Furry/feathered fauna in the Mercantour

It is excellent to see the cross border collaboration between the French and the Italians striving to achieve UNESCO world heritage site status for the National Parks and for other areas in the Alpes-Maritimes and Liguria/Piedmont.

In addition to the French Mercantour National Park web site there is also a site for the combined Parks,

with some English.

Even here in “sunny” – I wish – Berthemont - it has been very interesting recently to see a whole host of tracks left in the snow – badger, fox, deer, roe deer, wild boar and all manner of birdies…..owls a hooting too of course…..and currently all fed up of the Ark weather that the United Kingdom and Europe have been having….

Further afield in the Park itself, there is the equivalent of the Big 5 in Africa – if not quite so prestigious – but hey I’m happy to see ibex, chamois, wolves, golden eagles and lammageias – not bad for starters.  

The diversity extends to the micro too, with the presence of many hundreds of insect/invertebrate species which have been lurking around since the Ice Age and many of which are threatened.

Fun to spot a ptarmigan in the Northern stretches of the Park, as well as green lizards on its Southern boundaries…..

For anyone particularly keen on learning more – look here for a page in English about various topics relating to both National Parks – from where you can download pdf files – currently in French  and Italian only – am sure that Google translate would give a not bad version if your language skills are not tip top.

Want to get to grips with the Mercantour – contact the only British holiday company to be based here in the Mercantour – in the fine Vésubie valley.

Accommodation only or self guided/guided  walking holidays in France  - plus adventure holidays for the adrenaline orientated!!

www.space-between.co.uk

Liz Lord & Mel Jones

Berthemont les Bains

Historic Berthemont les Bains - the perfect walking holiday destination!

I love these old postcards - here in France you can often find people selling old postcards - many of which have also been written on and posted!, at local town fairs.  There's also a Facebook page for the Old postcards museum in Nice.

Berthemont hasn't changed much over the years!!!

Like to come and stay?  Just an hour from Nice!

 

www.space-between.co.uk

Nick Danziger - living in the Alpes-Maritimes

"I often travel to three or four continents a year, covering locations from furnace-like deserts to teeming mega-cities. I spend too much time at 30,000 feet, but once I am home I am in one of the most beautiful corners of the world. As I look out of my window in the South of France, I can see the beginning of the Mediterranean Alps. Within an hour and a half, my family can trek to unspoilt wilderness areas, walking on to picnic by a lake in an amphitheatre of mountains. Trekking along the border between France and Italy means every picnic is a feast of pain de campagne and bresaola, coated in olive oil and lemon, with olives, cheese and wine. We trek in all seasons, which offers us clear blue Mediterranean skies in summer, blankets of descending mist in autumn, snow in winter, and crisp but usually dry weather in spring. If we are lucky we will spot a chamois or ibex; they are as curious to watch us as we are to watch them. It is not just the physical beauty of this place that takes my breath away, but three elements - home, family and the mountains – that combine to give me the greatest of all possible pleasures".

Nick Danziger 

From Lonely Planet Magazine - May 2010

Your Mercantour hosts - www.space-between.co.uk

Image - view of Argentera - 3400m

Mercantour walking in new Unesco Heritage site – the Maritime Alps!*

You may have thought spacebetween were exaggerating as they have been banging on about the Mercantour for the last 10 years……but finally… finally… the unique attributes of this region in SE France and NW Italy have been acknowledged, in the quest to achieve global recognition of the multi-national natural park of the Maritime Alps.

Yippy do – no doubt the machinery will turn slowly to achieve the stature of a UNESCO World Heritage Site especially as it is a large area – some 1300 km2 covering six French and Italian parks – namely the Mercantour, the Alpi Marittime plus 4 other smaller wonders including the coastal  strip of the site of the Hanbury Gardens.   

The area is populated by about 25000 people and attracts over a million people.  I’d be interested to know what the population of the French Riviera is and how many tourists visit the honey pots on the coast – answers on a postcard please!

A co-operation document was signed in June in the Mercantour and a further meeting in the Roya valley is 
planned for November 18^th 2013 when the various parks will present their cases.

The rationale for this project is its geological uniqueness – a visual feast naturally, plus the great diversity of plant and animal species making it one of the 34 biodiversity "hot spots" on the planet, to say nothing of the splendid evocative site of the Vallee des Merveilles, (the Valley of Marvels) – a wonderful valley strewn with over 35K Bronze Age carvings on its rocks.

I’ll keep you posted.

*Well nearly – how could the powers that be refuse!!

More info – www.mercantour.eu

Accommodation and walking and activity holidays in the Mercantour, South East France – www.space-between.co.uk

The perfect venue for a great walking holiday in the south of France – the Mercantour – all year round

Photos - Heading down to the Vallee des Merveilles from the Pas de L'Arpette/La Bollene Vesubie

 

Cool walking in the Mercantour, France - a quick escape to Roya in the Tinee!!

Escape from the canicule - or the carnage, after yesterday's tempests - on the French Riviera!

The crazy weather this year has created extra special conditions here - the above picture was taken last year looking down on Vignols on our way over to the Refuge de Longon after a day trailing on the impressive sphinx-like Mount Mounier.

This year - and like an idiot I didn't take the camera - the landscape is just so verdant (much more so than the parched picture above! - and rich with flowers and water pouring every where.

From the Tinee valley, the village of Roya is just a short, if narrow, drive up the valley.  There's not a lot there but there is a welcoming looking gite d'etape - Ma Veille Ecole - which has been run by the same family since 2006.  We'll be giving it a try soon! 

The GR5 takes you down to a river where picnic tables in the shade looked very inviting.  The GR5 winds slowly and non aggressively up through forest so you have plenty of time to catch you breath and enjoy the Alpine flowers. 

You pass an area on the other side of the gurgling water, which is ideal for ice climbing in the winter - although there is now of course the artificial ice tower in Le Boreon in winter months for novices and non novices to have a trial out on before getting into big nature - and also have the security of having a bar next door!!

The path eventually comes out onto an open valley plain where marmot were scampering around giving us their best warning whistles, apparently oblivious to the 100 or so (yes a 100 or so - it's not a typo!) Griffon vultures which were leisurely circling over head.  Straight out of Lord of the Rings.

As it was hot, we only had half a day, and no real fixed agenda we just pottered about admiring the "micro" stuff - the flowers, butterflies, stunning weird insects, scat (including wolf scat), bone remains ...... and eyeing up possible venues for wild swimming.  A delight!!!

The feel of the terrain is so different from the Vesubie, and we at spacebetween are very keen to get some short breaks together so that guests can come an enjoy the mix of some classic GR - Grande Randonnee- walking, some excellent off piste walking and of course the pleasure of being well fed and watered at the end of the day!

This is still - great walking - only an hour and a half from the Cote D'Azur - (and 50 minutes from us in Berthemont) come and de-stress in the mountains. Rejuvination in a flash.

And thanks to Leslie Frasier and friends of Les Chats du Mercantour for the lovely picnic lunch in their field following our wee randonnee.  For cat lovers, Leslie does sterling work for wild cats in the Alpes-Maritimes, running sterlisation schemes and a massive re-homing operation for all sorts of beasties.  She lives in Saint Etienne de Tinee - if you wished to visit, or foster/adopt cats needing a kind owner.

Get in touch for some ideas for day walks or much longer!!!  

Spacebetween - 00 33 493034857 - 00 33 678304929
Accommodation and walking holiday in the Mercantour National Park and beyond!!

Photos - top - Vignols from above - bottom - Mounier in the distance setting out from the Col de Couillole - in 2012 - dry grass!!

Walking in Liguria - a stone's throw from the Mercantour!

If we can only get away for a short break from the Mercantour at any one  time, there could be worse mini escapes in France or Italy, than zooting over the border into Italy!!!

While Italy is only a stone's throw as the golden eagle flies, we either have to drive down to Nice on the coast, east to Ventimiglia and then twenty minutes north into the boonies, or over to the Roya valley to the western edges of lovely Liguria.

Great value accommodation can be found in a handful of agriturismos, where, even in the summer you can get good B&B accommodation for €30-35 per person per night.

In comparison to headier prices found near to the coast on the Cote d'Azur or further west in Provence this is a good deal.  We opted for the Al Pagan, which is just outside the small village of Pigna.

There are six cutely named apartments in the house which has a lovely eyrie position with splendid views over to the village of Baiardo - the driveway is not for the faint-hearted but it's do-able.

You'll receive a hearty welcome from Roberto and Elisa and the cats and dog.  We were pleased to enjoy wine from their neighbouring vineyard and delicious fresh fruit and vegetables from their own veg patch.

We'd had a home cooked and rather belly busting lunch in La Posta in the middle of sleepy Pigna - rather overwhelmed by the delicious, but just too difficult to resist, plate of "nibbles" (ho ho!) and the home made pasta.  Regrettably (no!) we were obliged to sit and watch the sun go down from our own little garden way above Pigna (see above).

The following day we were up early and well motivated to get some calorie-burning done....while the countryside is more rolling than chez nous in the Mercantour, there are peaks over 2000m and what appeared to be a good Via Ferrata to have a play on.  The circuit around Colla Melosa  was splendid - with the most fabulous array of turban lillies that we have ever seen - we are now reaping the benefits of the wet weather we have been having (never mind the excitement of mushroom gatherers!).....but sadly after completing a fair chunk of the VF with no issue - it appeared that much of the paths have been swept away and not replaced, making a bit "hairy" to do without roping up!!!

Returning to Pigna, a swim in the clear blue waters of the thermal baths might have appeared attractive (see below) we weren't tempted to penetrate its glossy exterior - bit of a carbuncle in the midst of unspoilt countryside but there were plenty of guests there!!  We are lucky that there is not enough flat constructable for the powers that be to construct something as monstrous in Berthemont les Bains - where we are lucky enough to reside 24/7365!!!
.

Suitably refreshed in the morning we are keen to try out the Casa e Bottega in Dolceaqua - an offshoot off the well known Osteria dell AD!! - which is located in the central square of DA - and well worth a visit for pretty good nosh at very reasonable price in a great location.

Well worth a visit - for good quality food at very reasonable prices - before the usual assault on Italian supermarkets in the afternoon, and a calm return to France!!

 Do it - Liguria is stunning - and this article from the Guardian will offer some more advice for taking it all in.

Given the wealth of beautiful scenery, good refuges and its proximity to us - spacebetween - we are happy to offer short breaks across the border - get in touch if you need some pasta in your menu. 

Ciao for now!!!!!

Accommodation on GR 52/52A - Walking holidays in France

Fancy taking one of the many trail walks (Grandes Randonnees) which snake across the Alpes-Maritimes in France? If you do so, book away and come and enjoy some of the best walking in Europe if not the globe......however before you do so spare a thought for securing your accommodation before you set out on foot......

We spacebetween, have been lucky enough to be in a German guide book following a visit by a journo back in the early days of our life here........this is all well and good but the guide book talks of chambre d'hote accommodation, which we no longer do, and makes no mention of the need to book in advance, particularly in the high season. 

As a result, we have many a hopeful face arrive at our door in the early evening in July and August. 

Given that the Hotel des Thermes here in Berthemont is now closed, the Colonie de Vacances - La Semeuse rarely able to take one nighters, and there is little else, we do erect a three podded tent in our garden during the summer so at the very worst passers by can do "comfy camping" with mattresses and duvets, access to a bathroom and a home cooked dinner!!!

We have gained the reputation for being the best accommodation on the GR 52/52a and even the GR5 which is going some, given that the GR5 starts in Holland and runs south!!!

In recent years reputations have ebbed and flowed, hotels have come and gone so here is a run down of recommended places to stay in our vicinity around the Tinee and Vesubie valleys.

VALDEBLORE

The Grand Chalet
Auberge des Mures - recent revamp and restaurant makeover - keen to offer veggie and gluten free menus

LE BOREON

L'Arberc - chalet and yourtes with horses for summer rents

BERTHEMONT

La Zourciere

LA BOLLENE - Hotel du Parc closing.

LANTOSQUE

La Source - restaurant and chambre d'hote

COL DE TURINI

Hotel Le Chamois

Gite - Peira Cava 

Otherwise many of the villages have gites communaux, or there is the Hotel Saint Sebastien and the Bar des Sports in Roquebilliere, and the La Ferme des Cartons and La Ferme chambre d'hote but these require a descent into the Vesubie valley!!!!! 

For more information always consider checking out this very useful major Vesubie website.

Saint Martin, despite being the main tourist village of the Vesubie, is rather a wasteland for lodging and eating!!

Good places to eat include Le Provencal & Hotel Saint Sebastien in Roquebilliere, L'Ancien Abbattoir in Belvedere, La Source in Lantosque.

Don't miss the Wednesday night dancing fests in Roquebilliere in July and August and the cultural events run by Les Gens d'Aqui.

Enjoy!!!!