The elusive Cepe

Someone had the idea that today we should go looking for cepes in the mountains. Cepes are huge mushrooms that are terribly sought after in France and can reach quite high prices (although nothing like that of the truffle). Without our own pig to hand we would have to use a eyes and C's sense of direction. Now, at her own admission, this isn't the best it could be, so satnav in hand we ventured deep into the mountain forests, driving rather carefully down tracks with perilous drops just inches away until we reached places that C thought there are bound to be some good mushrooms. The first stop we started upwards on a climb that Chris Bonnington would have been proud of. Realising we were not equipped to go much further and not a cepe in sight, it was back to the car and onwards. Second trip lead us into a wooded dead end and our final outing, although better on the path front, was no more fruitful on the fungus side than the other adventures, so although we had some exercise, we had no cepe for dinner. Ah well, there's always the Intermarche supermarket!

This pic was taken on the outskirts of Revel, while standing in the middle of the railway (not something I often have the chance to do). No worries there though, I think maybe two trains a week pass through here and they are both enormous but slow-moving freight trains. I know in the direction the lens is pointed leads to Rodez, but I think some of the goods coming back from that way must be from the mountain quarries.