h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm glad someone's written about the Pyrenees. It's my favourite part of France. I just wanted to add some details to what is an exceptionally well written piece.

St Bertand de Comminges is well worth seeing - but it's most striking feature is that it is on top of a pog, or steep sided hill! There is very little parking at the top, so in high season be prepared to park at the bottom and walk or bus to the top.

The Cathars were not "at it like rabbits"! They beleived in purity and celibacy, especially for the Perfecti. But for the rest of the congregation, the Credens or Believers, they knew celibacy was not practical. So they advocated casual sexual liaisons above marriage, as this was less likely to lead to procreation, and the entrapment of more souls in imperfect bodies.

Thanks for your comments.

At this remove from the Albigensian Crusade, it is very hard to separate fact from fiction. The Cathars were branded as heretics and therefore all sorts of actions were ascribed to them which they probably didn't do. The Cathars' own description of themselves would of course give them the purest of possible motives. The truth was probably somewhere in between, so forgive my rare moment of hyperbole.