2012/2 France - South to the Garonne

After a relaxing day of R & R in Hastings, (Maureen is wonderful, it is like having a Mum again, she looks after us and sets us on our way), we set off along the coast to Dover. Thought we had hours to spare, but got distracted with a phone call from Nick in NZ, telling us he had just been offered a job as a Resource Management Planner in Oamaru, a small town in the South Island.  We are delighted and talked for too long and nearly missed the ferry. Yet another smooth crossing and back to La Belle France. We love it.

Calais has become a home away from home. We know how to get things done here, so we had a very productive few hours. Gas bottles, haircuts, internet access, shopping at Serge Blanco, Zara and Mango, stocked up the wine cellar and so on. Discovered the Cite Europe centre (Thanks Frans and Cynthia), which made life even easier. The French really know how to look after motorhomers, they recognise the economic benefits, so provide easy, free overnight parking in the hope that you will spend some money, which of course you do.  So far they have always been within a 10 minute walk to fetch the day’s bread before breakfast.

The weather has been much kinder to us. Have been basking in the sunshine – put shorts on yesterday and unearthed the sunblock, (note that was the last time for shorts for two weeks). Still freezing at night though. We headed west – with a stopover at Forges les Eaux in Normandy– discovered the cycleway there on the old railway – got distracted and stayed another day. Our backsides are still in recovery mode. Made a 90 degree turn and slowly started making our way south towards the Dordogne. Kept up our cathedral visits with a trip to Chartres and coq au vin in the square. Amazing windows but much of it under restoration and couldn’t be seen.

Discovered the Brenne National park, quite by chance – spent a night in an Aire by a little lake  (etang en Francais). Found that the area was full of them (etangs that is) – literally thousands. Stayed on and did a couple of walks – lots of birds – heard loads of cuckoos (David happy as they are now rare in the UK) and watched a red squirrel leaping from tree to tree.

Technology has been the bane of our existence on this trip. We have invested in a TV for Stan, something we thought we would never do and now wish we never had. We are onto our 3rd aerial – an omni-directional thing up on the roof. Thought we had it sussed, but it is a sort of  “now you can see me, now you can’t” situation. Some days it works perfectly, others it won’t tune into anything. Wastes hours of our time and several cheap options instead of the real thing! Next problem is the internet. Discovered we could get a French dongle for internet access – actually they call it a cle, meaning key which is a much better word. Whoever came up with dongle? This has also driven us crazy, but we really think we have it operational now!! Famous last words.

Moving south but a bad  day on the 15th May (birthday for Tom and Katie and talked to them on Skype) after a T junction in the middle of nowhere, two police motorbikes stopped me,  “You slowed down, you looked to the left and you looked to the right, BUT Monsieur you did not stop – instant fine 90 Euro, and had I had a French licence, 4 points deducted and 12 points you lose the licence.  

South into the Dordogne, and a stop at Souillac with a walk along the fast flowing Dordogne river(swollen by the recent rain) then a 40km cycle ride on another of the “Voie Verte’ cycle tracks along an old railway almost to Sarlat; good surface, almost flat and often raised up above the surrounding countryside, sheltered by trees (good if it had been hot – it wasn't).

We decided as this is our 3rd or fourth visit to the Dordogne region it was time to educate ourselves a bit more on the prehistoric stuff it is so famous for. Not a great interest of ours, but nevertheless a visit to Les Eyzies starting with the museum, then on a cycle tour, visiting various important sites. All very interesting, but I think we enjoyed looking in all the farmyards and charming little cottages more. Moved on to Lot starting with a 4 hour uphill, down dale walk round Rocamadour. As in our mountain walks a couple of years ago, the wild flowers were wonderful. Such a variety of fantastic flowers that we would struggle to grow in our gardens at home. The end of the walk took us right through the town and the Stations of the Cross, which some really dedicated pilgrims climb up on their knees. We have always avoided Rocamadour as being too touristy, and indeed it is, but still interesting. The walk was great. We meandered around the area a bit, with a nostalgic coffee in Figeac, a drive down the beautiful Cele Valley – to be recommended, a bike ride and walk to St Cirq Lapopie and a completion of our prehistoric education with a visit to La Grotte de Pech Merle – amazing 25000 year old cave  drawings.

We have done quite a few walks now – the rambling sort through villages, farmyards and countryside. On our first walk  we set off on the blue walk at Brenne. We were really impressed that there were blue stickers on every power pole and we followed them conscientiously until the map simply didn’t make sense anymore. We are now a lot wiser and don’t follow the blue, live wire sign, but stick to the standard French walking signs, which are sometimes a bit hard to find. We also now realise that almost everywhere you walk in this part of France there are GR (Grande Routes –long walks involving many days, with red and whites markers)  and many of the paths will eventually lead you on the Pilgrim Route to Santiago de Compostella, as there are lots of alternative routes. For us there are PR  (pedestrian routes with yellow markers and from 2 to 4 or 5 hours each in a loop).

Cycle rides have ben good too, especially along  the Lot river, one on the Chemin de Halage (tow path) sometimes cut into the rock (including a modern sculpture).  Another ride  along one bank and back on the other side.

We are now staying in a delightful little aire on the banks of the Garonne Canal that we visited with Nick last year. People fishing, walking, cycling, rowing, red squirrels racing up and down trees and even a couple of little goats wandered in from the farm on the side of the canal – lots of “Bon appetit” as we eat our dinner – could only be in France. We have left the Dordogne River and then the Lot River and now moving onto the Garonne. Plenty of riding here along the towpath in this wide valley before moving south towards the Pyrenees. Let’s hope the good weather keeps going. We have gone from winter to summer in about a week. Temperatures of 10 degrees to now in the high 20’s. We are not complaining.