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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 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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)! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Neil will be giving a presentation entitled 'The Histories & Mysteries of the Cathar Country' at the Mysterious Earth Conference 2010 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 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 B&B in Lourdes. Then we will again take the Port Aven from Spain to the UK and home. |
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