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The Cathar Country
Land of the Heretics
Le Cite Carcassone ---------------- Renne le Chateau -------------- Mountain Top Cathar Castles --------------Alet le Bains------
Gorge of Galimus-------------------Languedoc Towns ---------------- Unique Cathar Churches-------------------Lourdes--------
Click on the titles under the pictures for more photos
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This is to thank you for what was the best holiday of my quite long life. the Cathar Country was even more magical than I expected - an earthly paradise - and the power of the landscape geometer was palpable.
Your knowledge and sensitive appreciation of the history of the area brought its mystery, wonder and grief vividly to life. Your easy-going buoyancy and willingness to divert from the schedule - whether to pick up magic stones or raid a car boot sale - made the trip a friendly, relaxed adventure.
you seem to attract interesting people, too. setting out alone, I was delighted to find myself in such a friendly, like-minded group. Some of my most precious memories will be those evenings sitting with wine under the old trees, watching dusk settle over the abbey ruins and discussing the mysteries of the area and life in general. The accommodation and food were superb too - amazing at the price. I look forward to going on another expedition next year.
Lindsey Campbell. BA Oxon
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Seminar teaching sessions
1. History of the Langeudoc
2. Who were the Cathars
3. The Crusade against the Cathars
4. The Mystery of Renne-les-Chateau. Sauniere, Boudet, Henry the King of France & all the others. (the mystery which has reverberated through time to the present day)!
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Neil will be giving a presentation entitled
'The Histories & Mysteries of the Cathar Country'
at the Mysterious Earth Conference 2010
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After traveling down to Portsmouth we will board Brittany Ferries luxury flag ship the 'Port Avon' and will cruise through the night taking in the restaurants, shows, bars and other entertainment, before taking your our cabins to sleep the night away.
On our epic adventure we will be traveling to the South of France's beautiful Languedoc and Aude Valley and back to the time of the Knights Templar the Cathars. In the lands of the Cathar 'Heretics' we will explore a variety of aspects of some of Europe's most intriguing history. We will visit Cathar and Knights Templar castles perched high upon mountain peaks, including the amazing Castle de Montsegur, the site of the final tragic massacre where the Cathars marched singing the flames of their enemies.
Le Cite Carcassone is everyone's idea of a medieval citadel and your first view takes you back to childhood stories of chivalrous knights in shining armour. On our visit to Le Cite we will have the opportunity to soak in the past whilst sampling the fine French cuisine at one of the many outdoor restaurants. It is said that here Hitler had his men search the town well for the Holy Grail and other such mystical relics, a practice which has not entirely ended to this day.
We will look into the mystery of the infamous Berenger Sauniere the local priest of the tiny hilltop village of Renne le Chateau, who unaccountably came into massive wealth. This hamlet and its church is today at the center of a hugely enigmatic story which reached worldwide prominence when it became a centerpiece of the best selling 'Divinci Code'. The mystery includes secret orders such as the 'Priory of Sion', and theories connecting the Holy Grail with the Holy Bloodline and the Magdalene. The area is also thought to be a center of sacred geometry with a natural pentacle of mountains at its heart.
On our journey to the Languedoc, we will take the opportunity of visiting the pilgrimage town of Lourdes situated within the mountains of the Pyrenees, where will have the opportunity of visiting the springs and shrines and will stay the night.
Our home for the next nine nights will be the ‘Hostellerie de l'Eveche’, standing at the heart of the Medieval Spa town of Alet Le Bains. We will find that this peaceful and serene place fits in well with the questing nature of our tour. Alchemists and kabbalists of medieval Europe once lived in our hotel, which used to be the Old Bishops Palace. We will visit the old house which is said to have once been the home of Nostradamus. Our host and resident chef will be Christian Limouzy, who graduated from the Ecole Hotelliere des Pyrenees in Toulouse and who specializes in the gourmet cuisine of the region, as well as his own families recipes and who also proposes local wines. Alet Le Bains also offers thermal swimming spas and Abbey remains with unusual carvings.
After visiting a relaxing riverside cafe at the opening of the Gorge of Galimus, where you can sit in the sun and watch the fish swimming beneath you, we will drive into this huge cavernous mountain cutting, which is a totally breathtaking experience. Our first point of call on this spectacular fairground ride is the Museum of Minerals and Crystals and then as we continue through the Gorge we come across a Hermitage Cave.
We will enjoy other amazing days out discovering many many gems and treasures throughout the area. We will visit caves with 15,000 year old animal rock carvings, Roman baths, holy springs and Cathar 'Notre Dame' churches, where we will gaze into the world of the 'Dark Madonna' and the strange related symbolism. High on a hill top we will find hundreds of small circular dry-stone brick buildings, facing into the valley, we will wonder why these strange structures were constructed and what their possible use could have been!
The South of France, of course is also famous for its beautiful Mediterranean coasts and beeches and we will head for the seaside resort of Narbonne for a day in the sun.
All this and some of the most beautiful , spectacular & breathtaking landscape in the world and many more gems of the region.
2nd June 2010 - 14 Days £1,350
£100 non refundable deposit to secure a place please - £350 by 1st January 2010 - Balance by 1st May 2010.
Includes - All transport from England, Ferry crossings to and from Spain with cabins, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast for 9 nights & B&B in Lourdes. Site entrance fees (around £50) - Single Supplement £150 (all ferry cabins are twin beds)
Does not include - Insurance (please make arrangement for private travel insurance cover)
Hostellerie de l'Eveche, The Old Bishops Palace------- The hotels gourmet restaurant -------- Alet le Bains village ----------------------------------
Day 1
Leave for Plymouth to catch the 'Port Avon', the flagship of the Brittany
fleet, where we will check into our cabins and enjoy the entertainment,
bars and restaurants for the over night cruise.
Day 2
In the morning we will wake up on the north coast of Spain and will head
for the majestic mountains of the Pyrenees and the town off Lourdes, with
its healing springs and holy shrines. B&B in the town.
Day 3
Continuing our journey through the Pyrenees we will head into the Languedoc
and the Aude Valley our home for the next 9 days will be the peaceful
and serene Medieval Spa town of Alet Le Bains, famous for its mineral
waters, thermal springs and as an historic religious center of pilgrimage.
We will be staying in the Hostellerie de l'Eveche, The Old Bishops Palace
where, as legend has it, alchemists and kabbalists of medieval Europe
once lived Our stay will be on a Dinner, Bed & breakfast basis, which
means we will be taking advantage of the gourmet cuisine of Christian
Limouzy, owner and chef, who graduated from the Ecole Hotelliere des Pyrenees
in Toulouse, who actively promotes the regional cuisine as well as family
recipes. The wines being proposed with the meals are exclusively from
the region.
Day 4
The only place to begin an adventure of the lands of the cathars is the
spectacular walled city of Carcassone. Le Cite is everyone's childhood
dream of a Medieval Citadel. Here you will be free to delve into the cathar
and Templar history, as did Hitler's army who are said to have searched
town the town well for occult secrets.
Day 5
Today the mystery deepens as we head for the hilltop hamlet of Renne le
Chateau, the home of the now infamous Berenger Sauniere and the center
of the Divinci Code story, the Holy Bloodline, the Magdalene and some
intriguing sacred geometry. On the way we will call in at the Limoux Notre
Dam, a typical example of a church of the dark Madonna with related
symbolism. We will also explore some hidden treasures in the town of St.
Hilaire, Including a wonderful cloistered garden, Abbey and alabaster
sarcophagus.
Day 6
Continuing our journey in the Cathar country we will visit the town of
Renne le Bains, where the church yard holds a couple of interesting secrets
and then the so called ‘Camp Grand Capitelles, mysterious Bee Hive
type structures, which cover a whole hillside. There are many theories
about this unusual place but non which fully explain it.
Day 7
A well earned rest day and an opportunity to explore the town of Alet
le Bains, including the Abbey remains, the Nostradamus House with wonderful
esoteric carvings, the Medieval streets and buildings and of course the
thermal swimming springs.
Day 8
Today we will be taking a ride along the breathtaking Gorge of Galimus,
taking in the Mineral and crystal Museum and a cave Hermitage along the
route. This journey is a remarkable and memorable experience.
Day 9
No visit to the Sunny South of France would be complete without a day on the beautiful Mediterranean. Today we will head for the coastal resort of Narbonne.
Days 10 & 11
For the next two days we will be exploring the amazing Cathar Castles,
many perching high up on mountain peaks. We will end at the spectacular
Castle of Montsegur the place of the last stand of the Cathars and visit
the memorial to that tragic day.
Day 12, 13 & 14
B&B in Lourdes. Then we will again take the Port Aven from Spain to the UK and home.