JULY 2005 AFRICAN RESERVE AND CARCASSONE

The first travel we made together was a weekend to the African reserve in Sigean (20 km away from Perpignan) and Carcassone, a very beautiful and romantic city in the South of France. As we live in Barcelona, is not a long travel. We went with our own car.

 

The first stop was in the african reserve. Really it is a worth while,especially to the people, that like as, love the animals. You have the possibility of being able to see to African standing out cheerfully his wide ones and this is not anything that every day one could see. It is since it is very well stated. The trip is done enetirely by car. You can't go faster than 10 km/h y you can only stop in the places which are marked for it. It's forbiden go down the car and to go down the windows, although there are areas in which you can do it because there is no danger. When you arrive you'll see a box office and you must to pay there the ticket (in 2005 the price was of 21 € every one), they will give you a map of the reserve with the pronounced itinerary and the rules. The adventure begins!!

 

The first thing we found where the ostriches. They are very curious, they approach the cars, look for the windows,... They are so graceful, but be careful because also they are very naughty!!! Several times met to us on his peak in the rear-view mirror and in the crystal. In the same area you also can see all kinds of impalas, antelopes and things for the style, gnus and girafas. We were not lucky to see giraffes. Maybe they would be walking along another place. Next you will able to see are zebras, rhinos and dromedaries. We saw  the rhinos of background but  other animals were very close. We had to do some stop that some animal could pass or because they were in the way of the road, but it turns out to be very entertaining and this way also you have time to do photos.

 

 

 

Almost at the end of the trip there is the dangerous area where the bears and the lions are. Here is forbiden to have the window lowered, if you don't want to remain without an arm, therefore you must to do the photos across the crystal. The bears are American black bears and we saw two pups playing and splashing about in a pond. They were so beautiful. We didn't see the mother for any side. A bit further were the lions. We did't see any pup, only a few adult females and males. They were inmobile in the shade of the trees. It didn't surprised me, it was very hot. Sincerely it was impresive because they were only a few meters of us and it a little scares because you think: "if it gets angry, I don't know what it can do to me". Fortunately, they were so calm and nothing happened.

 

 

.

After this you'll find a place to park the car and you have to do on foot the rest of the itinerary. The rest is a normal zoo. You'll can see the same animals that you have seen at large and others: crocodiles, chimpanzees, koalas, cheetahs, hyenas and an enormous lake with a lot of flamings and all kinds of birds. There are some bars and restaurants, but there is also a picnic area, if you prefer to bring your own meal.

 

We saw the African reserve in 4 hours more or less.

We were lodged in Narbonne, so after visiting the centre, we went to the hotel to rest for a while and in the evening we went to walk along the town. In two hours you have more then of scraps. It is nice, but it's small and it has few things to see: the old town with a small channel and little more.

 

On the next day, we went to Carcassonne. Is a very nice medieval citywith walls. Inside it is full of little shops, bars, restaurants and paved streets.  He is worth while visiting it, however in summer can  be a little oppressive because there are many people. To talk each other of France, whith the expensive thing that is quite, is not badly to eating. You have several options, but we preferred to ate a pizza. We paid 15 € aproximately for head counting the drinks. We spent 3 hours visiting the Cité, as they call it, and later we visited some villages in the area.

 

In Fitou, for example, there is a castle that you can visit, in wich they do terror performances. Of course it's necessary to pay to enter. We only saw it on the outside, but for the people who likes this kind of experiences I believe that it can be very entertaining.

 

And well, here it finishes our weekend on the part of the Cathar countries.