Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Sunrise on the Mountain, Biking, and zoo's

Aug 7th-- Breakfast and we're off either hiking or the zoo, fielders choice, both are supposed to be incredible.

At just 658 meters high, it might be surprising to learn that Pic St-Loup is one of the most beloved emblems of the city of Montpellier. After all, the Alps are not that far away. But thanks to low vegetation, impressive 300-meter-high cliffs, and a surrounding relief of just 150 meters, Pic St-Loup is very prominent and can be seen from just about everywhere in the Hérault department. It is, by definition, part of the lower end of Massif Central.

Because of its micro-climate and unique flora, the mountain is a protected site and houses a thriving population of prey birds. The mountain is a very popular day trip from Montpellier for both curious tourists and serious hikers; there is an old chapel, castle ruins, a hermitage, and a symbolic cross atop the mountain. Not to mention the unobstructed panoramas, which stretch all the way from the Mediterranean Sea to the south to the Cevennes Mountains to the north. The wine produced on the low slopes of Pic St-Loup is some of the most highly-regarded terroirs in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

or take in the Zoolgigue de Montpellier if you would rather take a less strenuous option but please note both require a lot of walking.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_zoologique_de_Montpellier

Dinner at Leclere Cuisine D'Arrivage, it's a small restaurant, I booked it for us a year in advance, we are the only patrons from 8:00pm until closing. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187153-d7932738-Reviews-Leclere_C...

We have a short train ride tomorrow morning only a couple of hours so we are departing at 9:00am

We've survived our first week traveling together

2 quotes for today:

"I'm not into animal rights. I'm only into animal welfare and health. I've been with the Morris Animal Foundation since the '70s. We're a health organization. We fund campaign health studies for dogs, cats, lizards and wildlife. I've worked with the L.A. Zoo for about the same length of time. I get my animal fixes!" Betty White
Read more at: {link: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/zoo.html}

“Despite all their flaws, zoos wake us up. They invite us to step outside our most basic assumptions. Offered for our contemplation, the animals remind us of nature’s impossibly varied schemes for survival, all the strategies that species rely upon for courtship and mating and protecting the young and establishing dominance and hunting for something to eat and avoiding being eaten. On a good day, zoos shake people into recognizing the manifold possibilities of existence, what it’s like to walk across the Earth, or swim in its oceans of fly above its forests—even though most animals on display will never have the chance to do any of those things again, at least not in the wild.”
― Thomas French, Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives

Mont Pic St-Loup:

I won’t apologize, I could not choose. So, I enlisted the help of the Wonderful Magical Ship. Some camping is allowed on the Mountain but there are no fires allowed. I stored bread, cheese and fruit juice, with camera, and yoga mat. Then I woke up Blue Moon , Sandra Lyn and Wakeupandllive~this summer. And, I asked Kittara because she likes to climb on high places. We loaded a bicycle into the ship and were whisked off to the top of the mountain. It is only a 25 minute drive in an automobile from Montpelier but we made it to the top of the mountain in 5 seconds.

We down loaded ourselves at the castle. Where we watched the sunrise ate bread cheese and juice. What a magnificent panoramic sight. Lots of pictures were taken. We had to be careful at the castle because it is in a dilapidated state. Some of the walls are collapsing and there are chasms and rock slides that are dangerous. As I looked into the unfolding hills and valleys, as the sun was rising I was daydreaming about what it would be like to live here.

There were three knights in love with the same girl. Her name was Bertrade. The knights went to the Saint Wars to earn glory. While they were gone Bertrade died. When they returned they had won distinction but lost Bertrade. St. Guiral, St. Clair, St. loup retired to live the remainder of their lives each on a different mountain. Every year on March 19, they lighted fires in Bertrude's memory. St. Loup lived the longest. Mount Loup is 658 M high. It is the highest peak of the Southern most region.

We re boarded the Wonderful Magical Ship. It dropped me off with my Bicycle where I took the Mount Loup bicycle tour and it dropped the others off at the hostel so they could join whatever plans were their own choice for the day. We were up early but they are tough they can survive. .

On my tour I traveled some very rough terrain and saw Juniper, colchia, and holm oak up close, as well as other Mountain plants. The ride was not all rough, I also traveled some roads and beaten walking trails in a loop across the mountain. At the end I called the ship which dropped me at the Zoo.

Montpelier Zoological:

I love zoo’s. One of my favorite memories from my life are days spent with my family at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. Today, I was touring another zoo that cannot be done all in one day. I could not miss the zoo because one of my granddaughters is also a zoo buff and she will be visiting for a few days later in the summer so I will be able to tell her about this zoo.

There were more than 1100 animals and 128 species. That did not count all the children, parents, grandparents, and tourists.

“Lions and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!” In Spain I walked through an underwater shark tunnel. Here in the zoo there is an above ground (looks like glass) tunnel that goes into the lion habitat. The lions like it because some of them were laying across the top of it so visitors got a good view of their bellies.Wow! look how big their paws and claws are. The habitats in the zoo were large natural habitats.

The theme of the Parc followed an Amazon theme and there was a large botanical called la Serre Amazonienne, filled with plants from the Amazon.

I must have walked for hours. Stopped at a picnic table to eat my snacks and walked on. The walkways were scenic with flora and fauna as well as animals. By now, I am dragging and hungry. I don’t want to miss dining so I’m rushing for a quick shower and change. Good thing I brought a dress it will be nice after dusty hot walking all day.

Leclere Cuisine D'Arrivage:

The restaurant had an outdoor terrace for dining. I ate Tomato Farcies (tomatoes stuffed with duck, greens, and mushrooms). Against K’s wishes I will definitely try cooking this at home. Also, tried the Black Olive Tapnade with a piece of fish and some bread. (It is an Olive paste with garlic, thyme, lemon juice and other herb flavorings) There were delicious dessert choices. French cooking is awesome.

.The chef visited our group. He was very happy with the diversity we showed in our food choices.

I’m glad I can sleep until 8. I definitely need rest.

References:
https://www.summitpost.org
https://www.mbpost.com
https://www.wikipedia.org















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