Les Pyrénées

We had a fun weekend away near and in the Pyrennees (near the border with Spain).  The whole region used to be part of Spain until about 500 years ago, and the Spanish influence is everywhere.  It was really beautiful driving, although Joe and I felt a bit sick from the twisty roads and hairpin bends (see the photo).

You can also see in the photo the train tracks which wind through the mountains, quite amazing - including some impressive feats of engineering, like this bridge.

Apart from the natural beauty, some of the highlights included wandering through the UNESCO town of Villefranche , and the citadel of Mont Louis.  Mont Louis was really interesting, because the main fort is still used by the military as a Commando Training Centre - they have filled the moat with obstacles, and have ladders up the walls, looked like a big adventure playground!

Also at Mont Louis is the excellent Four Solaire.  It used to be a CNRS research project, but it is now used to power a kiln.  The temperature at the focal point of the light get up to 3000C, and even on a slightly cloudy day we saw smaller demonstration versions melting bricks and setting fire to wood.  Here is a video of Andy doing that.