Rod's Europe by Van : Limousin 1

2nd July - Severette
99 miles from Ruoms

Headed off towards the Cantal with an intermediate overnight stop planned about two-thirds of the way.

Great scenic drive through the northern part of the Cevennes to the Massif de Margeride, a upland plateau around 1000m formed by a massive granitic intrusion, brtween Mende and St Flour at the edge of the Cantal.

Was planning to stay at a municipal campsite at Rieutort-de-Randon. Well....remember the low headroom bridge problems with the SatNav a few weeks back? Well this was the first time I have ever encountered a headroom restriction of 2m at a campsite - it even had a height barrier in place. I didn't find out until I had spent fifteen minutes negotiating a narrow twisty road to the entrance. Bloody French b******s.

All was not lost found another municipal site a few miles up the road at a small village called Severette and no complaints at 5euro for the night. Woken about 7am by a cat meowing continuously. Looked out and couldn't see anything. 'Meow' bloody 'meow' continued non-stop. Eventually, wandered out and had a look - nada. A French women came over from another van and said it would be lodged underneath the van, she had needed a baguette to get it out the day before. Lacking a baguette - my walking stick did the trick. It was sat quiet happily in the suspension. Just as well I didn't drive off with it there ... mashed cat! But, at least it would have stopped its loud meowing!

Cevennes - Lac de Barrage de Villeport
A quick stop en route

Cevennes - Part of the route through the wooded hills.
A bit higher than UK hills at about 1500m

Severette - The village from near the campsite

3rd July - Chaudes-Aigues
60 miles from Severette

Was planning to stay in St Flour; but, oppressively hot and heavy when I got there and decided to head some where more open and ended up at Chaude-Aigues (literally hot-waters). There are supposed to be thirty-two hot water springs in the town. After walking round the place for an hour I only found two warm ones, two cold ones and one very hot one. The aire was a bit rough being next to the local council depot. But, it cost nothing to stay so I can't complain.

In the morning I drove over the Massif de Margeride to visit the Parc Animalier Bison d'Europe. A reserve for European Bison that were re-introduced into France about twenty years ago from protected herds in Poland. They became extinct in France in about 1000AD. There was a small museum which included Paleolithic carvings of bison on bone (made some 14000 years BP).

In the afternoon I stopped off and had a look at Mr Eifel's railway viaduct at Garabit. The French seem to get very excited by it - I had previously glimpsed it from the near by auto-route on other trips - but never seen it close-up before.

Massif de Mageride - Typical scene.

Massif de Mageride - Higher up from the Parc Animalier Bisons d'Europe

Parc Animalier Bisons d'Europe - Museum
Bison carved on bone - Paleolithic 14,000BP

Parc Animalier Bison d'Europe - A European Bison!

Parc Animalier Bison d'Europe - More European Bison

Cantal - Distant profile of the eroded Hawaiian type volcano (basaltic lava and shallow slopes at about 10 degrees)
Originally it was two to three times the present height at about 3000m

Viaduc de Garabit over the Truyere - near St Flour
Designed by Eifel of the Tower fame and still in use

Chaudes-Aigues - The very hot spring at 82C
Too hot to put your hand under, steaming and sulfurous.

Chaudes-Aigues - Traffic Congestion
I watched for twenty minutes and never did see the lorry and trailer get round this corner - even after the cafe canopy was rolled in and all the table and chairs moved.

4th July - 6th July Albpiere-Brendons
43 miles from Chaudes-Aigues

Arrived at lunch-time and immediately got 'bogged-down' in a wet campsite. A nice Frenchman came along with a truck and rope and pulled me out - I never actually asked for help - he just turned up from the village after a couple of hours. Some one must had said something there. I cannot imagine such easily obtained help in the UK!

The village is quite high about 1000m and surrounded by higher hills. The latter seemed to be covered in cloud and mist all the time. Even mist and cloud lower down the valley Hey! Just like the UK!.

The weather got wetter and colder over the weekend and I decided to call it a day and moved on at Monday lunchtime. I did manage a reasonably dry and partly sunny walk up to the Cirque de Chamaliere and Puy de Rocher on the Saturday and a quick bike ride between thunderstorms down the valley to Murat on the Sunday - yet another 'ville medieval'.

Albpiere-Bredons - Forest trail and Cirque de Chamaliere
A damp and misty interlude over a wet weekend

7th July to 9th July Sadroc and Donzenac
90 miles from Albpiere-Brendons

Was not sure whether to go east or west when I left the Municipal Campsite at Albpiere-Brendons. But guessed that as the weather was coming from the west I might drive into brighter skies and less rain in that direction. The eternal optimist - I suppose the weather became 'changeable' rather than very wet all the time.

Have been staying at two aires about ten miles apart in the Limousin, about 50km south of Limoges. The aire at Sadroc even has free electric hook-up for four vans. Amazing!

Rolling hills, wooded slopes, mainly orchards and cows. Good walking country with innumerable medieval villages. The area begins to impinge on Plantagenet history - the Limousin was part of the Plantagenet 'realm' from time to time and the area was decimated during the Hundred Years War.

Just been pottering around in the van and a doing a bit of walking today between showers. Certainly warmer than the Cantal lowish twenties - but still a lot of dark clouds and rain around.