Vignes et patrimoine Saint-Genies-de-Fontedit. A walk through the vineyards in the Languedoc.

Vignes et patrimoine Saint-Genies-de-Fontedit. 14km/ 4H40 (we did 6.5km/ 2H.30 with a little picnic stop).Blue markers and well-marked out. A cycle route too.  

Park in the village behind the school and walk into the centre turning right and at the first right turn There is a cross here in the middle of the road (rue des Salleles). 

Walk down this little road past the houses and another cross where the road turns into a track at a right turn (water reservoir). The track although a little climb has lovely views up here of the village and the beautiful snow covered Pyrenees in the distance. 

Turn left onto another track with pretty flowers beside the track and almond trees too. You will soon see a marker for another left turn, with a little stone house to the right of you before you reach the road (D16). 

Turn right onto the road and walk about very short distance up the road before turning left onto a small track. The fields of wheat here were full of red poppies and looked wonderful against the blue sky. We picnicked beside the vines under the tree and enjoyed the lovely views, birds and the odd bee while life drifted by. But the sun was getting hotter so on we went.  

The track continues between more vines before turning left and quickly right. Now done another track to a left turn and a right just before a house onto a path.There are views of the ruined windmill up here.  At the bottom take a left around a corner, beside a field of vines. 

You are in a little valley here and the views of the hills (Avant Monts and those to the west are really pretty). The track is stony here and descends to come close to a bridge. Bare left and join the D154E3. After a while you will see markers for the route turning to the right where you can visit the chapelle saint Fulcran but it was too hot and my foot had had quite enough for one day. 

So we decided that we would keep the rest of this lovely walk for another day. I think the rest of the route will be around 7.30Km and goes around the fields in the lower part of the village. 

We stayed on the road into the centre with lovely views of the churches little green roof, shinning in the hot afternoon sunshine and headed for the coolness of the little streets. Lots of pretty streets on the route and the village appeared to have a good shop and at least one pizza restaurant. 

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.