BATERE ON

AN UNDESIRABLE REFUGE

ABBEY AT ARLES-SUR-TECH

AMELIE-LES-BAINS

FOUNTAIN IN PLACE PICASSO, CERET

MONUMENT TO TORREADORS OF THE WORLD, CERET

SUPPER OUTSIDE GRAND CAFE DE PARIS, AMELIE-LES-BAINS

I woke on Sunday morning to find the Gite d'etape de Batere shrouded in a thick mist. That spooky feeling I had yesterday on the overlooking col returned. Perhaps I was not meant to escape? Perhaps, in whatever direction I walked, several hours later I would find myself right back here, trapped, never able to leave.

Thankfully, a couple of hours later the fog cleared and I could see all the way down to Arles-sur-Tech in the valley about 7 miles away. That was as far as I was going today - just an easy stroll.

It was probably about 10.30am when I left the gite but I wasn't paying much attention to the time. After walking a short distance along the road, I followed the route down into the woods. I soon came across some old tumbledown stone constructions with bits of steel cable and chunks of broken cast iron lying around. Batere is famous for iron mining and perhaps these are the remains of some old workings.

It rained lightly but was warm. I didn't bother putting on waterproofs as precipitation and evaporation seemed to be pretty-well in balance. Besides, the rain soon stopped.

There was a long section on a good path, surrounded by trees, easily navigated, so little concentration was required. This is when I can let my mind wander. I think about the many friends, relatives and neighbours who I have lost. I think especially about my Dad and my Bruv, and the special mates who I can no longer share time with, at least not in the physical world - Pete Guest, Teresa Pateman, Terry Green, Terry Adams and most recently Steve Tait. However, I feel that they are all with me as I walk, sharing in my adventure, watching over me and keeping me safe.

It is probably Steve who I have thought about the most because he died just a few days before I left for this trek. He told me that he enjoyed reading my blogs and would be following me on this one. I guess he can watch the live show now.

My daydreaming was interrupted when I came across an old barn which was now used as an unmanned refuge. However, with a name like Refuge des Biggarats painted on the side, I was not surprised that it didn't appear anyone had slept there recently.

Arles-sur-Tech looked like a Roman village when it came into view, with roofs covered with those beautiful orange Mediterranean earthenware tiles. Located on the banks of the River Tech, the place is a sleepy little town whose main tourist attraction is its Benedictine Abbey founded in the 8th century. However, it has an easygoing charm about it, making it a perfect Sunday retreat. The local gite closed down a while back so I had to put my hand a little more deeply into my pocket than usual for a room at the only hotel, Les Glycines. There is a camp site, but it is on the edge of town and I heard that it was going to rain later - and it did.

I spent the remainder of the day exploring the town, taking a look at the Abbey and wandering round the Mayor's Gardens, which contained several Sequoias. They must have been a miniature variety as they were only twice as high as the other trees in the gardens.

There were no shops open for me to buy anything for supper, so I put my hand even deeper into my pocket and ate at the hotel. The food and service were exemplary so no regrets there.

Next morning the supermarket down the road was open and so I bought my breakfast there, along with snacks for the rest of the day. The next town along, going in an easterly direction, is Amelie-les-Bains. My maps showed a footpath there, so I decided to follow it. The walk only took me an hour.

I had decided that Amelie would be an excellent start point from which to climb back up to the border tomorrow, so I found a hotel, booked in, left most of my stuff there then wandered around the town. Amelie is famous for its sulphur springs used as baths by rheumatism sufferers. It occured to me if you substutute an S for the A in Amelie you will get the idea.

After lunch I took the bus to Ceret. I'd been there with my brother about 10 years ago, and just fancied another look.

Ceret is a centre for art and artists, so I obviously visited an art gallery - it was displaying sculptural interpretations of Picasso's paintings which I think my Dad, also a sculptor, would have been fascinated by. Then, after a good look around the historic centre, I sat and enjoyed a cold beer in Place Picasso. He's obviously a popular chap here.

After catching the bus back to Amelie, my final important task of the day was to buy enough food to get me through the next day or two, as I don't know where I'll find it when I return to the hills in the morning.

I enjoyed supper al fresco in front of the hotel - which, incidentally, is called the Grand Cafe de Paris. It's gone 9.00pm, the streets are buzzing with activity and people are still wearing T-shirts. I rather like Amelie, even though it does have a casino.