the back pages of the Press, tilting chairs, and crimpolene (or is it crimpalene?) tabards, but away with you, they are a great and inexpensive way to prevent yourself inadvertently featuring in the World Ice Skating Championships!!! We have bought several different kinds and come back to the Stabilicers type brand (we found that the Yaktrak [with coiled metal foot plate] didn't last very long and easily pinged off) which is a rubber galoshe which slips over the toe of your boot/shoe and has studs on both the ball of the foot and heel section. They come in various sizes and cost between about £10 and £15. Make sure that you have secured the cleat over both your toe box and the heel so that it is gripping where it should be. These little fellas are great to keep in the car to cope with the kind of weather that the UK is now "enjoying", the type that creeps up on you and you just haven't remembered to put your snow shovel, and luminuous padded coat in the car. Be forewarned - why not!?! In the mountains - the cleats have a superb function on days out, as we have seen in the Mercantour during our winter walking holidays, where is has been cold but there is no snow, with occasional icy patches, especially in areas with have no sunlight in the winter months....easier to pop the cleats on and walk deliberately, planting your feet firmly that to end up scrabbling around the undergrowth trying to avoid the spectacular ice!!! Of course for more serious stuff, snow shoes, half crampons and full crampons give much better purchase. Have a browse on a search engine - I've even seen ones suitable for high heeled shoes - for the fashion victims who don't mind breaking their necks and ruining their Louboutins in snow and ice!! - or get yourselves over here to the Mercantour where we have assorted rubber wear (!) plus plenty of lovely mountains abundant in snow and ice of every shape imaginable.
The picture was taken on a trip in JULY - in the Valmasque - there's a refuge at the far end of the left hand lake - we started out in wonderful Alpine pastures, knee deep in flowers, slept in the super friendly Valmasque refuge - and then slogged up to this view point the day after - be prepared for any weather in the South of France when walking, even in the summer......Enjoy...

Snow - Now there will be snow shoeing!!!

2012-01-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

At last the Alpes-Maritimes is able to join company with its friends in the North and throw open its doors for some snow activity. Traditionally, it seems at least, there has been enough snow for the Christmas and New Year period to make it worthwhile to dig out your gaiters and gloves, but this year the sun just kept on shining - almost three months with just two grey days. Our winter walking holidays over the festive season were a great success, thanks to fabulous guests who were delighted with the clear blue skies, a variety of walks, excellent food and good company....what we do at its best and most satisfying....since then the department has been rather holding its breath - with the higher ski resorts hanging on by the skin of their teeth, offering hard grainy snow chucked out by snow cannons - not always a perfect solution either given the dearth of rain fall in recent months. After a tense month, where did January go?, there has been a flurry of activity on Facebook this weekend, all movers and shakers in the Alpes-Maritimes being cock-a-hoop about the precipitation.....and the dull weather offering the perfect excuse to sit down and watch one of the most exciting tennis matches ever!!!! Not sure that the horses were too thrilled about the concept but they did have a good roll around in it before realising that munching the hay was a wiser idea.....we are looking forward to our two weeks in mid February now very much......blue skies are promised from the middle of next week...and we may even add a further week in March if there is sufficient interest. Flights from the UK to Nice, given that it is not a "destination" ski airport remain good value - plus if you time it correctly you can enjoy the Nice Carnaval and the Menton Lemon Festival too.....we may have all the tools to create perfect walking holiday in the Mercantour for you but don't forget that the mimosa will be out soon on the coast on the French Riviera. Check us out!!

Gran Paradiso - summit or tour it - knocks the socks of the Tour de Mont Blanc!!

2012-01-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Gran Paradiso, for the uninitiated, is the highest peak in Italy at 4061m and nestles in a splendid amphitheatre, in a stunning triangle of cross border peaks – including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. With 700 square kilometres to gambol in (and Italian food!), it really is a paradise on earth.

Previous visits to GP have been based around the very fine Hotel Genzianella at Pont in the Valsavarenche valley. When we were last there, the new owners were keen to up the ante in their traditional Alpine hotel with good home cooked food and a friendly atmosphere. Always enjoy that slightly frizzante white wine on tap too! They looked after us, with our varying levels of fitness, allowing us to enjoy the sun and the splendid views, to the max.

With guests whom are always a pleasure to welcome back, the creation of a long weekend in Italy this year was no arduous task at all. No summit attempt required but a good work out for a couple of days combined with some time dabbling in the snow.

Arrival day dawns hot and clear as we meet the famous four at the airport in Turin. An hour and a half later, under the only rain that we see all weekend, we finally arrive at the Hotel Belvedere in Gimilian, just outside Cogne. A “belvedere” indeed, towering above Cogne with a mega view over to Paradiso, but also a towering radio mast. Hey ho – such is modern life.

However do not hesitate to come here, but diet first, because the six course menu, is solid home-made mountain food, with one unifying ingredient - CHEESE……in all its forms and presentations, delicious, and the source of much hilarity amongst us all. We might have been too embarrassed to refuse much food but would have needed to have been climbing Everest to do justice to all the calories that were being enthusiastically passed our way.

The next day dawns dramatic grey and blue so we decide to have a non snow shoe warm up day – and one which is preceded by a scarey “Italian Job” zig zag road – and one, we discover after, we shouldn’t have been up in the first place. We have headed slightly south east from Cogne, to Lillaz and then up to Gollie. The walk is under typical Alpine weather – five minutes of spring sunshine, followed by some cold blasts and threats of snow and sleet.

We manage to have a calm lunch in the former, before heading off towards Loie lake where Tony, the keen bean photography course student, heads off in search of an old ibex which has, rather tantalisingly, just disappeared behind a bluff. The rest of us wait, donning all we have with us, in the cold, before our leader Mel also disappears into the gloom.

Fearing that end of the world scenario, or perhaps we have seen too many cheap horror films, we were very pleased to see our two Musketeers appear over the horizon, armed with some great shots of a whole pack of ibex – result!

A great intro day with all safely gathered in, a bit weary, after a stunning round of local beers in a more than stunning location looking up the Val Nontez valley – where a wedding is taking place in the hotel next door. There’s not too much in Cogne so have a wander round and look out for a modern bar, with a row of beer pumps on the left just as you go in – and a huge picture window at the rear. Gratis nibbles and pretty bar staff too if that is your fancy!

Ordered specially, day two dawns bright and clear and we drag our cholesterol ridden bodies out on the hill in search of snow; snowshoes clattering reassuringly on our backs. A beautiful but not the most exciting of schleps takes us up to the very friendly Bardze refuge where a cup of tea with plenty of sugar is very welcome, as well as some foraging for food instruction as we leave.

A clutch of lycra bedecked Italian mountain bikers have munched their way through a vast quantity of food and a litre of wine (of course) before mounting their steeds and pedalling off into the distance. There is a feeling of relief among our merry bunch in anticipation of the snow, so we get geared up and head off towards what seems like a very near col – with much deception involved as ever, as we hit false col after false col!! However we are rewarded with stunning views at the top, before the hardy among us head off to a Col at nearly 3000m to try to get a view of the must be seen triangular peak of Mont Viso, and the green valley of Camiglia below. And there she was!! Job done……

I shan’t mention the C word again but suffice to say after a goodly day and a slogging 1300m of ascent, the belly full was rather welcome, and the young ones put a spring in the step of their older companions, by being the first abed! The “youngs” however are much more used to tarmac than tufty terrain, so they did very well and were unfailingly cheerful about it.

In Aosta, after a bit of retail therapy for family and friends, we regret the demise of an interesting snack bar, due to refurbishment of the paved street, but enjoy a (slightly) less (than what we have become accustomed to) calorific lunch before heading back to Turin. The name is lost in the ether but succumb to the charms of an Italian man on the doorstep at the Western end of this major pedestrian thoroughfare, and you won’t be disappointed.

Sound interesting? Our next foray is for two weeks at the end of August, with New Zealanders who are well used to their own impressive Alps, doing a two week circuit around GP. Think we can hardly wait?? Correct!!! A snow shoeing trip – on the cards for later in the year!!

Contacts

Instituto Geografico Centrale – Italian maps

www.mapsworldwide.com/istituto_geografico_centrale_181pub0.htm

Gran Paradiso National Park

www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.gran.paradiso/Eindex.php

Aosta Valley

www.aosta-valley.co.uk

Turin airport

www.turin-airport.com

Spacebetweeen – based in the Mercantour in France – also provide Gran Paradiso trips – summit and circuits

www.space-between.co.uk

Hotel Genianella – Pont

www.genzianella.aosta.it/eindex.html

Auberge Belvedere - Gimilian

www.albergobelvedere.net

Cogne Snow Forecast

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Cogne

Get on your horse......real horse riding adventure

2012-01-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

If you like big Nature and big adventure for your holiday experience - you could not fail to be entranced by this great short video - (edited by Moovr.fr) from a French TV programme "Des Racines et des Ailes" which concentrates its programming on innovative people who are making their living in positive ways in the countryside. Astonishing to see the natural beauty of the landscape just behind the French Riviera and a one-off guy who enables you to enjoy all this from the back of a horse. Denis Longfellow is a characterful Californian who has lived in France for thirty odd years and loves his troupeau, his winters in Sainte Agnes and of course his summers in Le Boreon, near Saint Martin Vesubie, in the Mercantour. If you are fit and confident there is no reason why you can't join Denis on his exploits in the Alpes-Maritimes. This is not a a dull plod on the back of a de-motivated riding school pony - but a horse riding holiday that you will never forget.

Sainte Agnes based walking holidays!!

2012-01-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

Excellent to see this great reportage about the hanging village of Sainte Agnes - just behind the Italianate town of Menton on the French Riviera. The winter base of spacebetween's horse partner Denis Longfellow, the village is stacked full of charm (and lovely people as the video shows!) and it remarkably unspoilt - given its proximity to the coast - about 4 miles as the crow flies but a windy (full of bends not wind!!) climb to about 1000m. It is justifiably renowned as one of the prettiest villages in France, and makes a perfect centre for a walking, or riding holiday, rolling hills with excellent views down to the Mediterranean to the South and the magnificent Mercantour National Park to the North. What a place to be!!! Finish the day with a mooch around Fred's lovely stained glass shop and a traditional meal (no frozen ready meals here) in either the Hotel Saint Yves - a family run friendly hotel and resto, or the Righi - with a Michelin star view and great value prices.

Contact spacebetween for more details - details of their holiday week is here http://www.space-between.co.uk/walking-holiday-france-ste-agnes.html plus there is also the possibility to rent a house for up to 10 in the summer months.

Winter walking holidays in France!!

2012-01-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

Don't underestimate the great scenery in the Alpes Maritimes - there's plenty to do all year round!!

For the un-initiated (most), just behind the French Riviera, lies the fabulous Mercantour National Park, which straddles the Franco-Italian border and becomes the equally protected ans stunning, Parco Alpi Marittime in Italy.

A combined area and a tempting playground for Nature lovers all year round, with the benefit of being both easily accessible from Nice. The unique influences from north, south, east and west – Alpine, Mediterranean, Ligurian and Provençale, provide the area with a unique combination of terrain; the coast rising up to peaks above 3000m within a distance of some 60 kilometres.

There is also a fascinating variety of fauna, and flora with many endemic species, not to mention the historic Vallée des Merveilles, which boasts 37000 Bronze Age carvings on its rocks. Snow will prevent visitors seeing most of the engravings in the wintertime, but even then the valley and the awe inspiring Mount Bego don’t fail to impress.

The Alpes-Maritimes does have some ski resorts such as Isola 2000 and Auron, but it is not a snow destination. The stations are used mainly by French folk who live on the coast.

Arriving in Nice airport, you may find yourself being the only one wearing walking boots but fear not; there is much behind the glitter of the Riviera; well known Grand Randonnée walks, the GR5 and GR52, just for starters.

Hire a car from the airport or take advantage of the splendid value €1 buses, to go anywhere in the Alpes-Maritimes. In a car you are not usually likely to encounter the need for snow chains but check the forecasts before you leave, to see to what altitude the snow has descended.

To the North, within an hour, and remaining within spitting distance of Italy, you have the choice of a medley of different valleys, the Vésubie, the Tinée, the Roya and Bévéra, the Var, the Ubaye, and the Verdon.

Taking the line of least resistance heading north, let’s head up the light industrial and rather gloomy valley of the Var, where you could at least stop off at the Decathlon for your must-have socks/gas canisters for your trip or even the Carrefour to stock up on edible supplies. Retail opportunities are reasonably limited away from the coast. Your first and understandable instinct will be to turn off the main road at the village of Plan-du-Var where the Vésubie gorges seem to tempt you, as Alice, heading into Wonderland. The gorges are impressive, the towns medieval and rather down at heel looking, but before you start to ask yourself – well where IS the snow? – cheeky peaks start to emerge and you can get your foot on the pedal, heading towards the towns of Roquebillière and the best known village in the Vésubie, Saint Martin (yes indeed) Vésubie.

In both sleepy villages, where you might be lucky to sight a hound between noon and three o’clock you might wonder how you are ever going to get out there amongst it without wasting a lot of time.

However help is at hand – at the very least get armed with local maps from the French Institut Geographique National. If you are a non French speaker you could do much worse than to get in touch with Mel Jones of spacebetween. Mel is Welsh, and runs two comfortable gites (holiday flats in a wonderfully located farmhouse) in Berthemont les Bains, as well as organising both day trips snow shoeing, and week long packages. Due to French legislation he is not able to offer more technical activities; ice climbing, ski touring and so forth in the snow, should you wish to exchange your snow shoes for something else in the snow for a day. However colleague and French mountain guide Pierrot Fiorucci, who, based in Saint Martin, can offer these more advanced possibilities.

Once on site, accommodation with Mel is highly recommended, even if you want to go out and do your own thing, although daily guiding is offered. Otherwise the Grand Chalet in Valdeblore, nestled just next to the tiny ski resort of La Colmiane, is a charming place to stay where you will be spoilt by the welcome and great cooking of Luc and Christine van Wynsberghe. Do note that despite the fact that most people you come across, even with limited French, are both charming and welcoming; some hoteliers and restaurateurs can be dour!!

In Saint Martin, stock up on local cheese from Sandrine, ham from Marco’s, and bread from any number of delicious bakeries in the High Street, (using the term loosely), and get ready to hit the snow.

Keeping our sights on a limited scale, there is plenty to see and do, over the course of a week’s break, in the three west to east orientated valleys which feed into the Vésubie – from north to south, Le Boréon, the Madone de Fenestre and the Gordolasque.

Le Boréon is a hamlet which is scarcely that, at 1700m, which boasts a dammed lake, a great cosy chalet to stay in all year round (sleeping up to 13 people), two hotels which are nothing to write home about, plus the major man-made attraction, which is the wolf park – Alpha, well worth a half day visit, to hone your senses for when you are out and about in the wilderness. There’s also a great little resto – O à la Bouche – which has a welcoming fire, mulled wine and Corsican beer for when you wend your weary way down.

Day 1 and 2, and why not base yourself in Le Boréon and stay in Chalet Longfellow, the summer residence of the renowned American/French cowboy Denis Longfellow, who spends his winters in Sainte Agnès, near Menton. You can either self cater or bring in spacebetween, who organise bookings for Denis, to cater for you. On Day 1 why not take the a classic and not too strenuous walk up to the refuge du Cougourde, stopping off for either a cuppa, or overnight, if you wish to stay and explore the beautiful valley at your leisure, before heading off to the eerie Lac Trécolpas, Arthurian in the summer and mightily impressive in the winter time, where ibex are often spotted eyeing their visitors up with some distain. The simple out and back to the refuge is an ascent of about 600m, and a distance of 10 kilometres. The addition of Lac Trécolpas adds another couple of hours to the day for faster walkers. Day 2 and try a classic the gorgeous Lac Nègre, starting as high as the snow line will allow you on the road up to the Salèse from Le Boréon. Once you get to the National Park boundary you wend your way up the valley, a gentle incline. While you have the breath, keep your eyes and ears peeled for signs of chamois on the valley sides, nutcracker birds and the majestic golden eagle. After a halt at the col, there is a downhill section heading towards the abandoned village of Mollières, before you come across a signpost heading you up towards Lac Nègre. A splendid amphitheatre in both summer and winter, it is worth the effort.

Day 3 and relax with a morning at Alpha, where you can “shoot” semi-wild wolves to your heart’s content, and capture amazing shots of your quarry without any encumbrance of fence or wire, via well designed lookouts. Spend the afternoon in the village of Saint Martin which has a fascinating history; its cobbled streets take you back in time to the days of the Templars and the famous Salt Route between the plains of the south and Piedmont in Italy. Stay in Berthemont with spacebetween or try your luck with any of the small but unremarkable hotels in Saint Martin. Recommended for food is the Rendezvous run by Michel and Domi.

Day 4 and to explore the Madone de Fenestre in the winter time requires a lot of foot slogging up a snow covered road, good for the fitness. If you can get to the barrage in a car, walking up to the Madone sanctuary, where there is also a friendly CAF refuge is not too unpleasant a stroll of eight kilometres with an ascent of about 400m, but allow for more depending on where you start on the road which snakes out of Saint Martin. Hardy types can add the Baisse de Cinq Lacs which add a further 700m of ascent to the experience.

On Day 5 and moving south, the Gordolasque is a gem and probably the most Alpine U-shaped valley in the area. You will reach the hamlet of Belvédère, where local honey is available, and which also boasts the best pizza joint in the area. A rather giddy road leads you up to a water shed and a hotel, Le Grand Capelet, from where you can take a gentle stroll up the valley on the right bank of the river, returning on the left bank, a great place to spot chamois, eagles and the occasional ermine. Die hards can take a harder day up to Lac Autier, pack crampons in harsh weather, for a 700m ascent from the valley base. Accommodation is a little thin on the ground, at holiday times try the Grand Capelet or the Relais des Merveilles, or you may need to head back down to the valley again! Study of the IGN 3741 OT map will give you lots of ideas for walks for a final day.

If you have time as you head reluctantly south to the coast, swing up and over the famous Col de Turini and take step out around the rather haunting area of Authion. A last suggestion is certainly not the least, as the site, the point of three communes, offers splendid views down to the coast and, on some days, to Corsica, combined with rich military history; it was the site of the last battle of WWII in France in April 1945. You’ll be glad that you made the effort and topped your break, one which merely scratches the surface of the Mercantour, off here.

Whatever you do – don’t forget the rules of the National Park – leave as you find and check weather conditions and avalanche warnings before you go. ARVAs are always recommended.

For local advice and walking holidays and accommodation in the Mercantour - all year round - contact spacebetween - http://www.space-between.co.uk

Horse riding holidays in France - riding on the wild side!

2012-01-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you went through the pony mad phase as a youngster but are now feeling a little timorous, or get hot under the bridle at the thought of riding the range and sleeping under the stars, there is a solution for you, without having to trot around a ring with a rosy-faced instructor barking at you.

If Guardian journalist Kevin Rushby can overturn his pre-conception that all equines are biting, kicking, foul tempered beasts, (after a break with his wife and gung-ho six year old daughter in the Alpes-Maritimes) http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/mar/20/france-provence-horse-riding?INTCMP=SRCH - so can you.

The Alpes-Maritimes has it all; and much more excitement lurks behind the hedonistic strip which is the French Riviera. Denis Longfellow, http://www.horseandventures.com/ a native Californian, has lived in “06” for the last 30 odd years, and has shepherded a variety of animals around this fantastic countryside during this time. He now has a troupe of about 25 horses which spend their time between Sainte-Agnès and the Mercantour National Park further to the North.

In the sleepy village of Sainte-Agnès, it always pays to keep your eyes peeled, as there is sometimes more than the hairpin bends to contend with!!

At about 1000m above the Med and Menton, the village has immediate “kerb appeal” for walkers, cyclists and riders and is the highest hanging village on the Mediterranean. Despite its proximity to the coast and “honey pot” villages such as Eze, Sainte-Agnès has maintained an unspoilt character. No five star hotels and villas here.

The said “perils” to traffic - the horses - are often grazing in the fields around the village and are rounded up when they are required to earn their keep. The saddling up process takes place in the lower village square, and the prospect, interspersed with lycra clad sweaty cyclists, and would be horse whisperers, is quite a scene!

During the winter, Denis usually just offers rides at the weekends, plus courses during school holidays. However, if you have a group of six or so, he will set up a tailor-made trip.

Don’t be nervous as you eye up your half ton of horse flesh, the team is obedient, sure-footed and nice natured. The saddles are comfortable, and hackamore bridles are used, preventing novices from tugging too much at the poor mount’s sensitive mouth, while allowing that great “John Wayne” sensation. Denis is on hand to give instructions, but be prepared to “get on with it”. This short video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDdxT09kqyg

an extract from a recent programme - Des Racines et Des Ailes on FR3 – gives a good taste for what to expect!

The low lying hills around Saint-Agnès are ideal for horse riding and are laced with forestry tracks and pathways including the Grande Randonnée (GR) 51; but resist the temptation of turning your steed onto the super groomed greens of Monte Carlo golf club – it could be a very expensive five minutes of anarchy!!

Between the beginning of October and the middle of June, the weather is usually pretty good, (although – November 2011 – we have just had four solid days of rain and astonishing storms). There is only one “funny” – in the form of sea mist in the spring time, which adds to the atmosphere but does little to dampen the spirits.

With a solid animal doing most of the hard work for you, although do not imagine that riding out with Denis is merely just sitting aside your mount!, this is the most wonderful way for nature lovers to enjoy a different perspective.

While you may not see all the minutiae on the ground, you are free to enjoy the movement of the horse, and take a good look around you. And there is no shortage of things to look at – 360 degrees of splendour – from the Mediterranean glittering in the distance, to the stunning massif of the Mercantour to the North.

As the sun sets to the South, riders can reward themselves with chilled glass of rosé in the Michelin starred view (but non Michelin priced good food) at Le Righi restaurant, and exchange tall tales.

Your “sea legs” gained, consider taking the three day ride (sometimes more) from Sainte-Agnès to Le Boréon, which is Denis’ summer base. The ride is arduous, peppered with great picnics, and super home made food in the evenings, but a real adventure. You will be astounded by the fitness of the horses, and your own ability to hang on in there.

The summer season is in Alpine terrain in the Mercantour National Park, which the horses hasten to get to, for all the lush grass they can feast on. This is after all a “transhumance”, the traditional movement of stock to pastures new during summer months.

Visitors can enjoy short rides around Le Boréon, or take off on a four day trip up and over the Mercantour ridges, into Italy. Denis’ chalet is located just next door to the Alpha wolf centre http://www.alpha-loup.com/accueil.php and the picturesque village of Saint Martin Vésubie. http://www.vesubie-mercantour.com/

Information & Contact Details
Denis is in Sainte Agnès from the end of September each year to the middle of June. In the summer months he stays in Le Boréon valley above Saint Martin Vésubie, where visitors can stay in his chalet or yourtes. In addition to day rides, and the “must do” bi-annual Transhumance between the two sites, riding courses and tailor made trips are organised throughout the year.

Denis Longfellow
Tel: 00 33 (0)622 295 886
Email: longfellow.denis@gmail.com

Places to stay and eat

SAINTE AGNES

Le Righi – good home made food and a great view
Mr and Mrs DUJARDIN
Avenue du Château
Tel: 00 33 (0)4 92 10 90 88

Le Saint-Yves Hotel – family run hotel with traditional fare
76 rue des Sarrasins
06500 Sainte Agnès
Tel: 00 33 (0)4 93 35 91 45

LE BOREON

O à La Bouche – restaurant above the Alpha wolf centre – well cooked food
Tel: 00 33 (0)4 93 03 33 77

Chalet Longfellow – chalet for up to 13 people during the winter – summer accommodation in the chalet and yourtes.

MERCANTOUR ACCOMMODATION AND HOLIDAYS

Spacebetween Berthemont les Bains
Tel: 00 33 (0)4 93 03 48 57
http://www.space-between.co.uk

Christian Lorenzetti Valdeblore

Tel: 00 33 (0)6 22 068 63 93

http://www.ecogitemercantour.fr

Life on a high wire - adventure holidays in France

2012-01-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

Making the passage of man over mountains a little easier is certainly not a new phenomenon!! Even back in the late 1400s the intrepid Captain Antoine de Ville used ladders to help him summit Mount Aiguille in the Savoie, and in the 1500s more sophisticated cabling was used by mountain guides in the Mont Blanc area to overcome difficult stretches of terrain.

Via ferrata, as we know it today, originated during WWI in Italy as a means of transporting troups across Alpine terrain. Post war, these routes were soon abandoned for military use. It was only in the 1980s when the concept of creating interesting and challenging routes as a pass time in itself, rather than a means to an end, was hatched.

The Alpes-Maritimes department is blessed with eight different networks of VF, out of a total of about 100 in the whole of France. These are of varying degrees of difficulty so aficionadi can wile after a week or so, on the trail of adventure in France!!

For non aficionadi

What is it all about??

Via ferrata offers access to rock climbing type terrain but made easy. Enjoy all of the thrills and spills of fresh air beneath you, without the fear element.

VF’s vary of course, but the routes are usually on a cliff or in a gulley which has been equipped with rungs and holds to enable climbing. Most sports routes have rungs which are conveniently located to suit both the short and the tall!! A metal cable runs along the routes, to which you are attached at all times. In addition to face climbing, many via ferrata also offer more challenging sections such as wire monkey bridges to cross.

What do you need to do it??

For via ferrata, you need to be comfortably dressed, with sturdy trainers. Climbing shoes are not required. Do consider that you will be on the mountain for some hours – so make sure you cater for any eventualities – sun cream, hat, or gloves and a waterproof, and take a drink. You need to wear a climbing harness with a double lanyard belaying system plus a climbing helmet. These can usually be hired from local equipment stores quite cheaply.

How fit do I need to be??

There is no need to be super fit to do VF. You obviously need to be vertigo free, and have reasonable strength in your upper and lower body for movements. Routes have a variety of standards of difficulty, and you should start on one suited to your fitness, strength, and confidence. If bad weather threatens, do as you would if out walking; move off the mountain quickly but safely.

What experience do I need?

No rock climbing experience is needed; you will have no problem if you have done some scrambling before. Beginners can either grab a rock climbing mate for a day, join a group led by a mountain leader, or head out on their own – ensuring that they are familiar with their equipment, the routes on the VFs, and the basic essentials of ensuring that one is clipped on to the metal cables at all times. At breaks in the cables, the carabiners are moved one at a time, ensuring that security is always in place. There are also escape routes called échappatoires, which offer an easier route off the hill at more difficult sections.

Where to go for a maiden adventure?

A good idea to start on the Baus de la Frema near to La Colmiane – there are several places where you can hire your kit, and then drive to the start point where there are useful maps of the routes on the mountain. In the summer there is someone who will take a fee of c €5 but out of season access is usually free. The routes were established by experienced local mountain guides, so the rungs/holds are conveniently placed, with plenty of escape routes available too.
How to find out more?

A goodie in English - ‘Via ferrata, a complete guide to France’ available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Via-Ferrata-Complete-Guide-France/dp/1871890977

Also there is a VF guide published by the Conseil Général des Alpes-Maritimes – Rando Via Ferrata – guides RandOxygène - http://www.cg06.fr

And a face full of all that is available in France - http://viaferratafr.free.fr/

For more real life experiences of Via Ferrata in the Mercantour, read this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2004/oct/19/climbingholidays.france by freelance journalist Timandra Harkness, who wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew on a visit to La Colmiane, with experienced mountain guide and wag, Pierrot Fiorucci.

VF is offered by British walking and adventure holiday company Spacebetween , as part of their activity packages, http://www.space-between.co.uk/adventure-activity-holiday-france-mercantour.html, or alternatively you could use their base, offering two gites, for accommodation only. http://www.space-between.co.uk/holiday-accommodation-france-accomonly.html

Spacebetween
Tel: 00 33 (0)4 93 03 48 57
Contact: Liz Lord & Mel Jones

Why snowshoe?? The ultimate winter walking holiday!!!

2012-01-26T07:00:00.001-08:00

We are just offering our final places for our winter walking holidays in the Mercantour for the winter season 2011/2012.

It is great to see that snow shoeing is gaining in popularity - and you don't have to be a super fit hard nut to enjoy the sport either!!! The crazies might be interested in snow shoe running events - yes really - but for most mere mortals - snow shoes are an excellent way of getting out in the white stuff with minimal effort.

Snow shoes - used by Man for centuries used to be tennis racquet type affairs - formerly crafted from wood and animal gut - which attached to the foot allowed hunters and keen beans, the chance to move around in the snow, without sinking in too much. Today, and fortunately, the equipment is more sophisticated. The cheaper end of the market does recreate the tennis effect, but these shoes, with rubber attachments are best avoided as you slide around like nobodies business. Best to stick with a reliable brand such as TSL - these wonder items - can be adjusted to fit your boot size and have attachments around the toe and the ankle area. Wearers are armed (or footed!) with a studded base, and a super evil front "claw" which can be kicked into snow on steep inclines, It is best to leave the base plate loose from your foot on ascent, or even engage the natty "heel" which raises the back of your foot and puts less strain on your calves. Coming down hill - and to prevent balling up of the snow (surprisingly heavy!) - it is best to attach the base plate so there is no flapping around and you can floof (spacebetween trademark verb!) downhill - scree running style with less danger. This also avoids the risk of making an unside down "v" with your snow shoe - not recommended at all!

What we at spacebetween particularly like about snow shoeing is its suitability for all ages, sizes and fitness levels and the opportunity it gives to get off piste and into the wilderness. In the Mercantour , we have little shortage of that!!! Starting out in at say 1700m in a snow free zone, it might seem a pest to have to strap the blighters to your ruck sack but once you are in the snow - you will be grateful indeed. It's also useful to pack a pair of rubber over shoes into your sack for areas of little snow but some ice - these are cheap, compact, and easy to pack away.

You quickly gain confidence in your snow shoes and just need to remember to walk a little like a duck (legs slightly apart), so you don't fall over your feet. Sure it's quite strenuous exercise but you can take it all at your own pace. Poles are a great boon, allowing you to get into a rythmn, nordic walking style, plus offer a bit of support for difficult traverses.

Minded to act to get away from grey skies in the UK and into some great walking terrain - well give us a shout.

Merveilles Valley - walking holidays in France - with a plus!!

2012-01-26T06:49:00.000-08:00

Bronze Age Power – Magic walking holidays in France

It’s hard to imagine even today what drew early Man to this remote valley in the Mercantour – the Alpes-Maritimes’ natural treasure trove.

Whichever of the many current theories it was (Chariots of the Gods’esque if you wish), the valley inspired Man to create tens of thousands of carvings on the surfaces of the creamy coloured (not blue!) rocks.

They leave a truly incredible insight into their unique culture which can really be brought to life with a visit accompanied by a local guide. (Many of the most interesting carvings can only be explored with a guide).

Over the years the valley was left to enjoy its isolation as many considered that the valley was a place of ill omen. The combination of frequent violent thunder storms (attracted to Mount Bego) and the eerie carvings, creating much fear through the vivid imagination of early inhabitants.

In more rational times in the late 19th century, Englishman Clarence Bicknell made the first detailed study of the carvings (The French dispute this of course!). Over the course of twenty one years he documented over 12000 carvings. Subsequent studies have “unearthed” many thousands more. The images are simplistic in their nature, depicting animals, weapons and tools, geometric shapes, figures, and abstract forms.

To say much more about their meaning would be to spoil the fun of an evocative day out in the Merveilles!! Go and see for yourself!

Just under three quarters of visitors to the Mercantour come to explore the Merveilles valley – yet it remains surprising that most Anglo Saxons don’t seem to be aware of this (proposed) World Heritage Site.

Until recently the valley was only accessible on foot. This can be done from either – the west – from the Gordolasque valley (from the Vésubie) or from the Minière valley – the east (from the Roya).

The approach from the west is much more inspiring as the walker is rewarded with the view of meadows and lakes, down to the valley, having reached the Pas de l’Arpette.

From the east, despite the fact that visitors can enjoy an hour or so in the very interesting Tende museum, the walk is easier but less exciting, especially when the silence is broken by the 4x4s, now (fingers crossed – not for much longer) allowed to ply their way up the valley.

No point in donning your boots at the moment as there will still be two metres of snow up in the valley. The best time of year to go is in June or July when the sight of the wild flowers is enough to make even a grown man weep, or in the autumn when colours are starting to turn.

Risk August and there will be too many people in the rather gloomy Merveilles refuge, and you probably will get very wet – although you will understand the magic of the place in the course of the drenching!!

If you want to stay over, avoid the Merveilles refuge at any time of year, and instead either wild camp, (six or more people can stay in a teepee – contact us about this!) or head to the Fontanalbe refuge.

At the base of the Minières valley there is the Neige et Merveilles refuge, and to the west the Relais de Merveilles gîte d’etape at the end of the Gordolasque valley.

Walking!!!! The joys of.....

2011-07-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at £7000 per month.
My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where he is.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing..
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 quid. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,...... just getting over the hill.
We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads.That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

Micro scooters roll again!

2011-07-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

Hi - well how the world turns - the adult micro scooter craze of more than 10 years ago - googling provides info on people getting killed and hurt from articles in 2000! - has gone youth!! Good to see that weeny kids are enjoying getting out there on their bright mini scooters......

Socca - yes socca...

2011-07-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

As requests - a quick run down on how to make socca - beloved of the Nicois - mix together 500ml of water - 4 tbls of oil and 250g of chick pea flour - plus some salt and pepper. Allow to stand for 15 mins. Mix again. Heat a heavy bottomed pan - if you don't have a socca iron! - with a decent covering of olive oil to hot hot.......pour some of the mix into the pan as if you were making a pancake....allow to fully cover the pan base - cook the base thoroughly - before finishing the top off under a hot grill. Cut or scrape from pan and service with salt and pepper and some chilled rose (with an accent!!).....thin style is french'er - thicker Italian - second batch is usually better so don't lose hope!! Enjoy - perfect for ceoliacs......and scrummy for all....I sometimes add chilli or spice - not that this would surprise you!! ENJOY.....Chick pea flour available in Indian shops if not in main supermarkets.....

Nice in Nice???

2011-07-06T23:09:00.001-07:00

Phew - definitely feeling like hairy hobos - spent the day in Nice on Tuesday - just too hot even in just in semi-smart gear (meeting requiring a soil free look!!) - highlight of the day was a great lunch in a Japanese resto - cool (bless the A/C) - calm - and good food- although not Mr. Jones' grub of choice - too much time for him in Taiwan among the "if it moves eat it" brigade.....Kamogawa is in rue de la Buffa - they do great value set lunches (I had to have tempura - veggie - off the standard menu) - fish looked very fresh - but could get very pricey in the evenings I imagine.....wine starts at €28 a bottle....pic courtesy of diamond diving - and no - I don't think grouper was on the menu...

Crazy biking in the Alpes-Maritimes

2011-07-06T06:38:00.001-07:00

Hey Mel - don't forget our crazy neighbours in Berthemont - for some bonkers mountain biking experiences!!

Wild camping anyone??

2011-07-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hi - here in the Mercantour for the summer there is now zippo accommodation left - the frustrations of living in an lovely part of the world BUT with few options for peak times! - but you can come and wild camp - keep it cheap - keep it fun......here's a few tips from the Guardian on how to stay within the regulations in different countries and avoid park guides chasing you about in your shreddies!!

Smith Peter.............

2011-07-06T05:50:00.001-07:00

Looking forward to seeing Mr Smith and ever growing family soon!!

The peace of the countryside....

2011-07-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

Liz was getting tired of looking at all the rampant grass on the side of the road and was out there in a flash with her mega strimmer.....terrifying local drivers who may have imagined that Mrs Shrek was thrashing about in the undergrowth - jocularly saying to our neighbour that the local council would be sure to start doing their over due work that very day....and low and behold - there they were, an hour later on the hairy hairpin section as you drive up to Berthemont. Happens every year without fail...and to add to the tale they were back this morning - at 5.30 waking us and all our kind guests - cheers! Still the hedge work will have saved us at least a day of toil (nasty it is too!) .....better get off and cut the fern in one of the fields - the only green matter that the horses have left untouched...who said having 6 acres would be fun.....

Awash with diversity in the Alpes-Maritimes

2011-07-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

Well done to Cote D'Azur tourism for this great video!! Exactly we would say....

Cycling in the Alpes-Maritimes

2011-07-06T02:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Côte D’Azur tourism for this cunning and very appropriate “push” for the diversity of the Alpes-Maritimes..............

10 THINGS TO DO FOR FREE (or a snip) ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA

2011-07-06T02:23:00.000-07:00

1 Yes, you Cannes! The festival is nearly upon us (May 11) and the line up is looking good - here's how to get into the films for nowt.

2 Sweet smelling - a Grasse flower festival in the city of perfume - May 14-16.

3 Summer nights - a fantastic programme of FREE concerts throughout the Alpes-Maritimes - 2011 dates not yet issued but here is the link.

4 Asian Arts Museum- Nice - a real haven of peace - just opposite the airport. Free entry and year round fascinating exhibitions, plus a tea room.

5 Sail away - get to Saint Trop. before the glitterati and enjoy a feast of latin sails, at the end of May.

6 Walk the line anytime - or at least the Nice - Villefranche coastal path where you can rubber neck some of the most expensive real estate on the planet.

7 Volunteer - do something worthy - and join in schemes to clear up some of the mess that humans create, in the water on May 21st, or on land later in the season - Mountain Wilderness also organise clear-up weekends.

8 Correns Craic - the home of Brangelina but more importantly, a music festival every June.

9 Rocking in Roq - nearer to home - Denis has a weekend party in Sainte-Agnès at the end of April - music, yoga, fun....just take a picnic; plus free dances will take place again in Roquebillière, every Wednesday evening, in July/August. Get your dancing shoes on!

10 Getting around - use the €1 bus, the great bike or new shared car schemes, or hop on the train for £10 a day!!

Anyone for accommodation....

2010-11-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

Seems as if everyone from Italy is heading towards the Riviera for the festive season and everyone on the coast is heading north! While Britain shivers under a cold snap - we too are relishing a really early start to the ski season - and some great snow - this is chez nous BUT it only looks like this for 2 or 3 days a year....rose (with an accent) still possible on the terrace!! It was -8 in the Boreon today mind you...and about 2 degrees here - keep warm..... It looks as if flight/trains are hideously expensive now at the end of December - so why not plan on a January/February break to get the body moving again....

An elderly horse owner?!!!

2010-11-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone out there who are novice horse owners after years of wanting one?! We are based in the Mercantour - offering accommodation and walking/adventure holidays.....and walking with hosses now too!! Do get in touch if you want to share the scare of having a ton of flesh looking to you for all it needs!!

30 years of the Mercantour

2010-09-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Fun in Gran Paradiso with spacebetween

2010-08-09T02:35:00.000-07:00

Bravo les filles - all that giggling!

Kevin Rushby - Horse riding in the Mercantour

2010-08-08T03:06:00.000-07:00

When the horses come down from the hill, I'm standing on the lane, wondering if there is any way to get out of what is about to happen. It's an impressive sight: the dozen horses, manes and tails in motion, all cantering through the forest, the dog barking at their heels. There were two patched and painted ponies, like Apache war steeds, a pair of dainty Arabs, dish-faced and bug-eyed, like they had pranced straight out of a Stubbs painting. There were a couple of greys and some big brown mares. The biggest brute will be mine, I thought – the one with the grudge.

Far below us, down 700m of mountainside, shimmering and hazy, was the Côte d'Azur with its white tower blocks, black cars and scorched skin. But we were no longer in that world; we were in a golden forest of field maples, oaks and scarlet sumac near the village of Sainte-Agnès, just a few miles north of Monaco, close to the Italian border. We were setting out on a two-day ride into the virtually uninhabited interior, our saddlebags stuffed with supplies and bedrolls.

Denis came past me, whistling, then shouting for the dog, "Avant, avant, Uxel! Allez, Juanita!" And the dog, a huge lolloping hound, was behind Juanita, one of the painted ponies, urging her down. I noticed that the dog appeared to know the horse's name, and thought, "Is that possible?"

I stepped back. My partner, Sophie, and six-year-old daughter Maddy were with Denis, catching horses by the manes, slipping on bridles, tying them up to a rope strung between two trees. But I stepped back.

Kevin in the Provencal Hills I'll be honest. Horses and me never did click. A bite on the hand long ago, tales of terrifying injuries, cowboy movies where they get thrown and trampled and bitten and generally reduced to a bloody, quivering pulp, and finally the time in Sudan – I blush at the recollection – when I coolly threw myself up on a mule, and went directly over the other side into the dirt. If only the whole village hadn't been watching! Some of them laughed so hard they had to lie down. Gimme a bike any day. To add to my woes, Sophie and Maddy are comparative experts – and they look good in jodhpurs.

The night before, Denis had explained his methods. "I leave the horses out on the mountain – that way they get strong and they have the security of the herd. They got a pecking order and they got leaders. I work with 'em."

Denis Longfellow inspires confidence. Born in California in the 60s, he grew up surrounded by writers and poets (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an ancestor). In the 70s he moved to Provence and spent 10 years with the last generation of old-time shepherds: "They couldn't read or write, but they knew how to keep animals."

Denis has a direct simple animal psychology: "In Europe you got a lot of culture grown up around horseback riding. There's a guy two metres up there, looking down on someone, and he wants to make that seem mysterious and complicated. But it ain't. Horseback riding ain't complicated."

A welcome mid-trek shot of pastis Photograph: Kevin Rushby Now, here on the lane, Denis is about to show me how simple it is. He grabs the big brown mare – the one with the grudge, of course – and he grips the reins in one hand together with a fist full of mane and he says to me. "Hold her like this. Get a foot in your stirrup, then jump up."

I do it. The horse keeps steady. Denis positions my toe in the stirrup. "It's a natural position: feet underneath, basin ..." he points at my pelvis. "That's where you ride – in the basin. You can stand if you want, but keep your head down and butt up. Hold the mane with both hands if you need to."

Maddy and Sophie are up, too. Mel and Liz, colleagues of Denis, are up. The loose horses are milling, hooves clattering on tarmac. The dog, Uxel, is waiting for a signal. Denis jumps into the saddle. A piercing whistle. My brown mare, Mada, turns sharply right and pounces forwards after the loose horses. A cacophony of hooves explodes around me. A black horse bashes my knee. We're going downhill at a trot and my bum is being punched. Stand up. Grab mane. Horse's head starts to pump up and down as she breaks into a canter. Denis comes rattling past, cooler than a cowboy dude, leaning back like he's tootling a Harley D up Route 66: "Sit back. Use your basin. It's like making love."

I can't sit. I can't make love with my basin. I can't do anything but hold on. And yet that's cool. Denis is cool. "OK, basin up and head down," he shouts. "Like a jockey."

I'm laughing with exhilaration. We sheer away down a broad grassy footpath. Sophie is alongside me on her grey gelding and grinning. "Well?"

I can't stop smiling. "I – think – I – might – like – this ..." How come, I'm wondering, I never realised what fun this could be? And I haven't even thought about falling off.

After an hour we pull up by a tumbledown cottage where a man with a face full of furrows is waving a bottle of pastis. He pours me a stiff measure.

"You'll never believe what I saw this morning: a man with a knapsack and nothing else – naked!" He laughs. "I hardly see a soul up here, though it's just a few kilometres from the coast."

Guide Denis Longfellow. Photograph: Kevin Rushby A curious thing about Provence is how the coast and the mountains have exchanged population: the coast was once an overheated pirate-afflicted zone that nobody wanted, while the cool hills were desirable – everyone lived up here. Now the population is all down on the coast, even though it's still overheated and pirate-infested (they sail in gilded mega-yachts these days), and the hills are silent: you would struggle to get a pétanque match together in most villages.

Riding through the sun-dappled forest, the only humans we see are a couple of mushroom collectors. We emerge at an abandoned coastguard station and a magnificent panorama. Behind us are the snow-capped Alpes Maritimes, ahead the sparkling sea and the mountains of Corsica on the horizon, 200km away. Westwards we can see Provence disappearing in ridges of blue and violet, while to the east are the mountains of Italian Liguria.

"I guess most kids in England learn horseback riding indoors," Denis says to Maddy.

She nods: "My horse is called Pippin. We go across the ring from A to C, then B to D. It's fun."

I think Maddy is missing the rule-bound predictability of the riding school, a place where correct clothes, posture and meticulous attention to detail are observed. She has coped with the intensity of this outdoor experience with remarkable sang-froid, but for her – truth to tell – the confidence nurtured in the riding school is indispensable here.

Lunch is laid out: tiny black Niçoise olives, cheeses, hunks of bread, a bottle of red wine, pasta and salads. We eat and talk, then some of us snooze. Later we trot onwards in the deep glow of late afternoon. Denis tells me how he breaks new horses in.

"There ain't no problem when they live in a herd. The young colts run with us and they see what happens with the older horses. When they're three years old, I put a bridle and saddle on them. I use hackamore bridles so there's no bit. They take to it real easy."

In a broad meadow we gallop about and round up the loose horses, whooping and yelling like cowboys on the range. It is both ridiculous and wonderful. That evening we light a camp fire, put some sausages on to cook, and watch the stars come out.

"If only I'd known riding could be like this!" I say to Denis. "No pomp – just relaxed."

My attitude to horses has, I admit, been damaged by exposure to a certain kind of horsey person: braying women in uptight clothes, red-faced toffs in white cravats, all wearing those foul black helmets with a ribbon on top. (I have to stop myself at this point since Maddy and Sophie love this kind of kit.) Denis, I scarcely need to say, does not wear any of that ghastly garb, favouring jeans and checked shirts with sunglasses under a baseball cap.

"A lot of guys come to it when they are older – thirties, forties, even fifties and sixties," Denis says. "There's no problem with age at all."

There is a commotion among the horses and Maddy goes to investigate. She comes back grinning sheepishly. "They're doing binki-bonki."

A torch reveals what exactly binki-bonki is: a grey gelding in an aroused state mounting a chestnut mare.

"Ah, that's Dodo," says Denis. "He gets in the mood every three or four months – no problem." He goes back to turning sausages on the fire.

Next morning we ride for about three hours and have lunch on a hilltop before heading back towards Sainte-Agnès, at 760m the highest coastal village in Europe. We unsaddle the horses and send the herd off into the forest, then sit down to an excellent dinner in the village restaurant.

Later that evening, I head out alone on to the rocks around the village. The trip has challenged my prejudice, and then surprised me by flipping it over entirely. The truth is that I was the one with the grudge, not the poor horse. I sit down on a spur of granite and look around. To the south are the bright lights of Menton and Monte Carlo; to the north is complete darkness, punctuated by the hoots of owls calling across the valley. And above, as if attempting to tie these two impossibly different worlds together, is the broad spangled belt of the Milky Way.

Top 10 park in the world - the Mercantour of course!

2010-08-08T02:51:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Global Treasure on our doorstep!

Excellent to see our local National Park getting some top press and standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the world’s finest scenery. This is what they* said

The Mercantour is a long and narrow strip of National Park which lies in the North East of the Alpes-Maritimes, along the Italian border. The central zone is peppered with numerous jagged peaks, deep winding gorges, Alpine meadows, lakes, deep forests and a wide variety of flora and fauna. On the Eastern flank of the Park, in terrain carved out by glaciers, the Merveilles and Fontanalbe valleys conceal an extraordinary collection of Bronze Age rock carvings. These form a vast open air museum which is the most important of its kind in Europe. Guided visits are provided by qualified guides.

The rest
Unites States Grand Canyon
Canada Banff National Park
Khao Sok National Park Thailand
NE Greenland National Park Denmark
Iguaçu National Park Argentina/Brazil
Saba Marine Park Dutch Antilles
Galapagos National Park Equator
Namib-Naukluft National Park Namibia
Mungo National Park Australia

Published on Liberation.fr (http://voyageorigine.liberation.fr/voyager-autrement/les-dix-plus-beaux-parcs-et-reserves-du-monde#comment-7795), from Lonely Planet data.

Third time lucky in Paradise?

2010-07-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Refusing to be jinxed by our two “snow up to the eyeballs” visits to the Aosta valley in recent years, we were delighted when our Mont Blanc team decided to have a pop at Italy’s finest.
So looking forward to having a decko at the soaring peaks in Gran Paradiso, Mel and I set off optimistically, heading into the Roya Valley – across the Col de Tende and down into Italy. A mere four and a half hours later we spied our sun-batheing compatriots outside the Terminal and soon whisked them north west.
The Aosta valley has all the big-scale majesty of the French side of the border, with a less frenetic feel. Love to see the vines precariously terraced on the valley sides and the imposing fortresses built to keep aliens away in more ferocious times.
We give our previous snow haven hotel in Villeneuve a wave before downing a cheeky beer and heading up towards Villesavarenche – and the end of the valley (well the road anyway) at Pont. We’d stayed at the Genzianella (http://www.genzianella.aosta.it/) in previous and enjoyed its laid-back style – which was being well maintained by its new owners – thanks for that team! Even allowing the sports mad to watch the last of the World Cup!!
Feeling rather like Grandma with my one rather useless limb, it was none the less great to wave off Mel, Jak, Annie and Caroline for their two days of preparation adventures, a good walk and then some ice axe arrest training (http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=446690001659&ref=mf) before heading off to the Chabod refuge on the third day for a rendezvous with the charming Stefano who was to be the guide on the final morning.

more later!!!!

Going wild in the Mercantour….but not too wild…

2010-07-28T07:20:00.001-07:00

A goodly little walk to blow away the cobwebs – just an hour north of Nice.
Stir yourselves from your beds and head up the D6202 and then approach La Colmaine (www.colmiane.com) from either via the Tinée valley or the Vésubie.
Head towards the pretty village of Saint Dalmas, where from the north side of the village you will find a tarmac road which has the familiar red and white striped markings of the GR5.
Continue along this path until an intersection 75 which is signposted to the Col de la Madeleine. It is a mere 200m of ascent, first through open country, and then through forest before coming to another decision making point – whether to carry on to the Col de la Madeleine at 1736 m or carry on to a very pleasant lunch spot at the Séréna.

Carry on to Col du Puei and then to the Col de Séréna at just 1307 m.

Over lunch enjoy your sandwich looking over the pretty fortified village of Rimplas and back towards La Colmiane.

The kids can scamper about whilst you gather yourself together for a short walk back and the promise of a quick look round the medieval village of Saint-Dalmas, and the Templar church.

More excitingly a chilled glass of rosé awaits you in the village bar!!

Whatever your fancy – it is a very pleasant half day out – silence – birds – views – convivial lunch – the finest!!

Map IGN 3641 ER

Truly the valley of Marvels!

2010-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to imagine even today what drew early Man to this remote valley the Valley of Marvels – Vallée des Merveilles, now in the Mercantour National Park – the Alpes-Maritimes’ natural treasure trove.
Whichever of the many current theories it was (Chariots of the Gods’esque if you wish), the valley inspired Man to create tens of thousands of carvings on the surfaces of the local rocks.

They leave a truly incredible insight into their unique culture which can really be brought to life with a visit accompanied by a local guide. (Many of the most interesting carvings can only be explored with a guide).

Over the years the valley was left to enjoy its isolation as many considered that the valley was a place of ill omen. The combination of frequent violent thunder storms (attracted to Mount Bego) and the eerie carvings, creating much fear through the vivid imagination of early inhabitants.

In more rational times in the late 19th century, Englishman Clarence Bicknell made the first detailed study of the carvings. Over the course of twenty one years he documented over 12000 carvings. Subsequent studies have “unearthed” many thousands more. The images are simplistic in their nature, depicting animals, weapons and tools, geometric shapes, figures, and abstract forms.

Just under three quarters of, mainly French, visitors to the Mercantour come to explore the Merveilles valley – yet it remains surprising that most Anglo Saxons don’t seem to be aware of this (proposed) World Heritage Site.

Until recently the valley was only accessible on foot. This can be done from either – the west – from the Gordolasque valley (from the Vésubie) or from the Minière valley – the east (from the Roya).
The approach from the west is much more inspiring as the walker is rewarded with the view of meadows and lakes, down to the valley, having reached the Pas de l’Arpette.

From the east, despite the fact that visitors can enjoy an hour or so in the very interesting Tende museum, the walk is easier but less exciting, especially when the silence is broken by the 4x4s, now (fingers crossed – not for much longer) allowed to ply their way up the valley.

If you want to stay over, avoid the Merveilles refuge at any time of year, and instead either wild camp, or head to the Fontanalbe refuge.
At the base of the Minières valley there is the Neige et Merveilles refuge, and to the west the Relais de Merveilles gîte d’etape at the end of the Gordolasque valley.

Why climb Mont Blanc?

2010-07-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

If you are a peak bagger, a sporty walker, and want to get up to the highest point in Western Europe, the big white fella that looms over Chamonix has appeal.

Whilst we are loving it in the Mercantour, the wishes of some mates, is difficult to pass by, if you have some desire to have a pop at Mont Blanc’s impressive 4810m.

From the UK, fly to Geneva, from where Chamonix is an hour and a half drive away. We lucky Mercantour residents can take a gorgeous drive over a selection of mountain passes.

Great to be in Chamonix and to have a warm welcome from Pierrot at the hotel La Chaumière. Pierrot, runs a guide office, Escapade, in Saint Martin Vésubie. Stéphane, his fellow guide, is a rangey chap, too modest himself to boast of his achievements. We are only to find out several days later that he has, among other things, created a new and very dangerous route up Kwangde, in Nepal.

The training days in the Vallée Blanche were great fun and so inspiring, noteable for the "interesting" descent on via ferrata type iron rungs, and the depressing shrinkage of the glacier in recent years.

We plan to stay in the Tête Rousse refuge (great surreal view!), then on to the l'Aiguille du Goûter refuge mid morning for a summit attempt the same day. This avoids the stone shower that can bash you on the head as you cross the Grand Couloir. More importantly you could also skip the Goûter hut whose reputation rather precedes it.

Best laid plans and all that…

Rather typically, after several days of clear clear blue, the outlook becomes more unstable. Cloud cover increases and by mid morning – well?. We are forced to hole up in the said Goûter hut.

Eager to rest, we ignore the close surroundings and instead concentrate on the stunning views. As the afternoon goes by, we are amazed at the mass of humanity that keeps coming ....and coming......and coming...

I wear the "largest earplugs known to man" but still endure a sleepless night, surrounded by an international mix of people for whom group courtesy didn’t mean a thing.

In the morning there is a grumpy scrummage, and fresh knee level snow as we start out under a clear starry sky, in the motorway trip to the summit.

However Mother Nature likes to play a game and after a couple of hours we are treated to the "big white room" experience, which means that only some of us get to the very top.

Back at the Goûter, we get ready to tackle the freshly iced up route down to the Tête Rousse. Um!

Moving quickly on....we do still manage to leap aboard the last train down to Chamonix at 16.30. Nothing quite like a cheery "Don't worry you can walk down if you miss it" to quicken you up.

The scores on the doors? Eight stitches, four "Flowerpot men" legs, three thumping heads, two slightly frost bitten toes.

After several frothy beers we wonder if we would do it again – yes maybe via another, more technical route such as the Cosmique.

Pearls of wisdom - despite the TV imagery of rufty-tufty types strolling leisurely up Mont Blanc, you need to be fit, correctly equipped (not like the hapless Italian couple wandering about in jeans, trainers and windcheaters!), and guided, unless you feel competent enough to cope if the weather deteriorates.

Go to Chamonix for the fun of it? - certainly - out of season - you get a marvellous eyeful of incomparable mountains, the best range of outdoor gear a shop'oholic could wish for (don't take your credit cards!), and good food - we particularly liked our last night meal at the Maison Carrier, and of course the hearty fare (and good humour of Maria and Mario) at La Chaumière.

The question that is ALWAYS asked!

2010-07-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

I may have thought I had the better deal. In the fine autumn of 2001, Mel and I drove down to the south of France to exhibit a new fitness product at the prestigious Tax Free World Exhibition in Cannes (and that is another interesting life story – Pocket Grim!?)

I was looking forward to evenings in the Cointreau bar on the beach, with no inkling that more exciting and life changing venues lay just an hour up the road.

Mel, no lover of glitz, having seen some interesting contours on the Alpes-Maritimes, was away to the North like a bat out of hell. The lure??? The Mercantour - France’s largest and most recently created National Park (but now a healthy 30 years young), is a 685 km² outdoor adventure playground.

Parking in Saint Martin Vésubie, Mel had his fill of the surrounding mountains in the first, of many, reccies. The seed of a life-style business opportunity was there. Easy to get to, within hopping distance of the French Riviera, but an unknown National Park – let’s go….

The name was partial courtesy to the Dave Matthew’s band for their great song spacebetween and for us – the space between the Côte d’Azur and the Savoie to the North — and that much needed holiday space between.

Finding La Zourcière in Berthemont-les-Bains was a coup. A fine farmhouse with lots of accommodation potential and crying out to be stripped of the 1970’s Alpine French style interior – we are still at it – trying to get greener; get some more beasts; have a lovely cool ,plain, airy interior;

Today we are delighted to offer that spacebetween in two gîtes within the house. Great for guests to enjoy accommodation only, or to hoof out there in a fantastic holiday week – all year round.