French by Choice – Our Travels

Dandeli We started out this brisk, bright morning for Peche-Merle and got there in time for the first tour of the day at 9:45 AM.  This part of the Lot area of Dordogne must be known for its narrow, windy roads.  Meeting campers and buses is quite an experience.   Continue reading →

Tiko Morning dawned bright and sunny, slightly cool.

Our vehicle in the road in front of our gite: our car barely fits in this wide, wide road

Simon mentioned to us that every other Monday, and today is our lucky day! that a quaint market takes place in LaBastide’s town square.  He told us that the best parking would be by the church, that traffic would be altered through town, and then gave us detailed access and parking directions to Rocamadour.   Continue reading →

We woke to a mist surrounding the entire countryside and our little stone house with its terraces.  Visibility was very, very limited. But in a couple of hours, the sun was peeking through and had burned off the mist, warming the stone terraces and the pool and opening up the views again. Mike prepared a lunch of omelets (Comte cheese, onions and mushrooms).

The entrance to our gite: the house we rented for the week from Hillary and Simon

The lovely house we called home in Puy Calvel

We learned a little about the area from Hillary and Simon and why they chose this spot 21 years ago. A short walk down the lane followed in the early afternoon. The group minus, Pat, made the decision to follow the undefined route from Puy Calvel to Lamothe Cassel a part of the three towns that make to the microscopic community here in the mid-Pyrnees.  We walked about 300 yards from the house in an easterly direction along the road and past the castle (acutally a ramshackled house that Dutchman hs been living in and restoring since the mid-sixties when the area was popular with and inhabited by hippies.  The road turned to a path and rambled throught the forest dropping sharply at about a 10% slope.  Of course, it occured to us that we would have to walk back up, if we did not reach Lamothe Cassel!  The shade of the forest helped to keep us cool, as we continued along the old road/path always keeping to the left as instructed by Hillary.

Lou finds a snail - but only one! Not enough for dinner!

The old wash trough uncovered on our walk

At the bottom of the long an winding path we came across and old wash trough where the women of the past did their laundry, fed by a spring even in the this present day.  In addition about 25-30 feet up the slope was an old spring house where the town would have stored their butter, and other perishable foods.  We then had two choices, continue on the road up the hill or (left) across an open field of beautiful green grass about 9-inches tall.  The group was getting a bit nervious about getting lost so we sent Lou ahead to check the road up hill. At this time we had been walking for about 35-minutes.  Lou returned with a good size snail, too late for the omelets.  The decision was made to retreat back to PuyCalvel, it took us about 50-minutes to return to the house, the walk was a bit more of a challenge up the hill on the return.  All returned in good spirits with a better understanding of the area, and sat around the pool.

The pool at our gite

Lavender at the end of its blooming season beside the stone terrace at our gite

Later, we indulged in Sandy’s appetizer of sundried tomatoes and goat cheese while on the rear terrace.  Mike began dinner: roast chicken, potatoes, and sauteed cabbage. All in all a great vacation day, especially since we were treated to a little bit of Simon’s singing through the walls.

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