JACA: THE BEST PLACE IN THE PYRENEES TO ENJOY MILITARY HISTORY / As well as being the only surviving star fort in Spain, Jaca’s fortress is home to various museum galleries covering topics such as military medicine, military paintings and mountain regiments. It also hosts a garrison of 32,000 lead soldiers.

‘THE PYRENEES A HUMAN HISTORY’ GOES TO PRESS / We all know the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ Nevertheless, anyone who has been involved in the production of an actual book will know about the critical role of cover design.

WHERE IN FRANCE IS THE MIDI? / The Midi is the southern part of France. As with most north-south divides, where it starts and where it ends is open to debate. Whatever its boundaries, the Midi can claim to have distinctive cultural, gastronomic and linguistic roots.

THE FAIRYTALE TOWN OF ALQUÉZAR / The very name of this quaint little town sounds Moorish, and indeed, Alquézar is thought to derive from the Arabic word for fortress. Around 1067, Alquézar was captured by the king of Aragon and a medieval Christian town developed. Today, it is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.

GAUDÍ AND THE PYRENEAN CEMENT FACTORY / The renowned architect made extensive use of concrete in many of his constructions, from the Sagrada Familia cathedral to the Parc Güell. It is, then, particularly apt that he also played a role in building Catalonia’s first Portland cement factory.

HEMINGWAY: ON A BUS, ON TRIAL AND IN THE CAFE IRUÑ/ The first tourist bus crossed the Pyrenees in 1913. Ten years later, it brought Ernest Hemingway to Pamplona and the Cafe Iruña. A century after that, some residents had had enough.

THE MOST HISTORICALLY INTERESTING CAFE IN TOULOUSE? / There are four parts to the story of Le Bibent, and together, they make it the most historically interesting cafe in Toulouse: outstanding architecture, catering innovation, political journalism and an assassination conspiracy.

FOIX AND THE PYRENEES FEATURE AT THE LONDON BOOK FAIR / For the cover of its autumn catalogue, Yale University Press has chosen the image it designed for the cover of my forthcoming book, ‘The Pyrenees: A Human History’.

The sixth line from the Lord’s Prayer asks God to provide us with the essentials that keep body and soul together. Long before those words were written, our distant ancestors took more practical steps to reduce the risk of dying of starvation in troubled times. A key part of their survival strategy was the silo.

THE OLDEST AND BEST-PRESERVED FORTRESS IN SPAIN / Loarre was built by Christian kings in the 11th century as a secure base from which to launch their attacks on the Moors. In 2005, it provided a backdrop for Ridley Scott’s movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’.

OPPIDUM D’ENSÉRUNE – A STORY OF DISCOVERY WITH AN EQUINE TWIST / The Oppidum d’Ensérune near Béziers is the best example in the south of France of a fortified Celtic settlement. A lawyer called Félix Mouret rode up here in 1895 and wondered why the ground beneath his horse’s hooves sounded hollow.

AN EVENTFUL PYRENEAN DAY / In the morning, a beautiful view of the Pyrenees cloaked in snow. In the evening, my book, ‘The Pyrenees: A Human History’, becomes available for pre-order, even though the definitive text was only sent off for typesetting the previous day. If you are curious about how a book goes from an idea to a finished product, this post reveals all.

ROCK ART IN THE SPANISH PYRENEES / The Sierra de Guara is the best place to discover prehistoric cave art in the Spanish Pyrenees. It also offers some of the best canyoning, rock climbing, hiking and trail running.

THE EXTRAORDINARY FIELD SYSTEM OF MONTADY / The spoked-wheel fields of Montady are the result of a 13th-century project to transform a disease-ridden swamp into productive farmland: 400 hectares divided into 80 slices by 120 kilometres of drainage ditches.

REVIEW OF ‘LOOTED! THE NAZI ART PLUNDER OF JEWISH FAMILIES IN FRANCE’ BY PETER ELLIOTT / ‘Looted!’ traces the rags-to-riches story of four French Jewish families and recounts the development of their interest in art collecting. It then explores how they fared during the Occupation, and how some of their artworks were looted by the Nazis while others were successfully hidden.