Safari

01.10.2013

I've been to Africa, but never on a safari.  It's a dream of mine that may never happen, so what a treat to visit the "Réserve africaine de Sigean"!  The brochure says you could visit everything in 3 hours, but we were there for 8 hours and still missed a few sections. 

The Sigean African Reserve is a large semi-natural wildlife park located in the south of France, between Narbonne and Perpignan, on the Mediterranean coast and along ponds that dot the coast of Languedoc.  It hosts more than 3,800 animals (more than 2,000 birds, 900 mammals and 900 reptiles) on 300 hectares.  In total, more than 160 species are represented.

Forest buffalo

You travel by car through the first park sections, all eight of them, which means that you are in the closest proximity to the animals imaginable.  Then you do a walking trek that encompasses all the remaining animals which are fenced away from us, but still free to roam in immense areas.  Groups of animals are seen in huge fields, not cramped in small enclosures.  And they are in groups, displaying a normal social life that one would see in the wild, not just an isolated animal in an enclosure, lonely and completely out of its element. 

 

Impala

 

 

Sun tanning.



Hippotragus niger

 



Ostrich and baby

Plants native to Africa have been planted throughout. 

 

Not from Africa, but these Tibetan bears are rare and have found a wonderful home here.

Smile and give us a kiss!

Let's all five of us lay down and not allow cars to come through. 

Lol!

 

 

These three were just part of a much larger pride.

 

 

 

 

So who is king of the jungle?  Don't you forget it! 

 

 

Note that the fence is BEHIND the lion.  We are travelling by car among the animals, with our windows closed.  Park rangers roam around to ensure we don't try rolling down our windows to take a photo.

 

The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros is the largest and most numerous species of rhinoceros that exists. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. 

You wouldn't want to see this one charging towards you!  Despite the fact that his horn has been taken away... Poachers?

Holding his hind leg up, flamingo style, some would say "Becky" style.

  



 "Baby face.  You've got the cutest little baby face.  There's not another that could take your place..."

 

 

Watussi bull.

 

 



 

 



This Watussi Bull wears down the tree with his horns and has it flattened in no time at all.

Giraffes.

This baby giraffe and her mom have been separated from the rest just for a short time.

 

Zebra.

This baby Grant zebra was born on July 24, 2013.

 

Okapi.

 

 

Peacock.  Never saw him with his tail fanned open.

 

 

 

 

Flamingos.

Remember the birthday tradition when people used to rent pink plastic flamingos for a celebrant's front yard, the number equalling the age being celebrated?  I'm quite sure there are many more than 61 of them here...

Karl tries out the bird leg stance...



White storks, nesting.

Wild dogs, like hyenas.

A cheetah that refused to turn around.

 

 Kudu.

Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.  Not sure what it's doing in this African Reserve.

Serious nose problems...

Pelicans.

Pelican nesting site.

Porcupine.

Mississippi alligator.

 

Zoom in on this photo and look at the chicken that's going to be dinner...

Little turtles.

Very big turtle.

One hump camel.

                             Behind the scene...

Mini goats petting zoo for little kids.

                    A couple of tired mules.

Nice hairy chest!

 

 

 

African elephant, largest mammal on Earth.  Notice the large wide ears, one of the differences with the Asian elephant.

 

I'm not an expert, so don't trust my labelling.

 

I do know that this was the most wonderful day and I really felt it was a highlight of our time in France!

 

 





Uh oh...

29.09.2013


Carcassonne


Do you ever get the impression when reading travel articles that everything is always splendid and unfolding tickety-boo?   I can tell you from experience that there are often glitches along the way, and today seems to have been one of those days. 

We had planned on going to Carcassonne to attend a concert as part of the festival "Les troubadours chantent l'art roman en Languedoc-Roussillon."  What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than listening to ballads, poetry set to music.  We knew the concert was in Carcassonne, but didn't have the specific address.  When I tried looking it up on the morning of our departure, the computer server was down.  No problem, we'd get the info at l'Office de Tourisme.

Did you know that the Office has moved?  With all the narrow streets, one ways and periphery roads, it took us a while to find the place only to read on the door that it had moved, so off we went on a second search for the new location.  Made it 10 minutes before closing!  Got the address for the concert and decided we had plenty of time for lunch.

We sat at a restaurant right on that periphery road I mentioned and ordered a refreshment and a Caesar salad with chicken.  An hour later, after breathing in exhaust fumes from the traffic and acrid smoke from the patrons next to us smoking very strong cigarettes, the waiter finally remembered that we had ordered food.  We barely had time to gulp it down, but at least we moved to the inside of the restaurant where the air was better.

Off we went to rue Verdun to find the Joë Bousquet house where the concert was to be held.

We found the house, but the doors were locked and there was definitely no concert planned.  Two other couples were there as well, caught in the same dilemma.  We decided to head for the Medieval Cité.

Carcassonne is wonderful and we visited the Citadel back in 2009 with Diane and Richard, our travelling partners on that trip.  Here's what it looked like back then:  http://two-months-in-france.blogspot.fr/2009/10/carcassonne-24vi09.html

What better way to refresh our memories than with a little train ride around the Cité.

Then a walk through those ancient, cobblestone streets.

 

How sweet it is!  We seem to always zero in on the food shops.

And the paper and book shops as well.

Today, even our photo is a little askew...

Meet Ahmed.  He's 4 years old and "took our order" at the crêperie.  He wrote down a few squiggles and posted it on the bulletin board while his Abba listened to the order from his kitchen and immediately started our Grand Marnier crêpes stuffed with bananas and covered with chocolate and whipped cream.  The crêpes were delicious, but Ahmed was cuter.

We toured the Romanesque and Gothic Basilique St-Nazaire rather extensively, and this bell was particularly interesting, given the name of the town.  (See posting from 2009.)

The bell with the beautiful stained glass medallion in the background.

 

The pulpit where sermons were delivered.

An early pump organ.

A trio from the Doros Choir 

 

 

 

 

 

We may have missed the Troubadours, but this Trio is part of the Russian DOROS Choir.  They were giving short and informal performances a few times every hour in the Carcassonne Cathedral to promote their CDs.  Sublime!  I bought a CD hoping to please our Russian friends, Luda & Iouri, when they next come around for a visit.

 

On our drive home, upon seeing these wind turbines, I couldn't help humming the Ian and Sylvia Tyson hit:

Four strong winds that blow lonely

Seven seas that run high

All these things that won't change

Come what may
 



Despite any little glitches that may have come our way, it's still a great day to be in France!

A poultry tale

27.09.2013

 

Welcome to "La Grillade du Château" in Ventenac, next to the Canal du Midi, serving mostly unsuspecting boating tourists.

 

Like greeters at Wal-Mart, these two met us at the door.  They may look like chocolate Easter chickens, but they are the real thing.  We were soon seated at one of the many tables in this immense courtyard, shaded by branches from some big old trees.  Perfect perch for the smaller, but more abundant tweety birds.

"Cluck cluck", said the Little Red Hen.

"Cluck cluck", said the Little Black Hen.

Follow me.

No, this way.

Let me get my bearings.



 

"My my.  What pretty shoes you have.  Are they edible?  Please allow me just a little peck."

 

 "Sir, are you really eating CHICKEN for lunch?"

"I'd say that's rather cheeky!"  The little Red Hen turned and strutted away.

As the two girls preened, they discussed how insensitive that man was to have ordered the chicken on the menu.  "Has he no heart", moaned the Little Red Hen.

The Little Black Hen thought she'd get a few pecks when no one was looking, just to demonstrate how terribly upset she was.

And where was I when this tale was unfolding?  Why, looking up the number for the Ministry of Health.  Between the swarm of swallows in the trees and the chickens running around, I was ensuring my pizza would not be the bull's eye for their torpedoes.  The birds won.  I came home with a white calling card on the back of my sweater.

Now I understand why the owner actually used a garden hose with a powerful spray to clean the outside kitchen. What with a hose down and a brisk sweep, the kitchen was clean. 

I'm still trying to reach the Ministry of Health as I read up on Bird Flu.