Alignan-du-vent, Herault

Alignan-du-vent, 4.5km, 1h.30, blue arrows. Park beside the campsite on the northern end of the village. Following blue arrows (there is also a newer yellow route here , but we stuck to the one that we know and like). The route heads north on a small track through vineyards and newly planted almond trees. It passes an odd collection of outbuildings and heads down towards the road. The route turns back up once again through almond trees and up towards the small hill. If you follow the yellow route here it will take you up onto this hill with it's lovely views of the fields and the mountains beyond. The route re-joins the one that you started on to return.

Bosquets et Domaines, Alignan-du-vent, Hérault.

Bosquets et Domaines, Alignan-du-vent. 9.5km or 7.5km. Yellow markers. 2.30 H. This walk starts by parking in the parking area opposite the cave cooperative. Turn right and follow the yellow markers. (don't get confused by the new walk of 13km that also has yellow markers, the markers are handpainted on this walk whereas the new one a stencil has been used. The markers are few and far between so use the map and there are some short sections of road walking, the new walk appears to be free of these so we will do this one another time as it takes in another shorter walk that we have already done there before). Walk down the D125 for a short distance then turn right onto a small track road. Follow this to a right turn. The path takes another right and a left turn through the vines before taking another right to reach the road at a small cross( D39). Turn right onto this road and then left just before a junction. Walk up this track then turn right to reach another road (D33). Turn left and walk up the road to reach a wide track on your right leading to les montarels. Good views up here. Not long before the house you will turn right once again and keep left at the next junction heading towards trees around the domaine of pretty Brescou. Bear right around the far side of the property and head up their long tree shaded drive to reach the road, (D30E2). Now you must decide whether to do the longer or shorter walk. For the shorter walk turn right onto the road and head back to the village. The parking area is on the other side of the village, it's a sweet village with a delightful circular centre and an old church in the middle. For the longer walk cross the road and walk up the track until you reach a junction of tracks this walk then turns left and right to return on another road (D125) but if you follow the new yellow signs from the junction it will return you to the village on a small path without needing to on the D125. It's always winding up here and seems much cooler than other places in the area for walking.

La Croix du Roi, Alignan-du-Vent. A walk in the vineyards of the Languedoc.

Alignan-du-Vent, the King's Cross. 6km/2h Yellow marking (but if you can find them you get a prize! We only found 5 on the whole walk and they were pretty hidden). The walk begins in the village.

Park in the car park behind the square. There is a board for the walk near the gate which is opposite the the wine cooperative. There are three walks here of different lengths and all are marked with yellow markers. It was rather rainy today but the walk was wonderful all the same. So many lovely wild flowers and dotted with crosses along the route.

Leave the car park and turn left onto the D33 (you can walk around the town first if you wish). You soon reach a small parking area with a little lane to your right. Take this tree lined lane down to another junction and turn right beside a house onto a small track. Very soon you will see a small track on the right across the fields take this and then a left turn onto a wider track. This track will take you to Le Peyret, a large château with the first stone cross. 

Turn right at the cross and go past lovely fields of vines to your right and meadows on your left, with the river beyond. The track bears right at the woodland and then you will come to a small bridge over a stream. Go over the bridge, and take a right turn onto the small track along the side of the field.

Keep the little stream to your right and you will after a short while come to the Kings Cross of 1660,a spot where King Louis XIV passed though.

Keep to the right of the cross and you will come to another small Iron cross. Keep to the right of this cross too and follow the little paved road of Lissac up to the village. Keep straight on until you reach the wine Cooperative once again and turn right to reach the car park.

Our walk today was rather damp to start with, but as Phoebe wanted a walk we set off and hoped for the best. The flowers in the vineyards at this time of year are so beautiful and it was lovely to her all the birdsong and wonderful smells.

It soon stopped raining and we dried off in the warm breeze. And finding a nice spot beside the last cross we sat down for a picnic of our local bakers Rustiguette bread that was still a little warm and ate it with local cheese, homemade cake and little oranges with their leaves still attached. Phoebe is always present at picnic times and we hoped that she didn't come too close as we were only just balanced on the side of a little stream. One knock and we would have tumbled backwards into the ditch. 

We enjoyed the history too, a remarkable thing about the area is that everywhere you go, you find little treasures and snippets for the past. Here King Louis XIV had come riding past the very spot we walked now and the locals had erected a lovely stone cross to celebrate the occasion.