France - The Road Trip Week Two Haute-Vienne, Allier and Nievre

We arrived at our VRBO, a small but complete cabin supposedly in the woods but really in some woods near the road, in the late afternoon after a full day of touring and after some time relaxing, as well as a cold glass of white wine, we were off to nearby St Junien to dine at the local hotel restaurant which seemed to cater to men of the working class and served a decent, if unremarkable, steak frites. There is not much to see in St. Junien but we tried to see it, wandering around a bit before and after dinner.

Back at the VRBO it was time for more wine, some tele followed by a good night's sleep. The next day we did not have much to do as we had already visited Oradur-sur-Glane (the primary reason Christos had brought us here) but we did have one major site to see; the Agnelle factory outlet store in St Junien! 

Agnelle is a maker of high end leather products with a focus on gloves. They have been worn by such luminaries as Madonna, Beyonce, Lada Gaga and even Melania! 

We arrived at the nondescript building in downtown St Junien and were soon admitted by the store minder, a lovely older French lady who spoke very little English. She led us up to the second floor where a small room was dominated by bins by size of pairs of men's gloves on one side and women's on the other. Other leather goods such as purses and small bags adorned the walls. We chatted a bit and she was quite pleased to learn we had come all the way from Canada to see the store.

A quick look earlier on the web suggested pricing that meant only one pair of gloves each but we soon realized that the factory store was about 40% off! 

With this new information in hand we ended up buying two pairs of gloves each for a very reasonable 240 euros. The shopkeeper threw in two small zippered bags as gifts. What a wonderful experience! 

Then it was off to shop as we planned to eat at home that night. We visited the local grocery store (not our favourite as we prefer farmer's markets) and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the product. France really does have good produce throughout. 

Returning to the VRBO in the afternoon we opted for more relaxing with some crafting thrown in before preparing dinner. 

Although we had no BBQ at this VRBO, we opted for pasta with fresh vegetables accompanied by salad and of course the obligatory wine. 

The next day saw us back on the road heading east with our first stop at Saint Leonard de Noblat where we visited the lovely cathedral and bought some wonderful dried goods (nuts, mango, ginger) from an African shopkeeper of incredible good cheer. 

Then it was back on the road and a visit to the town of Borganeuf where Christos had hoped to visit Cem's Tower (which had housed an Ottoman Prince) but sadly it was closed until later in the day and we had places to get to. 

In the late afternoon we finally arrived at our destination, the amazing Zone Bleu located in the sleepy farm village of Hyds. 

Christos had booked Zone Bleu without really knowing what to expect and it was one of the pricier places we stayed this trip (although not outrageous by any means). 

It had seemed a bit odd to find a highly rated B&B deep in the French countryside and quite off the beaten trail but it was truly a gem. It is a lovely old farmhouse restored with care and attention to detail by a husband and wife couple from Denmark and Holland. 

He is gregarious and personable, running the front of house with charm and good humour while she is always diligently preparing something for guests. 

Chickens and a lovely dog roam the grounds and the interior oozes old world charm (complete with candles on the super wide staircase to the second floor). The basement houses a cellar full of local wine which we soon sampled.

Our suite had a lovely king sized bed with a gorgeous ensuite washroom and an anteroom room with two wingback chairs with furs facing a fireplace and a small table. We didn't think we would use the anteroom much but we ended up loving it for late night TV and early morning coffee. We stayed only two nights but could have stayed a week. 

Dinner the first night was a planche of meats, cheese etc prepared for us by our hosts and was perfect after our day on the road. After a lovely dinner, we wandered the grounds for a bit enjoying the rural idyll before heading to our room for a little TV in the anteroom, cold white wine and finally bed in our luxurious king bed which enveloped us.

As we were only in Hyds for two nights, the next day was local touring with a visit to the village of Herisson which although not a Plus Beaux Village certainly is on its way to becoming one. 

We wandered the small medieval core, shopped at the local farmer's market and enjoyed lunch at an odd restaurant (nachos in France?) before heading to the church and the local ruined castle for a tour and some photos. 

After a hot day touring it was back to the Zone Bleu for pizza night! It seems a local pizza truck makes a circuit of the local villages on Friday nights offering various types of freshly cooked pizza and it is quite popular with the locals. 

The pizzas were quite good and a nice change from French food as well as quite reasonably priced compared to eating out.

After our two nights in Hyds, it was time to head to our next destination, a small cottage near the village of Chevroches. We purchased a half dozen bottles of the local white from our host and were soon off to visit Saint-Pourcain-sur-Sioule for the weekly farmer's market. 

After stocking up for the next three nights at the farmer's market, we enjoyed a quick lunch at one of the local restaurants (where one can eat food from the market so long as you bought a beverage) and were on the road around noon. 

We stopped to visit the town of Nevers with a visit to the Ducal Palace as well as a wander through the medieval core. As it was June 21st, also known as Fete de la Musique in France, we noticed quite a few bandstands etc being set up even though the afternoon heat was excessive. 

With the tour of Nevers complete, we made our way to the Domaine Des Carriers where we had booked the Maison Des Compagnons, a small stone cottage with a wonderful view, BBQ etc. The only challenge was it was a bit small (cosy?) and with no AC and with the oppressive heat it was quite hot in the upstairs loft/bedroom. 

After meeting our charming young host, we settled in and found out a bit about the area including the town of Clamecy just down the road where tonight there would be some live music although the big excitement would be a bit further afield in Auxerre. Clamecy was also the closest place to shop and as we needed charcoal for the BBQ so off it was to Clamecy for a little provisioning.

The late afternoon into early evening was spent lounging at the cottage and discussing whether we would go into Clamecy for the evening's festivities. 

Eventually it was time for dinner on the BBQ and by the time that was done we decided to just take it easy and relax with some cold white wine at the cottage instead of having to drive into Clamecy for live music. 

That night was quite hot and restless for the two of us; the small size of the cottage coupled with the heat was just too much so the next day Christos arranged to have us moved into the Sculptor's Apartment, which was both more spacious and much much cooler, for the next two nights. 

As it was now Sunday and we were tired from the previous twenty-four hours, we opted to relax rather than tour for the day. While the Domaine is only a short drive from Clamecy, it is otherwise quite isolated with no shops so it was to our benefit and wonder that around 9AM on Sunday the bakery truck showed up with fresh bread! 

The Domaine's allotment was dropped off and Christos negotiated the purchase of some fresh bread from the bakery truck operator. It was still warm and of course wonderful. 

This meant we did not have to leave the grounds for the day so we did some laundry, watched some TV, dipped in the pool and generally loafed. 

Dinner was once more on the BBQ and we used the same one from the Maison des Compagnons as the new one was very dodgy! 

After a good night's rest, we were ready for some touring the next day so off we went to visit the village of Vezelay with its stunning Basilica complete with jaw dropping central portal and supposed relics of Mary Magdalene!

A lovely place and well worth the visit although the shops leading to the Basilica are quite touristy. 

After our visit to Vezelay, our next stop was the village of Bazoches, or more accurately, the Chateau de Bazoches, which was home to Vauban, a famous nobleman and military engineer of 17th century France. 

The chateau is a wonderful and impressive building evocative of the wealth of France's 17th century aristocracy filled with old portraits, genealogy wall murals, the odd piece of armour and other bric a brac of the past. 

The full tour, including a visit to Vauban's richly appointed apartments, took about an hour and was worth the ticket price. 

On the way back to the Domaine, we popped in to Clamecy to make a full tour of the medieval core including the local church and we also stopped in one of the few shops open on Monday, the delightful Chez L'Houme where Christos bought a shirt (with snails on it) and Lisa bought a bag emblazoned with the town's name on it. 

After the Clamecy tour was done, it was back to the Domaine to relax, prepare another lovely BBQ dinner and get ready for our departure the next morning. 

France - The Road Trip Week One Aveyron and Lot and Dordogne

Our road trip began in Beziers on a holiday Monday (apparently Whit Monday. who knew?) which of course meant that our rental pick-up was delayed so we ended up leaving Beziers a little late but no worries as we were soon making good time with Lisa at the wheel. 

Our first stop was the fortified medieval village of La Couvertoirade where we wandered about for a bit  enjoying the medieval vibe and purchased some post cards and other goodies for Christos' growing craft pack. 

After that it was on to the lovely small city of Rodez which was pretty much as quiet as could be given that it was a holiday Monday. 

Sadly no postcards etc were purchased even though we could see some wonderful ones in a store that was closed but we did manage a tour of the one thing open, the lovely and amazing cathedral. 

We would end up seeing quite a few amazing cathedrals on our drive through France!

Then it was back on the road arriving at the charming cottage we would call home for the next two nights located just outside of the town of Entraygues-Sur-Truyere which is a bit off the tourist path and just what we love. 

It is a small town at the confluence of the Lot and Truyere rivers right on the border between the departments of Aveyron and Cantal. The town possesses a lovely medieval core as well as a beautiful stone pedestrian bridge from the middle ages.

We dined at the delightful Quai West on the riverside, wandered around the old town for a bit and then hopped back in the car for the five minute drive to our place for an evening of late night television and wine in the yard and the summer heat. Quite lovely. 

The next day we took it easy with a trip in to town, lunch at the Quai West, a short hike along the river after lunch (but my it was hot) and some shopping for dinner. We picked up a lovely piece of steak at Bax-Gombert as well as some veggies and salad fixings before heading back to our cottage for some laundry and relaxing. 

We finally had the chance to make our own dinner after more than two weeks and it was a simple but wonderful meal of steak and veggies on the grill accompanied by a hearty leafy salad stuffed with lots of veggie goodness. 

If you order salad in a restaurant in France it inevitably comes with more than lettuce and veggies; the French seem to think a salad lacks substance if not anchored in a protein like chicken or cheese. We prefer ours as big wonderful veggie feasts. 

After dinner it was another evening of summer heat, white wine and a little television in the yard. Some sort of giant June bug joined us for TV, landing on one of the unoccupied chairs, and we decided it was best not to bother it and live and let live as it were.

After our two day break near Entraygues-Sur-Truyere it was time to head to our next stop, a bed and breakfast near the village of Cajarc. Off we went after a hearty self-made breakfast of egg on toast,  something we had been missing since our arrival in France!

On the road, we stopped at the amazing Conques, an ancient pilgrim stop on the Camino, to visit the Abbey Church of Sainte Foye as well as the Treasury with its hoard of wonderful reliquaries and other religious objects. 

So much gold and so many precious gems, all to hold some old bones!

After Conques, it was lunch time so we stopped in the town of Figeac for a snack and a quick tour of the old medieval core of the place. 

Finally in the late afternoon we arrived at our place of refuge in the countryside and were heartily welcomed by the two Irish owners. 

Our suite was on the top floor of the old manor house with our bathroom in the round tower. Very spacious and lovely although Christos did have to be aware of the beams in some places.

On our hosts' recommendation, we had dinner in town at a local restaurant, Le Nauti'c which did quite a good steak frites! 

The next day it was off for a tour of the local area with a visit to the town of Villefranche-De-Rouergue where a lunch of chicken, bread and fruit was procured at the farmer's market followed by a trip to the lovely village of Najac for a cold beverage, a tour of the small local museum and then a hike up to visit the remains of the Royal Castle. 

The Abbaye is a secluded medieval place which was almost destroyed during the revolution but had been saved and protected as a historic monument in 1942 and recently converted into a modern art gallery as well as amazing event space (the main hall of the Abbaye was a cavernous, vaulted wonder). 

When we returned  we had the luxury of lounging under the awning in the garden and watching TV as the rain came down until late in the night. Unlike the previous night, we were th eonly guests staying at the B&B that night.

A few other tourists were there including an annoying Instagram family as well as a bevy of French school children so when the castle opened at 3PM we made sure to stagger our visit behind theirs.

The castle was well maintained and well presented. After paying our entry fee, we clambered up staircases, through various rooms with their information placards and down a "secret" passage from one area of the castle to another all the while enjoying the amazing views of the village and valley from various spots within the castle and on the ramparts. 

Najac is definitely worth the visit and a medieval France highlight for us.

After a good hour or so tour (and much money spent on postcards etc) we hiked back down to the village, hopped back in the car and, after a bit of meandering, popped in to visit the Abbaye De Beaulieu-En-Rouergue. 

We finally made it back to the B&B in the late afternoon after a very full and wonderful day of touring the countryside in the summer heat. 

We tried to eat at the same place as the night before but it was fully booked so we had to settle at the last minute for another local place that was not as good. C'est la vie. 

For our second day of touring we opted for a less onerous voyage so after a lazy morning we started with a drive to the nearby small village of Espagnac St Eulalie for lunch at a local restaurant that our hosts had suggested and which was quite lovely. 

After lunch we visited the prehistoric caves at Pech Merle which had been adorned with images of animals by our ancestors more than 20,000 years ago before being sealed up until rediscovery by a trio of children in 1922. 

Only small guided groups can go in and the tour is 45 minutes and no more as only a few people can be in the cave at any one time in order to preserve the paintings. Quite an amazing visit.

Our next stop was the quaint and charming village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie  which is wonderful to visit albeit a bit overrun by tourists and a bit too filled with artist studios hawking various wares for our liking. 

We returned in the mid-afternoon to the B&B and relaxed a bit before having a dinner of home made duck with a big lovely side salad and vegetables, all served in the garden of the B&B as there were now four other guests (it being Friday night). 

The next morning it was time to depart and as our next stop was a VRBO with a grill, we also had the job of provisioning on the way. 

Fortunately, we had done our homework and determined that the town of Cahors was not only on our way and worth a visit but also hosted a Saturday farmers' market. 

We stocked up on provisions as we planned to self cater for the next three days and toured the town for a bit under cloudy skies, making sure not to miss the famous medieval bridge at Cahors, before hopping back in the car to continue our drive to our next stop, a VRBO in the countryside just outside of the charming town of Sarlat.

Our spot near Sarlat was small but lovely. The hosts were nearby in the main building, far enough away that we had our privacy but close enough that if we needed anything it was not far to go. The converted barn was cozy and had just enough space for the two of us while outside we had a lovely garden with a view out across a valley into the woods. Every evening we would hear the animals (mostly birds) of the woods call out their bedtime songs before it would suddenly become silent with the darkness of night.

It was also lovely to be fully provisioned for three days with yummy steak and other goodies. We certainly love French food but restaurants can be hit or miss and cooking for ourselves really is a pleasure so long as good ingredients can be sourced and good tools are at hand. The BBQ at the VRBO was of the simple round charcoal variety but perfect for our needs. 

After settling in and cooking a wonderful BBQ dinner, we enjoyed the coming of night woodland avian symphony before heading to bed once darkness had fallen.

Our first full day in the Dordogne was a Sunday and it was rainy. As such we opted for a relaxing day with no touring but rather laundry, TV on the laptop, crafting and dining. By mid afternoon it had cleared up a bit and we could hang our laundry to dry as well as enjoying some cold beverages in our garden patio. 

Dinner was once more meat on the BBQ and as always accompanied by a giant salad. The evening was listening to the dusk symphony of the woods before a little laptop TV before bed.

The next morning started with a homemade breakfast of egg on toast and coffee accompanied by fruit before heading out for a full day of touring. We visited Sarlat, famed for its foie gras (and geese) and picturesque medieval core where we dropped off a bunch of mail for friends back home before a wander through the charming, but very touristy, town. 

After Sarlat we toured a trio of Les Plus Beaux Villages De France; Domme, La Roque Gageac and Castelnaud, each offering a different tourist treat.

Domme is a wonderful example of a fortified town, or bastide, created by royal decree in the middle ages to serve as an extension of royal power. Situated high on a hill, it offers wonderful views of the surrounding territory from the town ramparts as well as a picturesque small medieval core (with few modern buildings). Quite charming and done in less than an hour. 

Next on the list and a short drive away was a twenty minute stop and stroll at the lovely riverside village of La Roque-Gageac although we did pass on a climb up to old troglodyte caves above the village. Quite a lovely place carved into the side of a cliff and with the river running by.

Finally it was another short drive to visit Castelnaud, another small cute medieval village looking over the river and complete with a wonderful castle to tour. We spent a good hour at the castle and a quick wander through the village.

After a full day of touring, we were back at the VRBO in the late afternoon to enjoy some relaxing, crafting and dinner before a good night's sleep.

After three nights in Dordogne, it was time to head to our next destination, a VRBO near the town of St Junien in the Haute-Vienne department. 

As it was a drive of only around two hours we opted for some touring on the way with a visit to the village and Abbaye de Saint-Amand-de-Coly where we explored the lovely church (odd interior with second level galleries), bought some vegetables from a local farmer at an "honour pay" table and also purchased a small stemmed bowl from a local artisan we have decided to use as a salt cellar back home (it stayed safely wrapped for the trip). 

Then it was off to tour some more with a visit to the Chateau De Hautefort which lasted more than an hour. The Chateau is a lovely 17th century building overlain on an older medieval castle (traces of which remain) that offers a good tour as well as an excellent history of the chateau from its heyday in the 17th century under the Marquis de Hautefort, a favourite of Louis XIV, the tragic fire of 1968 that almost destroyed it and up to the modern day as setting for films such as Ever After, while still remaining in private hands and serving as a private residence (well a portion of it anyway). 

Our third stop on the way was the memory center and village of Oradour-sur-Glane where a heinous WW2 massacre was committed by the Nazi SS. It was a poignant and emotionally charged visit. We stood in the ruins of the church where hundreds of women and children were killed by mostly young men who apparently believed they were working for the greater good. It was particularly poignant given what is going on in the Levant at this time.

After about an hour at the remembrance site we finished our day of travel and touring, arriving at the small VRBO cottage we had booked for the next two nights.