Matt Hilton Works

Castelreng is a river crossing village rather than a hilltop village, situated in a north east facing foothill block of the Pyrenees between Limoux, Chalabre, Carcassonne & Puivert.

This foothill region extends like a right hand with thumb and little finger separated from fist. Between thumb and first and little finger and fist run two named streams - Du Cougaing and Du Gourgs.

The fist and knotted hand are heavy going for the walker unless you know the paths. I am exploring Castelreng to Puivert.

Close to the Goths/Franks line & Mediterranean/Atlantic watershed (watch the trees change between Limoux & Chalabre. If you are able to see river systems as brain capillaries then up our rarefied and tortuous valleys are remnant cultures from ice age shelterers to the land push (international) of the late sixties early seventies (key text "l'avenir d'un desert" l'Atelier du Gué  Villelongue d'aude).

A source of bio-geo wonder is that the region along north face of Pyrenees was the redoubt contra the last ice-age hence tons of genes that kind of never went anywhere.

After years of marginalisation these tribes if they did but know it could spearhead rebranding of the human project into its low cash creative bricolage phase (learning from africa) together with an acceptance of earth death & necessary emergence of thanatos as active agent.

This area still seethes with micro tribes (see Neal) the latest I've found is a small colony of retired informers and their handlers, I won't be more specific as these toupee sporting bureaucrats still pack a punch...