Real Animals

Just minutes before I reached Salinas de Ibargoiti, somebody must have killed this snake on the road. The snake was small. It was the only one I saw in 2013.

When I saw the roebuck I stopped breathing and approached very slowly. But somehow he was not interested in me - and showed no fear at all.

The population of roe deer must be pretty high in the area. I had already seen a buck some days ago. Unfortunately I froze, when I saw the deers - and then started to tremble, when I took the photo.

I was totally thrilled! The first time in my life, that I saw a hoopoe, well even two hoopoes! They even stayed for a while to pose for this photo.

The fields here are huge. Monocultural farming is the standard and the soil is probably full of fertilizers and pesticides. Not at all a heaven for moles. In spring young moles leave their mothers' burrows and try to find new territories. Some of them cross the roads....

South of Arsac I walked through heathland again, but for a long stretch I had to follow a busy road, where I found this small snake. Most snakes I ever saw - were killed. Roadkill.

.....yes! yes! The very first turtle I ever saw in Europe. Well, the first wildone at least. Later that day I saw a huge 20feet-Anaconda, but just for a 1/1000 second. Nobody believed me. Maybe it was just too hot that day...

Over noontime even the sheep take a siesta.

A turtle in the middle of the road - - I stood on the brakes!! This marginated tortoise was about 30 cms long. The species can only be found in the north eastern part of Sardinia. Here is a swiss/german website about turtles on the island of Sardinia. www.testudo.ch/b_sardinien.aspx

We had met a couple that was very experienced in astronomy and looked for a very dark place. So together we booked rooms in "Les Détroits", a kind of simple B+B place in the gorge, with no village around. After we arrived they spotted this vulture.

The "cigale" (= cicada) is a symbol of the Provence representing a very relaxed, "mediterranean" lifestyle. Walking here, the sound of the singing cigales will be heard over the whole day. This insect is pretty young. The wings are still a little greenish.

To walk in Southern France during summer means to hear the constant noise of these insects. The male cicadas "sing" as soon, as the sunshine has produced a certain temperature - and they will not stop until sunset. These insects do not even have a siesta over noon, like most others.

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1755 after a long fight for independence from Genoa the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France. As the areas near the coast over centuries have been threatened by attacks and raids of pirates many old hamlets and dwellings are wide inland, high in the mountains. So most of the old churches are in the mountains and some of them are hard to find. There were two Romanesque chapels I wanted to visit in Cambia. Not only were they not easy to find, there were as well guarded by the local fauna. This green whip snake crossed my way to San Quilico.

Pascaredda, the prehistoric gallery grave, erected during the Bronze Age by the Nuragic civilization, is well guarded. This wide awake and fast lizard and hundreds of his collegues have an eye on the tourists. Here - and around the nearby "Nuraghe Agnu" and the sacred spring of "Li Paladini". All these sites are well guarded by the lizards since thousands of years.

Taking a rest in the shadow this lizard came over and tried to talk me into a little game. He whispered "Catch me if you can..". I knew, that the little critter was faster than lightning, so I did not enter the game.

It was really hot in Digoin, so the cows took a bath in the Loire.

The two hares seemed to be frozen. They did not move, when I slowly tiptoed over the track - not making any noise. When I looked back - they were gone!

Two horses. Freezing.