The prehistoric caves of the Ariege

You've heard of the caves of the South West of France. You've seen the photos of the bison drawn in black on the walls of stone. Most likely you have heard of the caves of Lascaux, in the Dordogne, closed to the public. But the caves of the Ariege in the Pyrenees, though less known, are equally worth knowing about.

In the Ariege I've started to learn when I think I am coming near to caves: the land suddenly becomes rockier, with outcrops of white stone in the grass. There is a feeling that it would be difficult to find mushrooms.

Certainly the best cave to visit is Niaux, with paintings as impressive as those at Lascaux, this is the only prehistoric cave currently open to the public (though with limited access). Participants carry torches, as they make their way through the caves that are stunning for their own geological beauty. All together the network of caves at Niaux make up 13km. The tour of the caves leads participants through the opening deep into the cave into the "black chamber", a room with terrific acoustic qualities where the best of the paintings are found.

Unfortunately, for this post, I have no images to add, since photography is strictly forbidden inside of the caves in an effort to reduce the damage done to the paintings by visits.

Mas d'Azil, less renown for the quality of their paintings, is perhaps one of the most stunning drives imaginable (and perhaps the most exciting of the Tour de France!). The road, following the Arize River, goes right through the very caves that the river has carved thousands of years ago. In the car (or in my case, on the bicycle) you are literally speeding through a massive, 500 meter long prehistoric cave! The air is cold and damp, and flocks of birds cawed at the entrance, flying in and out of its nooks.  There are no visible signs of cave paintings in this main cave, though there are many signatures on the walls of more contemporary dating.

Biking into the entrance of the cave

Inside of the Cave the road is lit with lights. It was impossible to capture the enormity of the chamber to my left

While in the Ariege it is worth taking a drive through Mas d'Azil, as they are truly stunning, and the country side nearby is equally worth viewing.

In the town of Mas d'Azil

And now for the secret. Perhaps the most important archeological cave art is a cave that I had never heard of: Tuc d'Audoubert cave at the entrance of the Trois Freres Cave in Montesquieu-Avantés. Tuc d'Audoubert is the only known prehistoric cave with three dimensional artwork, in other words, sculpture! The cave was discovered in the early 20th century by Henri Begouen. The letter written by the discoverer is fantastic to read: he describes chipping away stone to make his way into the cave network, discovering the death bed of a bear, and finally discovering the sculpture: two bisons made of un-cooked clay, which Begouen describes as unbaked gingerbread cookies. A woman I know who has entered these privately owned caves claimed that the sculpture was absolutely moving: you could still see the thumb prints of the people who worked the clay so beautifully during the Ice Age. The cave boasts 350 figures, mostly bison and horses, as well as 7 humans / part humans, 1 rhino and even 1 grasshopper!  

*Please note that any photo of cave art or cave maps are not my own and I do not have the rights to them. They are just to give you an idea of the artwork.

October: The Most Beautiful Month Yet

October has raised the skies; the humidity of the summer has parted, and we've enjoyed consistent, crisp days. But, what's swooned me by October is her light. Long shadows are contrasted by saturated hues. And a sky so crisp and blue has emerged behind the hills and Mountains, like the cloth curtain in the background of a Dutch painting that steals the glory of the fruit in the foreground.

Last week, the car I had been using went to the shop for a standard checkup that ended up taking a week! What seemed like a negative, turned out to be advantageous, as it finally gave me the excuse to get off my lazy bones and put myself smack in the middle of gorgeous landscapes, taking in the views all the more appreciatively after having peddled up to them. 

This region of France is famous for hosting the highest routes of the Tour de France. Hundreds of cycle groups come to the Ariege annually to try out these daring routes for themselves. I did no such routes. I did not climb to the high cols. But after a day of peddling up and down somewhat steep and always hilly land, I could certainly feel it in my thighs!

Mid-way through the month the dark-green high Pyrenees in the background turned bright white with the first snow. They were beautiful green, but they are truly captivating when white: they command you to stop and gaze. With the bright blue October sky, the white mountains gleamed. Now, at the start of November, we are watching as the first of the leaves on the green hills begin to turn hues of yellow and red.

Making my way back after a long day of cycling 41 km (oddly, uphill both ways!)

The Church of Riuebach along the D119 has what looks like 13 little churches on the hill side behind the main church. Upon walking up to them, each chapel commemorates one of the Stations of the Cross.

The famous Crustages of Clermont, a thin pie type desert made of a flaky pastry crust and jam of various fruits