Montsegur

I know I'm in danger of going on about my ears - but I just want them to do ear stuff, like collecting sounds and keeping my balance, rather than whooshing sea noises or faint ringing or just being rather useless at hearing things.

The good news is that I think they are on the mend and it has only cost me €2.49 for some ear drops from the pharmacy. I had quite an interesting conversation with the pharmacist about ear pressure and sinusus and the like - most of which I couldn't hear and all of which I didn't understand. Still, I walked away with a packet of goodies which is the object of a visit to the pharmacy, so job done.

Before I'd even had time to assemble the squeezy ear dropper top onto the bottle of magic ear healing liquid, my left ear just popped all by itself with a resounding 'hahaha' and let all sorts of obnoxious revving bikes and common chav noises back into my head without warning - which was a bit of a shock on all levels.

The left side of my head continues to play games though, filling up and popping at random, whereas the right stubbornly refuses to join in the fun, maintaining a stoic silence on events.

On a sudden whim today, I decided to visit the Cathar castle at Montsegur. It has been on my list of things to do for a long time and is one of the few Cathar castles that I haven't been to see. It is also the sight of the final Cathar siege and a bloody massacre by the Catholic bastards who fought for themselves and the Pope in the name of God. You know - God - I want your land and I don't trust you so I'm going to kill you and everyone else who doesn't give all their money to me - well according to the Pope that's what he said.

Anyway, I digress somewhat onto slightly political and religious matters and this is not a power blog, so enough of that nonsense.

Debrah isn't so keen on the castle thing as I am, so I decided to get out of town and get some air and cross Montsegur off the list of places to visit. It wasn't a bad day, a bit springlike, sunshine and showers and blustery - didn't stop me wrapping up and putting the roof down and letting the wind bounce off the cotton wool in my ears.

Montsegur is a completely amazing place. As you get closer you can see this wreck of a stone castle perched on the top of mountain surrounded by other mountains with snow on them still - it looks totally impregnable and a totally ridiculous place to build a castle - but it might have made sense once I guess.

As I motored up the mountain back and forth through the switchback hairpins, my forehead just above my nose started to hurt like hell - sinuses still not fixed then - and I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Strangely at altitude my ears felt better, just as they did on the plane - perhaps I should go and live on top of a mountain.

If I do, I'd like a bit more comfort than four slightly decaying stone walls, no roof or windows and rocks for a floor - oh, and a thirty minute lung busting, thigh burning climb to the front door - which was missing. Cathar castles look fantastic from the road, from below, from the air, from any possible vantage point except from inside them - they are just all a pile of empty stones. You get a great view and the exercise is life threateningly stimulating but apart from that there isn't a great deal to see at any of them.

Having driven up a mountain and parked the car, and then walked further up a mountain, I came across a kiosk where I was obliged to hand over some dosh before being allowed to carry on.

It struck me as a bit odd that the kiosk is halfway up the mountain rather than just by the car park. By the time most people get to the kiosk they can't speak and can hardly breath, never mind fumble about in their pockets with frozen hands for a few euros for the 'upkeep' of the place. Upkeep of what - there is no path to speak of, no signage, no railings, no information, certainly no health and safety and no staff other than the poor sod who has to sit in a wooden hut 1200m up a mountain trying to get money from punters about to have a heart attack.

That is good old French job creation that is - the fees pay for the salary and a job exists - no fee, no job. The castle - it's been there for a thousand years so it's not going anywhere and if you slip and kill yourself then that's your own stupid fault isn't it.

Splendid view though - you can see for miles and miles and miles up there - or should that be kilometres. No, I'm English, miles it is.

Both sets of guests went up to the Cité today. It's a slightly easier walk and there is at least something within the walls - restaurants and tourist tat shops admittedly - but you don't have to pay to get in. Watch out for those kids with plastic swords though - they'll have your eye out and I bet your insurance won't cover that!