The Suffolk Argus
The Great Apollo Hunt.
Epilogue
James Mann ourselves above the Sejourné bridge. This is an impressive composite granite bridge built at the beginning of the 20th century taking the railway line over the Tet river valley. The deepest part of the gorge, over the river itself, is spanned by a segmented arch on top of which are four large semicircular arches, the lower side is approached by three smaller semi-circular arches, and on the upper there are ten matching arches under which passes the main road to Andorra. We spent some time taking photographs from this unusual angle, most are taken from the road below.
Oh no not again I hear some of you saying but it is 4 years since I used the ‘A’ word in my article ‘What I did for my birthday June 25th 2005’ TEMPUS FUGIT. My thoughts came back to this lovely butterfly when I read the write up in ‘Butterfly’ showing concern as their habitat decreased due to global warming. My thoughts were reinforced during what I could call my birthday randonnée of 2009. At the end of our June 14th randonnée it was agreed next week meet 6 a.m. for the ‘petit Train Jeune’. Nine of us met at 6 a.m. and set off on the one hour twenty minutes drive to the car park at Thues-Entre-Vaills, the car park for the Carança gorge, the only changes in four years was the parking fee was now two euros. We left the car park and quickly crossed the Carança torrent by means of a wooden foot bridge. We turned left and after climbing 20 or so metres crossed over the Little Yellow Train line by another footbridge. Then came a hard bit, climbing a steep zigzag path 200 metres up the steep Cliffside arriving at an S.N.C.F. (French Railways) building from which protruded a one metre diameter pipe taking water down the 200 metres cliff as motive power for the hydro-electricity power station generating electricity for the railway. We took the level but fairly winding path cut into the mountainside above the River Tet, not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo, and after about 40 minutes the path started a slow descent into the trees. We came to a thinning in the trees and found
We continued on the wandering slowly descending path through the woods finally arriving at the river and the camping site at Fontpédrouse, a wonderful place to get away from it all. Up in the village itself we met up with four of the less intrepid randonneurs who did not feel up to the full walk. We partook of our coffee and cake and intrigued them with the account of the walk so far. As we left the village following the sign Prats-Balaguer/Saint-Thomas-Les-Bains, Gehart, our German representative, dug me in the ribs and said “James, Apollos?” and sure enough drifting over the meadow to our right were half a dozen Apollos. Out came our cameras, but these Apollos were not into the foreign photographers and kept their distance. Giving up in disgust we saw the rest of the group just starting up a steep path through the trees and after a 20
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