Erquy

10th July - Cassac
70 miles from Sadroc

Developed a desire for beach (and hopefully some sun) for a couple of weeks. Headed off in a north-westerly direction towards Brittany. Stopped overnight at Cassac, alone at a small aire in the centre of the town next to a small park and the ubiquitous 'boules' field. Odd church in the centre of town in that a couple of houses were built into the fabric of the church. 

On the way passed through the Parc Natural Regional Perigord Noir and through Segur-le-Chateaux - a quaint picture book medieval village not overly restored. Later in the day stopped off at Chateau Chalus, where Richard I was died by an infected wound from a cross-bowbolt while laying siege to the castle. His body ended up in the Abbey at Fontevraud (where his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his father Henry II were also interned), his heart is in Rouen Cathedral and I think his entrails were buried at Chalus - but I never found them.

Cassac- Church with house attached, there were more on the other side

Segur-le-Chateau  - quaint with very ruined and un-restored castle

Chateau Chalus - A disappointing pile considering its historic association with the death of Richard I

11th June - Chirac
54 miles from Cassac

Had a morning walk around Rochechouart with its impressive medieval castle, later redeveloped as a Renaissance chateau, and a town church with a twisted spire. Couldn't find out if the twist was intentional or not - so Chesterfield has competition in the twisted spire stakes. 

Parked up at lunch time at the large aire at Oradour-sur-Glane. Very busy with a lot of people visiting the remains of the village burnt by the SS 'Das Reich' Division in retaliation for the local Resistance disrupting the mobilization and movement north of the Division to the Normandy front, on the 10th June 1944, following the invasion of 6th June 1944. 

A total of 622 villagers were massacred by a contingent of the SS (the men by firing squads in the village whist the women and children were herded into the church and burnt to death there). The remains of the village have been preserved as a memorial. This was one of a number of massacres by the Wehrmacht and SS in western Europe - but pales into in significance compared to what happened on the Eastern Front - a panel in the museum noted that in Belarus -some 29 towns together with 209 villages were destroyed in a similar manner and a total of 2.3 million people were massacred in the process. Which is unimaginable. 

Not really wanting to spend the night at Oradour, I moved on to a gorgeous aire in Chirac, a small hamlet in the Vienne Valley. Free water and free unlimited electricity! Followed a marked footpath, the blue route, in the evening for about 12km - lost the route after about 10km - but got back to the van OK thanks to the sat-nav on the phone!

So many English in this part of France, many living here. It's certainly not excessively expensive with reasonable looking places for sale between 70,000 and 120,000 euros. Often in the supermarkets you here more english than french spoken.

Rochechouart-The twisted church spire

Rochechouart - The Chateau - now an art museum

Oradour-sur-Glane  - The church

Oradour-sur-Glane - The main street  

Chirac - Evening view from near the Aire

12th July - Vendrennes
134 miles from Chirac

Headed on towards Brittany. The initial drive along the valley of the Vienne was great; but, the landscape quickly changed to the dreary wheat covered plateaus of Poitou and the northern Vendee. I should have remembered this from previous trips down to La Rochelle and Les Landes and gone north following the Vienne and then west along the Loire into Brittany via Nantes. Must retain a mental note for the next visit!

Stopped over at a pretty uninspiring place for the night - but the aire was free and in a pleasant park away from the fairly busy main road.

13th to 15th July - Pointe de Corsen (Plourzel)
243 miles from Vendrennes

Wet and grey all day so just kept on driving (just as well diesel is about two thirds the UK price at about £1.03 a litre) to Nantes and on through southern Brittany to Finisterre.

Ended up at a aire, next to a campsite, a couple of hundred metres from the sea. Although there was a daily charge (pretty typical of coastal aires) the campsite facilities were all available and it was only 4 euro a night. Can't imagine anywhere in the UK where you could stay for £3.20 a night - heck, wouldn't even pay for most car parks in the UK. Which reminds me, I was well p******d on the way down to England form Edinburgh, back at the end of April, when I had decided to take a look at Hadrian's Wall. Every damn car park was £4 just to stop in the middle of no where! Even £4 to park at the picnic area! So avoid Hadrians's Wall if you have short arms like me! I never did see Hadrian's Wall close-up!

Pointe de Corsen is at the western tip of Brittany, west of Brest. Geographically, it is where the Channel, or La Manche, becomes the Atlantic. Off shore there a number of large islands, including Ushant, reefs and skerries - it must be a graveyard for shipping.

The weather remained pretty changeable; although, fortunately fairly warm, in the low twenties; but, often a lot of low cloud, drizzle and fog!

Great beaches just ten minutes walk away a number of which are naturalist - so I was able, when the weather permitted, to work on the all-over tan. 

Lynn, if you are reading this - thank you for the 'Factor 50' - it's still working well for vital parts!

Plourzel - Looking north - Aire and campsite on right

Plourzel - The 'naturalist'beach - much wider when the tide is out

Plourzel - North from Pointe de Corsen

16th July - Treguier

109 miles from Pointe de Corsen

Wet,grey and rainy again most of the day. Initially planned to stop at a guide book  'recommended' aire at Roscoff. Great view of the bay - but the book didn't say that there was a busy main road between the aire and the beach! Decided to move on and spent the night at a busy aire (about 20 motorhomes parked up) in a wooded location next to a tidal river at Treguier further east along the north coast of Brittany.

Large cathedral with the local saint in the town centre together with a busy harbour for yachts and boating types. Odd thing about the cathedral was that the main tower - built in masonry and spired - was at the south entrance above the southern transept. Also, the spire was pierced. Not sure if this piercing was purely decorative or a means of combating strong winds! After noting this, it became apparent the next day that most churches have pierced spires in this part of Brittany! 

At the back of the cathedral there is an interesting and poignant war memorial based on a sculpture of a widow in traditional brittany mourning dress.

Treguier - War Memorial

Treguier -  Cathedral
Pierced spire over the south transept

17th July - Erquy

64 miles from Treguier

Decided to try the beach for a week and have booked into one of the two Municipal Campsites at Erquy for a week. 

The weather forecast remains 'iffy' with partial sun and some thunderstorms promised. Erquy is a typical small, but fairly busy civilized French coastal resort. There is some great coastal scenery and walks around Cap Erquy and Cap Fehel. Also, some great beaches nearby for that holiday essential - the  'all-over' tan. Candid photos to follow next week.

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.

Sadoc - Aire with vans and the church

Donzenac - Typical view of local country from the village in the evening

Donzenac - Church and Half-timbered houses

La Roche - Allassac and the Vezere Valley
From a table de orientation view point - used as a breakfast stop-over spot

Duh..north, south, east or west later in the week?

Ruoms 2

30th June -1st July - Ruoms (camping Peyrousse)

I move on from Ruoms tomorrow morning after a week at the campsite. It has been too hot to do much the last couple of days - just visiting the local beach by the river and a couple of short cycle trips. Thunderstorms keep threatening; but, no big ones yet.

Planning to move onto the Auvernge and the Cantal for a couple of weeks - I found some good value municipal campsites for about 10 euro a night, or less, including power! 

Cool! The pension can stretch to that especially as £1=1.25 eruo at present! 

Had to find a couple of pictures from the www, as I didn't have my camera with me when I did a quick circuit of the Defiles de Ruoms and the village of Labeaume late on Monday afternoon. Great gorge cycling just a kilometre from the campsite.

Speaking of which my camera, a Nikkon D3100, does not like this hot weather and has stopped working fully. I can still take pictures; but, the LCD display and associated controls seems to have stopped working completely! So much for digital technology! That's the second DSLR camera that has let me down. The first time was when I was touring Thailand about four years ago when a Canon packed in. 

Defiles de Ruoms
The road is on a bench at  the part way down a limestone
 gorge of the Ardeche

Defiles de Ruoms
Interestingly, the road passes through the cliff by following a series of
natural caves that are linked to make the road tunnel. 

Only about four weeks to go before I have to head back across 'La Manche'.

Will update when I next have an internet connection.

Ruoms 1

Organised bloging! Today posted today!

25th to 29th June - Ruoms (Camping Peyrousse) -1

Large campsite, 90% empty, next to the Ardeche and about 2km from the town centre. But, the town seems absolutely crowded and it isn't even July or August! Away from the main tourist spots on the Ardeche (about 20km down stream).

Great area with low wooded hills, orchards (plums and apples) and vineyards to the horizon. Great walking and cycling - but far too hot on Saturday when thunderclouds built up all day - very oppressive. Seemed to avoid the big storm that is affecting the Alps. Today, a very welcome balmy 26C.

Some pictures from local walks and bike rides:

Ruoms - Bridge over the Ardeche on the walk into the town for supplies

Ruoms - Crowded town centre in June! - What the hell is August like?

Ruoms - View upstream from the bridge into town

Ruoms - One of the local 'beaches' on the Ardeche
Heading here tomorrow! 

Ruoms - A local anti-fracking campaign?

Ruoms - Vines, villages and churches

Ruoms - Vines, wooded Limestone hills and cliffs

Vallon Pont de Arc - Biked it down here on Sunday afternoon.
A natural limestone arch 'bridge' formed from a cut-off incised meander
in the Ardeche gorge

Planning on two more days here then moving on Wednesday - still not sure exactly where though.

Another Ardeche

Yet another update from the Ardeche!

17th June - Felines-Termenes
52 miles from Quillan

Passed a couple more  Cathar castle sites at  Arques, Thermes, Durfort and Villerouge-Termenes. Stopped overnight at the village just to the south of the last one. Many have been restored and are open to the public; but, poor Chateau Durfort remains as a wooded ruin next to a farm. 

Wandered off for an afternoon walk in the wooded hills from the Aire. No map! Was trying to get to Chateau Villerouge-Termenes - got completely lost in the wooded hills - but managed to arrive back at the Aire eventually - using the sun!

Chateau Termes

Chateau Durfort
A completely wooded ruin 

18th June - Mezemet (Lac-les-Montagne)
62miles from Felines-Termenes

Pretty dreary trip over the flat area to the east of Carcassone in the morning. Was compensated by going up into the hills again to visit Lastours - yes, another, and my last, Cathar site for this trip! Beginning to suffer Cathar overload (same problem with D-Day in Normandy last summer). 

However, Lastours is one of the best known sites with four separate castles close together on a high ridge above the village. So finish on a high note. 

After lunch next to the river saw a sign for my next destination (Mezemet). Oh dear! I should have looked at the map before I started off, it was a very very steep, hair-pinned and narrow minor road. Got some strange looks from some people as I had to divert through a village car park and squeeze between some houses to get round road works. Made it to the Aire at the lake near Mezemet - which seemed very popular. The French seem to park up for days on end at these places.

Lastours - Village
One of the castles at the top of the cliff

Lastours - From the footpath up to the castles
The cypresses are some form of recent landscape architecture

Lastours
Three of the castles from the top of the fourth one

Lac-les-Montagnes
A very busy Aire

19th June - Peyrusse-le-Roc
103 miles from Mezemet

Had decided to take a look at the Dordogne again, after about ten years, and planned on taking a few days to get there. Had not been particularly impressed on my previous visit finding it hard to see the attraction to so many visitors when there is so much more in France.

Passed through some gorgeous hills, valleys, villages and river gorges on the way to Peyrusse-le-Roc crossing the Tarn at Albi (impressive looking town - loads of orange brick in the buildings and the cathedral). Definitely an area to visit in the future.

Peyrusse-le-Roc is a small village at the head of a deep river valley. With, of course, more castle towers - but this time below the village. The aire had a spectacular view - unfortunately, a french van had parked and blocked the view for nearly everyone else from their vans. Wandered off walking - thank goodness the French way mark their footpaths - except, I think two separate  systems met and were both were using yellow and white markers - I ended up going round in circles through wooded hills for ages!

Peyrusse-le-Roc
Castle ruins in the wooded valley below the village

Peyrusse-le-Roc
More of the same

Peyrusee-le-Roc
Awesome view from the Aire and the French culprit in front of my van

20th June - le  Bugue 
91 miles from Peyrusse-le-Roc

Through the Cause de Quercy crossing the Lot between Cahors and Figerac to the Dordognge at Carsac. This part of France is littered with towns and villages with names terminating in 'nac' - not a clue what it means. 

Bloody Sat-Nav! It happily sent me down two narrow roads with height restrictions of 2.8m below old railway bridges. My van is 2.95m high. Trying to find an alternative in the back-end of no where is a pain. But to be honest, especially when driving on your own, Sat-Nav is brilliant. I just wish you could enter headroom requirements into CoPilot Live!

Drove down the Dordogne to le Bugues which is on the Vezere, advertised as the 'Valle de Homme' - many of the early human remains (Cro-Magnan Man etc) were initially found in the valley.

Stayed over for a three nights at a campsite at le Bugues. The temperature hit 37C on the Saturday afternoon, so ended up in the shade with a migraine! Managed a walk trough the hills on the Sunday but that was hard going at 35C in the afternoon.

The Dordogne villages and towns were heaving with visitors and the car parks for nearly full - it was only the middle of June. I hate to think what the area is like in August.

The Dordogne really 'don't rock my boat'. Too much like England.

Decided that I would like to re-visit the Ardeche and see the gorges there again which meant a long circuit south of the Auvergne.

le Bugues - Campsite
Vezere and limestone clifffs  from the Van

le Bugues - Campsite
The emplacement - 12 euro a night - but no WiFi

23rd June - Lacroix-Barrrez
140miles from le Bugues

Brive-la-Gaaillarde is a dump and seems to go on for ever - avoid. 

Lacroix-Barrez - the perfect out of the way French village to the south of the Cantal. Absolutely gorgeous municipal aire for camping cars. Individual electric and water supplies in a neat shaded field. Additional free services, including electricity, at the entrance. I didn't begrudge the charge of 2.50 euro a night! Amazing! You can't even park in England for that price. The village is on an arable plateau at about 700m with deep wooded valleys below. Good walking and cycling. Marked paths and even free walking sticks in a milk churn at the information board. Even a village shop and Bar-Tabac. 

Lacroix-Barrez - The neat Aire de Stationment des Campingcars

24th June - Pradelles
140 miles

Spent the first half of the trip following the Lot Valley for miles including the Gorges de Lot. Crossed my path after a short section of the A75 at Chanac (more 'nacs') which I passed through on the 10th May on the way to Ales. Headed through Mende to the edge of the Auvergne. 

Was going to stop at Mende; but, the aire was nearly full with no shade and it was in the thirties. Parked up for an hour and drove on up the valley of the Lot to Pradelles and stopped over at a Aire at about 1200m with wide views south to the Cevennes.

Estaing on the Lot

St-Come d'Olt - On the Lot

Pradelles- expansive view south to the Cevennes from the Aire (1200m)
Thunder storms brewing-up

25th June - Roums (Ardeche)
54 miles from Pradelles

Camped for a week at Camping Peyrouse about 2km from the town centre and adjacent to the Ardeche. Details to follow.