Les Trois Tours, Faugères.

A lovely walk from Faugeres today with the Languedoc Photography group. We enjoyed some beautiful views, the fascinating capitelles, the old windmills, orchids, limeburners, the old "Frog" route and even the wolf controllers house.

Le Sentier des garrigues, Nébian

Le Sentier des garrigues, Nébian . 5.5km/2H. A most lovely walk today with fantastic far reaching views all around of the mountains, hills and valleys. The walk is fairly easy although the sign in the village says medium. Parking in the village centre next to the small play park, then turn left and walk slowly up hill following the very well marked route of yellow markers. You will pass a sign for a short path named the Path of a 1000 flowers, don't take this, keep going up the track past the houses until you reach the last house and a sign post. Here the route splits. Take the small path on your right that ascends the hill (the other route takes a lower route and rejoins later). After the steps you will reach an information board and then some lovely picnic tables. The views are with you the on the whole route but here they are to the east and south, where you can just see the sea in the distance. Later the view is of Pic de Vissou and the Caroux are laid out before you. Up here the air is full of the scent of thyme and later there will be many orchids. The route turns right up the stony path to the top of the hill. Now the views are to the north and the circuit of Mourèze and down to the pretty royal milling factory of Villeneuvette. You pass another stone cabrieles and then turn right to follow a small path down through a pretty valley, at a junction of paths cross straight over and follow the path back to the lovely fortified village, with it's high walls and gates. Magic.

King Down from Badbury Rings, Dorset.

King Down from Badbury Rings on the Kingston Lacy Estate today. B3082 from Wimborne Minster. Park in the main car park and then head north from the car park passing through two gates, then left and right to reach a small wooded area. Turn left walk to the next right turn in the tracks which passes a farm. Keep going on this long wide track until you reach a small footpath leading across a wheat field on a right turn. You will see two tumuli in the field, the second of which you can climb and makes a wonderful picnic spot to view the beautiful scenery. Now turn right onto the wide track and right again at the corner. This track passes a lovely bluebell wood on your left (there are little paths in the wood and it's very pretty at the moment). At the next junction you can chose to go left to the Eastern side of Badbury Rings(this is a wonderful route as you can walk across the whole hillfort and enjoy the views, bluebells and hillfort paths), or continue to the corner of the wood and return on the path that you started on. Allow at least 2 hours for this walk as you will want to walk around the hillfort itself and it's wonderful there. Easy walking.