The weather brightened a tad for our go home adventure to begin, but still cold enough for wind cheater and the Spurs beanie( getting most out of it while they are winning).
It seems crammed lift was just a start to the up close and personal day, with an overflow of guests in the breakfast room, a squeeze getting on the train and a delay getting through Security. Thank God someone decided to separate the Yanks and us for separate processing on Immigration line.
Found a very nice lounge to wile away a couple of hours. The peaceful ambiance was broken by an enormous argument from what seemed to be the kitchen. It went on for a good 20 minutes. On the way out a couple of embarrassed staff were discussing things with the Police.
On the plane which was on time and the great food and service couldn’t dull the senses enough to drop off to sleep. It was 11 and a bit hours sleep free before we landed in a hot and humid Hon Chi Min on Saturday morning.
For a change quickly through the arrival process and in a car for the ride to our riverside hotel.
Things have not changed much since our last stopover, with miraculous evasion skills by the local motor cyclists in ant like traffic. People carrying every possible thing on the back of their bikes and still managed to survive the merge. Record number of passengers was 5. In order from front of cycle it was 5 year old, Dad, 3 year old, Mum and baby on Mum’s back – seems they left the dog at home.
After 40 minutes we arrived at the Majestic Hotel – a real step back into the past. I think 5 people met and greeted us before we reached check-in.
Unfortunately room not available till 11, so we organised, through 3 very attentive staff, to store our bags and then walk the streets for a couple of hours.
We looked for the pick up spot at the Opeta House for tomorrow’s Mekong Tour and found it and 3 wedding groups at 930am – presumably it’s a great time for photos.
Got a bit of a sweat up walking the streets before returning to our hotel. Using Booking.com bonus points we had snagged an amazing Colonial Room in a 5 Star Hotel. The room had a view of the pool, wooden paneling, King sized bed and gold plated fittings in the bathroom. You didn’t need an amenities bag, every possible need was covered and once cleaned up you could climb into the silk dressing gown and slippers. It was totally unexpected and a real treat.
Both sleep deprived travellers pinched an afternoon nap before meeting our guide and doing a walking tour – Street Food style.
With a million other people we travelled the back streets of Saigon eating with the locals. The food was sensational, even if it meant sitting on some chairs fit for kindergarten kids.
At least 95% of the food was identifiable and we punted on the rest being fit for human consumption.
For nigh on 3 hours we wandered through back alleys full of 5 level houses 1 room wide. Many were chock a block full of families dining on the floor on the ground level. There was also a bunch of boozed up Karaoke singers, including a group involved in a funeral wake .
Glad the guide knew where we were as we seemed to walk around in ever diminishing circles. Saturday night is certainly party night and there is only one way to get there – on your motor cycle. Our taxi ride home certainly involved a lot of “finding the alternate route”. It took us at least double the time of the outward journey. We were not the only ones taking shortcuts, a conga line of bikes were driving along the footpath right outside the hotel front door, as we tried to enter.
Flopped into bed, with an early alarm set to wake us for tomorrow’s Mekong adventure.
The start of the long journey home started on a very windy day, courtesy of the massive storm coming across Europe – some parts hit with 160 kph gusts.
A midday train trip sitting in first class by mistake was full of interest. The troop of ticket inspectors marching up and down the aisle nabbed the usual fare evaders, who foolishly thought sitting in first class might have bought them a ride free card.
Outside the fields were full of windmills , power poles and a viaduct- like structure which went for about 20 Km’s. It was apparently a test track for a hover train back in70’s that never materialized and has just been abandoned.
It was a pretty quick trip to Paris into Austerlitz station that is undergoing major reconstruction. It caused a bit of havoc trying to find the connecting underground.
Worked out ok eventually and we found our hotel between Notre Dame, which is still under repairs after the fire, and the Sorbonne in Boulevard St Michel- we could have been walking a song from the 60’s by Peter Sarstedt.
Hotel was nice and had a lift just like most showers over here- no room to drop the soap.
Heard from hotel owner that airport train line was blocked, so did a trip to station to work out plans for tomorrow in case he was right.
Walk turned out to be a nice way to revisit some of the places we saw last time , as well as give you a look at Notre Dame, Seine and it’s boats, plus a distant view of the Eiffel Tower. It also allayed our fears , as it was only scheduled evening maintenance not a full line closure.
The streets were abuzz with police cars and ambulances , but nothing in news to say why.
The weather worsened so we ducked for cover and had a quick drink before heading out to our final dinner. Finally Jane managed to get her French Onion soup, in a restaurant where you needed a pension card to get a job on the wait staff.
Bar Manager was obviously best job, he must have had 3 glasses of wine whilst we were there.
No after effects of Halloween after plenty of kids,decked out in great costumes, roamed the square outside our door.
On a Public Holiday in Orleans it was not a very pleasant welcome with cold rainy weather and more predicted to come. Sat around waiting for our taxi to the golf course and it didn’t arrive at 10. A frantic call to B and B owner ,who supposedly organised it the night before, and he reorganized one which arrived about 1030- with us having an 11 o’clock hitoff.
Taxis know how to charge here with a 15€ booking fee and an 8 km trip adding another 30€
Golf course at Limerie looked as though it was previously part of a huge hotel complex, but it’s now a private course, open to the public.
Rain had not abated so we decided to add a cart to the clubs, balls, gloves and tees . Use of the cart was under strict instructions to stay on path or in the rough.
After the course had been scarified recently, including some reseeding plus not being mown, there was difficulty trying to determine fairways from the rough. Depending on how you saw it we were never off the fairway- then again scores might belie that belief. The greens had also been cored.
That said it was a lovely layout, with 5 different tee markers and all holes lined by trees, with the back section in a forest and one hole having more water than grass. The course was originally constructed by US. soldiers after WW2- with some claim that Arnold Palmer was involved.
The rain was only light for most of the day but it was slippery under foot.- no more evident than when Jane did an acrobatic exit from one tee and became covered in mud and water, plus giving the ankle and knee a tweak.
There was also an island green on the last hole. As is fate with golf I hit my best drive then dunked a simple chip into the drink . Jane hit a couple of short shots then her trusty 7 iron onto the green.
Rain pelted down on the last and we scuttled off for a drink and in search of a calculator to check the scores. Think we both doffed our hats for the 100 well short of the last hole.
That said on one Par 3 we both nearly chipped in for birdies.
It wasn’t sparkling golf but it was enjoyable.
Decided to catch the tram home, which included a 20 minute walk to the station. We ended up passing the practice range where all balls were aimed into the lake. Not sure how they were collected.
Found our way home, dried out, washed the clothes, then taped Jane up for a walk to the City to try and find a restaurant open on a PH.
It was a bit easier than expected and meal was good, as were the Aperol, beer and Irish Coffee.
Walked home over the bridge and were accompanied by a very drunk scooter rider travelling on the wrong side of road and on the tram tracks. Within 100 metres he fell off twice, once in front of a car.
Somehow he survived and went down a side street near us and disappeared.
A bit of a crazy end to our second last night in Europe. Tomorrow it’s off to Paris and then Friday on the plane to Vietnam.
Up before the sun, bells and sparrows to get ready to start another transition day. We tried unsuccessfully to book an early breakfast, which when we went to bed last night was what we agreed.
Arrived in reception to head off to get our taxi and the on-duty staff member said ‘ are you not having breakfast?”. Trying to explain the previous nights arrangements fell on deaf ears and they billed us for a no show.
With a 3 kilometer taxi to the station costing 40€ it was an expensive start to the day. Still can’t fathom how the Tourist Office thought you could walk there with all your luggage.
We wound our way out of Rocamadour and headed to the station where we were the only cold souls on a railway station where you crossed the tracks to get to the right platform.
Our 2 carriage 757am train arrived on time and it was packed. A 40 minute ride through the valley had us in the beautiful town of Brive. Jumped off and found a breakfast spot whilst waiting for 2nd leg of the journey. Thankfully most of the larger stations have elevators making luggage transport a breeze.
The 14 carriage train on its way to Paris arrived and we were soon in our very comfortable seats ready for the 2.5 hour journey. The French do railway travel marvellously.
The trip ran though mostly farmlands, with the occasional whistle stop station. The mid Pyrenees were still evident with the gently rolling hills and then the occasional big bump and limestone cliffs. There had been plenty of rain and the rivers and streams were flowing quickly.
Covid has delivered two things to Europe – a great lift in tourists and a bigger lift in the population of kids under 2- there are families with 1 and 2 little tackers in prams or being carried around in various sorts of harnesses and contraptions all over the place.
Two little fellows next to us were marvellously behaved all the way , listening intently to Mum’s reading, playing games and building Lego. Seems both kids and dogs are well behaved here.
Vierzon was the next stop and it was the opposite to Brive , dull, grubby and lifeless. It probably reflects the fact it was a big industrial area before WW2 and was completely razed by both sides. Not much imagination had gone into its rebuild.
Not good news on the next train connection to Orléans , train was 30 minutes late and with not much protection it was a cold wait.
Another trip on a two carriage local train which stopped at around 6 tiny towns where hardly a soul got on or off.
Arrived in Orléans – made famous by Joan of Arc in 1400’s – in cold and drizzly weather and managed to catch a tram across the Loire River with its main stream and an even wider flood plain making it one hell of a river.
Little Miss Maps soon had us out in the burbs looking for our red and white fronted Air B and B “apartment superior’. Pretty sure it was self rated.
Found it but no host and his Lebanese restaurant next door had closed for the day. Thankfully , we rang and he was able to guide us how to get in- the old key is above the door trick.
Compact, but comfortable, is probably best description. One bonus a washing machine and chance to give the walking gear a good wash. It was a good wash indeed because instead of 315 being the time of day on the machine it was length of the cycle.
We unpacked and then headed off for a walk around the new part of town. It was full of high rise apartments, courtesy of the population growth and fact it had 20000 university students looking for digs.
Walk took us a little longer than expected and with impending darkness and rain upon us we sought refuge in a Tabac which is somewhere between a bar and a lottery outlet. The place was full of characters and the beer was fine.
Walked home just in time to strategically hang the washing around the room before heading into the old city across the same bridge the tram had travelled earlier.
The bridge was busy with joggers and the odd fisherman heading off to try their luck,
Being a Monday the town was quiet and many of the bars and restaurants closed. After some grocery shopping we managed to find one and enjoy another meal which can only be another picket in the fence of fatness being built post the finish of walking.
Could not dodge the rain on the way home and by the time we arrived home ended up like the clothes hanging around the room – damp and lifeless.
Day 2 of Orleans
Awoke to a little brighter weather and morning started with a dash across the square to the bakery to collect breakfast and come back to a coffee not topped with Chantilly cream. I am sure France has the world supply of cream dispensers.
Saw our owner on the way out and made arrangements for dinner at his place in the evening.
A bit of a drier walk back into the Old City aimed at the Tourist Office. The main target was to get a map and see if we could get a game of golf tomorrow. Both missions successful, just got to hope weather holds up between 11-3 tomorrow.
First port of call was the main square where the Joan of Arc statue held prize position . She and her steed shared it with several other steeds – two pulling a wagon and a plethora on tne merry- go- round. Could this be Jane’s last chance to fulfill that childhood ambition and ride a horse that went up and down? . Not today at least as it was inactive and by observation just getting onto one might be a feat in itself.
Next it was off to the former Town Hall. What an amazing building, still furnished in period style , but now only used for civil functions and weddings. The degradable confetti love hearts down the front stairs confirmed that latter fact.
Some of the walls were decorated in what looked like wall paper, but they were actually perfectly symmetrical paint jobs. Each Mayors name is painted on a wall at the end of their term.
Just out the front was an impromptu Halloween decoration in time for tonight’s celebration. Apparently 20 odd local suburbs do the same each year.
Next we were off to the Cathedral with its 3 spires and lots of scaffolding helping them with the 15M€ restoration currently underway. Will be slow work if it is just the one bloke we saw dangling from a rope. Must say the sandblasting is very obvious on the walls already treated.
Inside was what you would expect in a European building , the biggest in CentralFrance. Marvellous architecture, sculptures, paintings, stained glass and of course a huge pipe organ. It was nigh on 130 metres long and 30 metres high. The size of the front door gave an idea of its scale. It even had a scaled model and a map to guide you to all the mini chapels.
Think we found the first edition of the Pope mobile – a little hand carried shade arrangement.
Outside the cathedral were 3 odd sculptures which belonged to the Modern Arts Museum over the road- seemed a weird place to put them.
Did a bit more wandering around, along with shopping and then off to lunch.
Had a couple of hours roaming around the Old City with its great architecture, narrow streets and all presented in a very neat and tidy way- some cities just seem to care that much more.
The rain managed to get us just as we headed home across the bridge. We saw the owner who confirmed dinner and the fact that taxi was booked to take us to golf tomorrow.
A quick pre- dinner drink lead to a takeaway dinner and an unsuccessful fight with the two remotes to get some entertainment. So a night of browsing the internet looking for the next holiday was the pre-sleep routine.
Woke up with a slight time dilemma, due to us not realising DLS was over and the clocks had gone back an hour, so we were an hour early for breakfast.
Nobody could complain about what was on offer at the breakfast buffet, it had all nations covered. With no walking planned I tried to be a bit circumspect with food intake – I thought not having a croissant was a suitable sacrifice.
After breakfast we headed downhill to follow the Pilgrims route out of town and take in the scenery.
It was another neck craning exercise looking up the hill to the chateau and sanctuary where again you got a different perspective. It was the same on the other side where the road which climbed the mountain was supported by viaduct looking structures.
The bottom of valley was home to an old mill and an artisan’s home who dabbled with steel sculptures.
Along the Camino trail was the famous fountain, which was used by ancient Pilgrims for drinking and bathing. It was a whole lot bigger than expected.
Whilst we thought the trail might follow the valley floor, within 300 metres it was climbing steeply up the mountain, so in our sneakers we decided to retreat to tourist duties.
Getting back into town was a bit easier and I don’t think a shop went unvisited, as the crowd started to thicken.
Another walk halfway up to the church to buy a souvenir for home, which hopefully fits in the case and survives the baggage handler shot put.
Ventured up further for more pictures in church, but it was closed for mass, so it was down and more Main Street shopping or at least looking and some photo snapping.
We had an early lunch and then headed to the top of the hill to research where train station was, after mixed reports of being able to walk or alternatively catch a cab for about 3kms and for around 40€.
Irrespective of the distance, the first 1km up hill with luggage and a backpack , proved it was a hill too far to consider, so organising a taxi later was the obvious decision.
Being at the top we decided to try and find the animal park where they are working on a program to grow the dwindling population of the Barbary macaques.
It was another kilometre out of town, but the walk was really worthwhile. It was one of the few zoo type places I walked away from not feeling sorry for the animals – it was marvellously managed and had acres of space.
It was an up close and personal experience with animals roaming about uncaged and within touching distance. That said you were under strict instruction not to touch.
Unlike monkeys they have no tail, but there behaviour is very similar. There was a mix of fully grown and babies, interestingly the males look after the young. It wasn’t unusual to see two adults nurturing a young one.
The young are just like kids, climbmg up trees, performing death defying leaps and teasing the hell out of each other.
We saw two separate feeding sessions and there was some fierce competition for the fruit, vegetables and grain on offer. How they differentiate between pebbles and pieces of grain is baffling.
The park is huge and there is a tall boundary fence to keep them in – with how they are treated it’s hard to imagine them wanting to escape.
On the way out we struck a few giving themselves and a mate a good going over looking for lice, which is apparently a favourite food.
After a couple of hours wandering around we headed off back home taking the high road back and getting a different perspective of town as the sun started to go down.
It being Sunday and last day of the school holidays, the crowds thinned quickly and the shops were quickly preparing for a winter break.
By 700 there were very few people and only 3 eating oportunities. By the time we finished dinner and wandered home we had the streets to ourselves with only the floodlit hillside as a companion.
Back home we confirmed our 720am taxi for the morning , with a cost of between 30€- 50€ , depending on what rate he wanted to charge. Also got news our friendly desk man had not been able to negotiate an early breakfast – given our recent food intake a missed meal will be good for us.
Packed up ready for a 3 train trip to Orleans as we get into our last week in France.
Well the laziness didn’t take long to settle in after stopping the walking and the body seemed to know, as a sudden wave of lethargy swept over me.
Thankfully first day of tourism 101 imvolved a late breakfast then a 40 minute drive to some replication of 20,000 year old caves at Lacaveau.
From a brief explanation in the brochure the 100 km strip of mountains in the region is a speiliologists dream with a mass of caves and attefacts
Went through some magnificent territory on the way, again with several majestic chateau’s. Unlike foot travel it was difficult to snap a photo out of a moving car.
The cave experience was interesting with the guide having a very rich imagination in his interpretation of the hundreds of wall and ceiling paintings . They were done by the local inhabitants who shared their lives with 6 metre long cave lions, reindeer , cows and long backed horses, who all featured prominently in paintings.
There were many moments where blank faces were the order of the day, as he went through his patter.
Unfortunately, an embargo on photos meant it was not an experience to be shared without paying the freight.
Historically enriched we headed to town for lunch, ducking under awnings as the rain started. Found a nice place with the Steptoe and Son escapee next to us,sucking on his mussel shells , enough for Jane to say ‘ I will have what he is having’.
When it did arrive he seemed to vicariously enjoy it again,watching Jane’s every mouthful through the glass divide.
I was completely satisfied with my burger and beer.
The rain worsened and we were sodden getting back to our pick up point. We huddled under a wooden structure for 15 minutes before our transport guy picked us up and dropped us back home in the late afternoon.
Had another wander around town taking in the highlights, as well as knocking into 3 young blokes smoking a bong in a tree covered family nature reserve. Was not sure whether to say “ Hi or High”.
The town with its big austere church, white limestone houses, babbling brook and a mix of derelict and well preserved houses had a different vibe to many towns visited previously.
Dined again in our hotel, with food of the usual high standard and mine host Mrs Fawlty fully in charge. The poor trainee waiter was having a hell of a night under her watchful eye – unable to remove the wine bottle wrapping, spilling wine when pouring, knocking over menu when delivering food and forgetting the soup spoon. Hopefully our supporting smiles helped.
Day 2 was another late start followed by a 20 odd km drive through winding mountain roads passing more chateaus and riverside Michelin Star restaurants before reaching what is now my favourite town on tour – Rocamadour.
The town is built into a mountainside from tne valley floor to the Chateau at the top of the hill. It is accessed via a narrow tunnel and then a winding road to the village. Once there it’s all one way traffic loops and foot travel is the norm.
There is no parking in town and you would love to have the parking franchise, there must be more than a dozen at the top, plus valley roadside spots.
it’s another place where a thousand photos could not do it justice. I remember when doing a walk from Lyon about 10 years ago I was going to divert here, but pushed on, thankfully I chose to revisit.
Our hotel was a beautifully converted old medieval home looking across the valley.
Could not wait to get out and explore this three level town where you either tread the stairs or take the lift – we chose the former and worked our way through the Old Town, up to the sanctuary/church and then the chateau.
Each area was great and provided some wonderful photo opportunities, if you could avoid the throng of tourists.
Some interesting shops including a Lolly shop with a ‘treats tree’, a shop specialising in swords and knives and an ice cream shop with unusual flavors.
The church is f great significance to pilgrims and many visit here when doing the Way of St James. The devout follow an ancient tradition of going up the 216 stairs on hands and knees. Whilst we walked, there were times when the ancient method was appealing.
The church is famous for its symmetrical organ and the carved wooden Black Madonna.
The church is on the centre level and it’s another steep ascent to the chatuea, which is privately owned and lived in. The trip up followed the 13 Stations of The Cross ,for those religiously literate, finishing at the tomb of St Amadour after whom the town is named.
The surrounding ramparts are open to the public for a fee. We both paid and scuttled our way up a couple of very steep stairways taking fleeting glances into the chateau’s backyard. Whilst the sights were great it was with great trepidation we headed down, as we both lived our repeating dream of getting stuck at the top of a high ladder.
Must say we both sighed with relief at the bottom.
We made a contribution to the renovation fund by buying a pin and hammering it into a ‘thank you’pole.
We chose to walk the top road on the way back and stop for lunch at the Belvedere Hotel. Great view and found a new delightful beer Xmas beer- unfortunately waiter could not explain the origin of the name.
Thankfully it was a steep downhill run into town and we passed many puffing tourists heading up the hill to collect their cars. Think the street sign said it all about navigating your way around town.
Back in through the gates with the crowd growing to do some more town touring before a siesta.
Dinner was in our hotel restaurant which kept up the great food trend and gave us a chance to try a new aperitif and the famous Black Wine of the region.
I managed to snap a couple of night shots of town after dinner and looking for the sunset money shot if weather holds tomorrow.
With no bars etc showing the RWC (French have totally lost interest) we headed home to watch the officials spoil yet another game of football through over zealous tule interpretation and gift the game to South Africa- NZ was gallant in defeat.
Just one more day here and then off to Orleans , home of Joan D’ Arc, to celebrate Halloween.
Woke up for our last day of walking and the rat tat tat on the window answered the question on the weather forecast. No use bitching it was only 22 Kms in the rain, once we were dropped off at the starting point.
Today’s walk spent a fair amount of time on the old railway- now bicycle track – that we trod late yesterday.
Started in a pretty town called Aillac which was again a village of medieval homes or themed homes set in a little dip in the valley. Getting on the track meant a bit of back tracking, but nothing like yesterday’s access point.
Started at the bridge which sat under the eye of an old watchtower and meandered along , often with a tree canopy arching over the track.
The rain was not as heavy as predicted, but steady enough to have you pretty wet within the first hour- a period in which we again saw nobody.
About an hour and a half in we came across a tunnel which was about 500 metres long. Unfortunately, the taggers had been through ( even left all of their spray cans in an alcove) and sprayed a lot of it. Engineers had also been through recently installing reinforcement hoops. Jane got good value out of the poncho she bought yesterday.
The track broke out into open ground with a view over the river and there was another mountain top chateau to view. A track too far for us to travel, instead we looked at an old barn in a restored farmhouse.
Despite the weather the flat track allowed us to make steady progress and reach the town of Roufillac where we actually started our walk on the first day in the Dordogne.
The bridge and river looked as lovely in the wet as it did the dry. None of the cafes or even the tourist office were open, with a 1030 pizza the only offering. We were hoping the tourist office was open to see if we could try a longer waterside route that would allow us to miss some parts described as dangerous after rain.
We pulled up the Maps.me App which had been our friend when lost and determined our own way forward, which included a detour to a pretty village called St Julien de Lampon . It had the whole package- pattiserie, deli and a cafe. There was also some helpful old ladies who confirmed our planned route was fine, albeit a bit longer in even more persistent rain.
Warmed up with a coffee, the pack now stacked with a bread stick, ham, cheese and a little pastry for lunch further down the track we were ready to go.
We took off – who wouldn’t be comfortable after settling on a route based on hand gestures and some broken English instructions from two old ladies.
Not far out of town a smart farmer had obviously realised there was more money in real estate than corn and had sold off a great tract of land for a very much in theme housing estate.
Little old ladies didn’t tell us about the 1.5 uphill bit, but , we were going forward and didn’t worry. Came to a beautiful old farm under reconstruction with a paddock full of horses- not destined to race the Arc de Triomphe Classic
Finally found a bit of downhill and headed back towards the river which seemed to be flowing even faster after all of the recent rain. We walked through some spooky mossy forests where you expected a Troglodyte to jump out at any moment. The only thing to emerge was a tiny mouse who walked right up to us – perhaps he smelt the cheese in the backpack.
It got to lunch time and we got that hungry we sat on a table and chair next to the river and road , in the rain, and had an impromptu picnic. Got some deserved weird looks from passing motorists.
The picnic ended up a moving feast as we were getting soaked. If only we had waited another 20 minutes and we would have run into a camping site with seats and a bit of shelter abutting a walnut farm where there were plenty of nuts for the picking.
We picked our way along between river and road before coming to a one lane bridge, right next to a magnificent , lived in chateau, which meant the ladies were right- we could cross the river and head for home.
The bridge crossing signalled we were closing in on home base and no level of saturation was going to stop us upping the pace into town for the last couple of kilometres.
We passed a big soccer/rugby park before wiggling our way through some back streets to end our odyssey at the front door of our hotel.
After a bit of a delay in registering, apparently due to a toilet seat malfunction, we flopped into our room.
Different room configuration this time and Jane was mightily amused at my 3-4 attempts to find the toilet No matter how many times I looked in the bathroom it was not there- after a lot of giggling she directed me to the tiny cupboard near the wardrobe.
After 22 kilometres we sat and reflected on another walking holiday full of ups and downs, misadventures, great food and plenty of laughter.
Finally dry and looking presentable we enjoyed a celebratory G snd T before another nice dinner including a mug of Capuccino from the Land of Lilliput.
Tomorrow is a ‘proper holiday’ with a visit to La Cave – a reconstructed Prehistotic cave system. The boots and walking parephenalia will have to sit around and dry before we pack them away at the bottom of the suitcase.
One simple question – when will the rain come today? The weather people seem to be changing their mind every hour.
Another full table service breakfast, including a hot chocolate thick enough to clog your arteries, had us fully fuelled for a 16km walk. It was supposed to finish at Carzac, but we ended up to an unexpected finishing point due to our designated hotel cancelling our bookimg . Apparently we we were only guests.
Thankfully local agent found a hotel about 6 Kms away.
A great way to start the day with a 700 metre drop in altitude to the valley floor right next to the river. As we wend our way forward the church and our cliff side hotel stood like sentinels on top of the hill.
Most of the walk was in forests or along country roads, never far from the river. Our first point of call was Vitrac a lovely cliff side town on the limestone cliffs, where camping and canoeing seemed to be their main activities.
As usual no shops or cafes open, so no opportunity to get provisions. Slight track change due to some rockfalls along the river had us road bashing for quite a while before popping over a hill into Monfort with its amazing private chateau overlooking the tiny hamlet.
There must be plenty of money in the town if the huge new homes , built ‘in theme’ are any indication,
The wealth of the town did not mean they could control the weather, as we were soon in the middle of a heavy rain event, taking shelter in someone’s garage.
With no provisions available in town a stolen croissant from breakfast sustained us. Once the rain eased we headed out of town passing there football field with the biggest set of goalpost protectors I have ever seen.
Out of town it was more meandering along the country paths before the weather set in and we had to take refuge under a couple of roadside trees. A long distance photo may have suggested we were doing otherwise.
The field beside which we took refuge had a strange looking crop which we later identified as sorghum.
Our next part of the walk was completed on an old railway track converted for walking and cycling. Instructions had us ‘dropping through a tunnel scrambling up steep ground onto the railway.
Scrambling was the apt word with it being that muddy it was an all fours exercise. Once on top it was simply follow the black tar road. We actually came actoss two cyclists, our first people on trails all day.
After who knows how long we reached the exit path which thankfully was a tar path. No official instructions to new accommodation so we relied on the App for last 2 kms on an uphill journey to a pretty flash hotel
Lady took one look at us and booked us in as quickly as possible and after tidying up – as much as you can when luggage has not arrived – she drove us to the local huge shopping complex.
We enjoyed a burger lunch and Jane did some shopping before the 2 km walk back to the hotel.
Dinner was the usual outstanding quality in a hotel with a bundle of guests, which had not been the norm.
Tomorrow is 22nKm’s with between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain predicted –
Getting absolutely lazy with another rest day to take a good look around Domme and let the gear dry out. We know the latter won’t last long as the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday has not improved, if anything it’s rainy all day not just parts of the day.
The day was cold and the valley full of clouds, at one stage we may have been above the clouds.
Enjoyed the most organised breakfast on tour , sitting down and being served the entire set menu. Glad we did because I would have eaten my cereal in what turned out to be the coffee cup.
We did a great self guided tour of town, soaking up the history, architecture and that view. It seems that many of the medieval houses are still being lived in and renovated. The retail shops are aplenty but dont really open until 1030, bar a couple of cafe’s.
The most amazing renovation was the conversion of an old windmill into something that resembled an air traffic control tower with the full 360degree view through the Dordogne. It sat next to a fully restored real one.
The local church had an unusual facade and all internal lighting seemed to be provided by the huge windows- unless they were saving on electricity. It was very austere inside and out.
The restoration works continue here with hundreds of thousands of Euro’s being spent to repair town ramparts and parts of the old chateau’s— there appears to be a great pride in preserving history in Southern France.
One fascinating sculpture really needed an explanation of its background – a half human, half skeleton, breast feeding a rabbit with a snake around its neck.
The crowd certainly thickened as the day went by and we enjoyed the company of 20 or so, including dogs and babes in arms , as we spent an hour in some impressive caves.
At the finish it was either an elevator to street level or the 100 stairs- who could resist the latter. It was a couple of seats in a creperie which also sold a boutique beer in a unusually shaped bottle.
When wandering up in the main square we heard a bit of chatter and noticed the area had been roped off for the local boules event. About 15 players and spectators were taking it all pretty seriously and were still there playing and sipping wine about 3 hours later.
On the way home later in day I passed what I call a ‘French Resistance car’, ironically it was parked next to a plaque honouring a local hero.
Dinner was in our hotel in a very formal dining room . It ranked best on tour. The 3 course set menu was interspersed with little taste treats – it was truly the gift that kept on giving. The truffle soup was unbelievable, as was the duck.
We are looking to be ready to go early tomorrow to try and minimise the weather impact, so other than the bathroom kit everything is packed and ready for collection by the baggage man.
I must say the day off regenerated both body and spirit and ready to go tomorrow on our second last day of walking.
Without mishaps today should have been about 14 Kms, with a deadly last 1 km to the top of the hill into Domme.
Pretty clear skies greeted us as we headed off along the over, whose only companion was two canoeist heading down with the flow.
It was another morning under the watchful eye of castles as we left RTL to his own devices and fell under the scrutiny of the much smaller chateau at ground level on the other side of the river.
We meandered along, against the flow, on a tree covered path passing the camping area, with its sole customer, before reaching the double bridges.
What we hadn’t seen the previous night was a newer bridge under construction which meant a kilometer diversion around the construction area to gain 50 metres.
Whilst calling it a construction area not much activity had taken place for a few years. This area was badly affected several years ago by floods.
On the diversion we went through one of three more large camping areas , again empty, but you can imagine how busy it must be in the high season.
The riverside track gave filtered views across to the chateau on the other side of a river which changed character as it wound its way down the valley. It was a strange place to spot a few swans on an island in the middle of the river.
Farms, again with unharvested corn crops, were on the other side of the path. The path was littered with streamers ‘intersport’ , pink dots and signs CAB, which suggested a race of some sort had taken place recently. – perhaps it was part of Cancer awareness month. We got caught up with following them and missed a turnoff, but thankfully a local farmer redirected we two bemused travellers back onto a track.
It was a track but not the right one and it had us negotiating a water crossing which we managed with relatively dry feet.
We broke out of the forest then popped under a bridge below another chateau under renovation and could see our next destination La Roque Gageac – another riverside town built below the limestone hills.
After some traipsing through more paddocks our track and the main route came together and we headed into town.
Some beautiful buildings sat below the cliff faces, with large boulders in the backyard.
It had a much more vibrant feel than Beynac and the river had 3 cruising boats, not full but at least active. Being Monday not many shops were open and lunch was a coffee in the only bar open.
The town was also home to more, unpopulated camping grounds and a selection of canoe hire kiosks. The “lunch” stop did us no favours weather wise with rain squalls belting down as we took off.
Reading paper maps and instructions in wet weather is no joy, even with a protective cover, and we were soon soaked, asking a passer by for directions.
No luck, she was a tourist and further up the road we struck 2 American’s who accidentally pointed us in the right direction.
Finally on a wet and rocky track we were enjoying progress through a mossy forest looking back down on some beautiful homes in the valley.
We popped out onto a gravel road and came across the first walkers of the day- a similarly wet UK couple heading in the opposite direction. Was a virtual crowd when we then met two inappropriately dressed French ladies and their dog just down the road looking for directions. Given our misfortune we smiled and pointed towards the road sign below and hoped it might help.
We glided down the hill with great views all around and turned a corner to get a glimpse of Domme , our home for the night, sitting proudly on the hilltop.
Followed a main road and popped back over the river into Cenac which was at the bottom of the kilometre climb to the top. We went into the French equivalent of a PubTab and had the menu of the day – roast rooster and chips, washed down with a little beer and wine to help propel us up the hill.
The way up was on a tarmac road and the beautiful view took away the pain in the legs. Reached town, again a fairytale city from the 12th century , and entered through the gate which formed part of the old ramparts around the town. The climb up continued through the town with its beautiful medieval buildings until we reached our lifeless hotel perched on a cliff mtop overlooking the river and valley- it was postcard stuff.
Greeted by the matriarch of the family, in her mid to late 80’s, who beckoned the next in line to the throne to process registration . Room allocation was fine but she had no idea where bags were, which meant us sitting around wet until it arrived. The view out the window did make it more bearable.
No call to say it arrived, so after 90 minutes I popped back downstairs and there it was sitting next to the Queen who was folding table napkins, oblivious to its arrival.
Finally got into clean dry clothes before heading off for dinner on the other side of town. It was a League of Nations given it was the only restaurant open in town. A few loud Saffies boasting about rugby and a Kiwi lady sitting with us smiling in anticipation of spoiling their party.
Had a nice pizza before heading home, with a day wandering around the city in store tomorrow. Fine weather tomorrow and then about 2 inches of rain predicted for the final 2 days of walking.
