Pickles Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Twice last week, once in Palavas and the second in La Grande Motte, we looked out over the sea and could clearly see the Pyrenees from the beach. we could also see what I am pretty sure was Mt Ventoux, looking the other way. Now, the Pyrenees are rather a long way away, FAR too far to be seen "directly" but if the atmospheric conditions are right, you can indeed see them very clearly due to the way atmospheric density variations "bend" the light.I can across the following site which has a lovely picture of the Pyrenees taken from Marseille ... http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2008/02/canigou-mountain-from-marseille-france.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 We are just a little bit closer to the Pyrenees than you, but normally they do seem rather a long way away. However, on some days it is as though they are just around the corner, and the saying goes that when that happens, the weather will change within 3 days. So far, no one has said whether it changes for bad or for worse!But I agree, when they seem to be so close, it is indeed a glorious sight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Yes, the Pyrenees appearing close whilst so far away. I often look at them and think of the airmen in WWII escaping to Spain thinking 'we are nearly there' whereas they werenot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 On a clear day you can see Canigou and some peaks in Andorre from the terrace by the Cathedral in Béziers..I have also seen the peak covered in snow while I was bathing in the Sea at Valras in May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Here in the Tarn, they can be seen in certain conditions - the view is magnificent. They must be at least 4 hours drive away, but when the conditions can be right, quite a long line of the mountains can be seen from here. My camera is not up to getting a good photo of them, sadly.Its said that when they are visible from here, we will get rain in 2 days time. This actually seems to hold true for a lot of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Truly impressive. Our experience is perhaps less so, but when we first bought our house we hadn't realised that from only a few miles away one can often see the Auvergne mountains about 70 miles away. One winter's morning we went over a bit of high ground and marvelled at the snowy peaks we glimpsed unexpectedly - I reckoned they were "Les Monedieres" in Correze so we thought we would drive over there and take a closer look.Two hours later we were past Egletons and those snowy caps seemed no nearer than they had been when we started - and the Monedieres were well behind us.Later when we had more time we made the acquaintance of those mountains properly, and since they built the A89 they are no more than an hour and a half away. And the flowers up there are quite out of this world....I always enjoy driving down the A20 and getting the first view of the Pyrenees between Cahors and Montauban. And being interested in electromagnetic propagation it's always intriguing to see just how far the FM signals from Pic du Midi get - they give an early indication of when the Pyrenees are likely to start to be visible.France is a beautiful country....On the weather prediction front, we can see Dartmoor from where we are in Devon, and the local dictum is:"If you can see Dartmoor it's going to rain; if you can't see Dartmoor it is raining".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basquesteve Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 "being interested in electromagnetic propagation"Radio 4 199 clear as a bell on Pic de Anie 1800 metresMy avatar is from my house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Just had a glorious view....I have a routine check up at the clinique and from the ward waiting room there is a fantastic vista of the Mediterranean over to the left, and then the peaks of the Pyrénées as they sweep down to the sea across to my right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 We're lucky in that we have a very clear view of the Pyrenees most days. Not as close as Steve, but near enough to get to the tops in a 2 hour's drive.Since we've been here I've been interested in how the chain was formed - seems it was the result of the movemement of 2 land masses which ended up pushing against eachother and forcing up into mountain peaks.Then on the north side, where we are, you get N/S ridges and valleys forming the gentle hills and rivers of our Gers etc. I'm not sure how this stage came about.Anybody know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 The Pyrenees is our horizon (unless I look North...then it's the Marie) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 [quote user="NormanH"]Just had a glorious view....I have a routine check up at the clinique and from the ward waiting room there is a fantastic vista of the Mediterranean over to the left, and then the peaks of the Pyrénées as they sweep down to the sea across to my right...[/quote]It's just a pity that the reason that you can avail of the view is that you are receiving medical attention. Good luck with the ongoing treatments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Done and dusted to quote Chancer in another thread.All clear [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basquesteve Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Patf said--"Since we've been here I've been interested in how the chain was formed - seems it was the result of the movement of 2 land masses which ended up pushing against each other and forcing up into mountain peaks.Then on the north side, where we are, you get N/S ridges and valleys forming the gentle hills and rivers of our Gers etc. I'm not sure how this stage came about.Anybody know?"The range is caused by the African tectonic plate riding into the the European plate its still moving. Up to about 10,000 years back it was in the same state as the British Isles, ice bound the glaciers drained down into what is Le LandesGreat detail herehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_the_Pyrenees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks Steve - very detailed info, but I'll have to look some words up!Then I found this from 3-4 years ago [:$] : http://services.completefrance.com/forums/completefrance/cs/forums/2300546/ShowPost.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basquesteve Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 eeK when I left school my ambition was to become a mining engineer I was always interested in geology and paleontology nearly made it, but fell in love, it never happen ended up working in the city so I could get a cheap 2.5% mortgage The words in your link are great, I thought I was familiar but now completely lostI'd best stick with Butterflies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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