Tag Archives: Jean Hirschinger

The bordermarker-guide of Michel Molia

At the age of 73 in 2013, Michel Molia – a retired dermatologist from Bayonne – started with his own quest for the bordermarkers of the Pyrenées including starting his own website.
And recently the Pyrénées Magazine published a nice article about him:


I met him several times with as a peak experience our trip to find the long lost intermediate bordermarkers bm408 III and IV. That they were found at last was only possible by his persistent search in the archives for a lost map.

I like him with his endurance, friendliness and wit. Now he has written his own bordermarker-guidebook and I was honored to receive a copy of his privately published book. It describes his trips, gives practical advice and is a pleasure to read. In a way, it is a printed version of the ‘guide’-part of his website. You might email him (michel.molia@free.fr) if you are interested in a copy.


He is not the first to make his own account of his bordermarker-quest. I have copies of privately published books by Jean Hirschinger/ Simone Hondelatte and Lucien Thomas. But Michel is the first to cover the entire esfr-border.

Jean and Simone announcing their book

Jean Hirschinger and his partner Simone Hondelatte have since 2010 searched and photographed the bordermarkers of the Basque country: no. 1 to 262. Jean is an experienced walker and used to be the vice-president of the “Fédération Européenne de Randonnée Pédestre

They will publish their pictures and information on itineraries, maps, details in a marvellous and inspiring lay-out. I was thrilled to see the brochure of their book and immediately ordered a copy. Well, look and judge for yourself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to enlarge the brochure. Prices and how to order: it’s all in the brochure.

Bm196: the ultimate evidence

I was very happy to receive – with help of Jean Hirschinger – some pictures of Anne Marie Bats and Bernadette. Those two brave women are searching the Basque bordermarkers since a year, following Jean & Simone’s example. When fleeing the Basque hills because of thunderstorms, they decided to excavate bm196 further to find a number, having their garden-tools in their car. That number still lacked as the ultimate proof that this massive block was indeed bm196. See this post.
And they succeeded! Thanks a lot, Anne Marie and Bernadette!