Ken's 2nd ancestral tour through Spain -
Day One London to Formiguères

Sunday 9th May 2004 We were away at 0830, had a simple drive to Stansted, checked in early, had breakfast at Garfunkles in the shanty town that sits in Norman Foster's posh airport building & the Ryanair flight left a little early. It arrived 20 minutes early at Carcassonne, which had no other aeroplanes, so we were through quickly. We picked up the Opel Corsa & drove off in unexpected sunshine & it was a very pleasant day in France, which the internet weather forecast had not lead us to expected. We stopped to look at the damaged Bishop's Palace at Alet les Bains.

Alet les Bains - the Bishop's Palace & bridge

Gorge de St. George

But when we got to Quillan, the hotel was shut up! So we carried on, as it was not long past 4, went through the dramatic Aude Gorge & turned off up the even more dramatic St. Georges Gorge at Axat. This was an exceedingly twisty road with no habitations that looked inhabited but, when we went over the top of the pass, with snow still on the surrounding mountains, we found a village, Formiguères, with hotels. (This is not the 'top'.

The Upper Gorge

That is the Col de Quillane for tomorrow, some miles further).