Puy L’Eveque.

Following on from my last post I’m in France not Austria, no I didn’t board the wrong plane, this is one of the weeks I spend at my friends’ house in The Lot valley. I’m wandering about in those new boots to ensure they are comfortable and intent on some secret training.  It really is too hot most days to walk far but I’m up and away for a few miles every morning. I enjoyed the local ‘communication tower’ walk more than usual as the tracks had a more rustic feel to them now that the quad bikes have been banned. The herds of deer and ibex were still present in their artificial enclosure and there were lots of illicit plums and hazelnuts to pick.

Walked the long way via Tousac and the old railway to the Marie Restaurant in Duravel for their 6 course lunch, 13 euros. needed a lift back. Another morning a long sweaty march through the vineyards to Puy L’Eveque and then up through the chestnut trees to a friend’s house in Martignac. He donated an abundance of tomatoes and courgettes from his small potager which featured in our menus for the week. Traditional markets were visited, several restaurants’ multi course lunches endured and much time was spent in the pool. We prepared lots of salads in the hot weather to try and eat healthier.

Up the road in Loupiac by coincidence my neighbours from home were spending a week and  we visited their luxurious accommodation. Reciprocating they spent a lazy afternoon by our pool. The area is famous for its tannin rich dark red Malbec wines and they had been donated three bottles of the best Domaine des Sangliers ‘Santon Black’, but as they don’t like red wine they generously passed on to us, lovely – all part of the training.

The nearby family Filhol  Chateau Hauterive  provides us with lovely fresh rose and rich red wines. They were also in the middle of plum harvesting and drying to produce the best tasty prunes. The vines were all well pruned and ready for picking in a few weeks time  – they just need a little rain before then.

Ten days of blue skies and thirty degrees sun – all things come to an end and Austria beckons.

Oh and bye the way always….

A quick update from France.

The weather patterns have certainly become confused this year. We arrived in The Lot at the tail end of the bad weather which saw flooding in Paris and for the first few days it was cold, wet and miserable. Despite that short walks were achieved every day, lots of weeding in the garden and I even braved a swim most days. The orchids were past their best but sweet peas brightened up the byways. Different, to us, restaurants were visited and old friendships renewed. Lots of dark Cahors wine was imbibed. Talk was of the referendum; even the British living out here are divided.   Due to duplicate shopping trips, we amassed at one stage three dozen croissants – breakfasts became a major event.

The weather changed to hot and sunny, butterflies appeared in their hundreds, kites and buzzards wheeled over the garden, out came the barbecue, the sun loungers appeared and the pool became the most desirable place to be.

The change in our weather fortunes reminds me of that old comedy song by Al Sherman ‘A letter from camp’  – they say we’ll have some fun if it stops raining.

From now on the shade of the woods was needed to make walking in the heat possible.

Soon be  home – that’s your Lot.

Long is relative, in this heat  20k seems long. These walks take me into a more diverse landscape. Different valleys and ridges are visited from my base without having to use the car. I have several routes which, this fantastic week, have provided top class excursions. A long morning is set aside for exploration and  I’ve returned each time full of admiration for the landscape of the area.

As a good example, I leave this morning along easy tracks in the oak forest. Sunday scrambler bikes, much as I shun them, help to keep these ways clear. Very few other people use them.

Over a ridge little paths brush through aromatic lavender. This is a splendid spot for a breather and a chance to admire the varied butterflies and watch the buzzards wheeling overhead. I’ve given up trying to get decent photos of either.

Down into a secluded valley of scattered houses threaded with quiet lanes [ideal for cycling – see later post] and I’m soon into the little village of Touzac. The cafe is closed today but there is a welcome water tap, as there is in all the hamlets passed today. It’s good to reach the River Lot itself, a grand stretch of water, which here is crossed by an impressive metal bridge.

A scheme is well under way to restore navigation to this once important river by installing a series of locks thus providing for boat trips as a tourist attraction.

There is a gradual climb up a wooded valley and on past hillsides of tidy vineyards.

At the top there is a stone cross as this part of the trail is on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, hence the Scallop Shell the symbol of the route.

Worth visiting just a short distance off the track is the pretty village of Cavagnac centred around the church.

As you leave the village steeply downhill there are views towards the valley of La Theze and the next village to be visited, ancient Saint-Matin-le-Redon. The cliffs on the right, Montcabrier, have given me good days climbing in the past. The cafe in the village has closed long ago. I love these traditional, but now fading, signs on cafes and shops so evocative of France.

A long ascent over yet another ridge on good paths is made bearable by the shade of the Chestnut trees.

Lanes lead into Duravel giving views across the valley to Vire, numerous family vineyards and the wooded ridges behind with the prominent water tower visible. Duravel has pleasant stone houses and narrow alleys surrounding the medieval church and is worth exploring. Time for a refreshing drink in the Cafe de la Mairie. It is difficult to find off-road walking back to the bridge over The Lot at Vire-sur-Lot and the road is long and hot – better to phone for a friendly pick up.

View over The Lot Valley from Duravel.

All short walks lead to home.  In this heat days drift into one and so do the walks. There are many short circuits from the house. To fit in with gardening, cooking and lounging I can do some before breakfast, some before supper and at this time of year in the late evenings. The bird life is best early but the light is magic in the evenings.

Usually I’m heading up into the woods, which here are mainly dense oak. In the mornings you hear but hardly ever see deer scuttling away. There are few flowers on the forest floor, Scabious and Red Hellibore are probably the commonest.

Wild boar have been especially busy grubbing up the ground this year. They come right down into the garden at night.

Most orchids have died back but in a meadow of poor soil I come across a few Lizard Orchids which I haven’t seen before.

Where forest tracks join roads waste tipping often seems to be a problem – same as in England unfortunately.

Views can be limited until one is on the ridges clear of the trees but then distant vistas open with scant habitations. Lovely old farmsteads, many now holiday homes, dot the valleys and hillsides. Pigeon towers are often a feature, typical of the area, giving both food and fertilizer in the past. Today deep in the woods in a secluded valley I came across an old well, complete with bucket on a cord, I wonder when it was last used? There are ruins hereabouts.

A word of warning – these woods are home to ticks. Tucked in trousers have become de rigueur, trez chic.

Just returned from a couple of weeks in France. Puy L’Eveque in the Lot valley, as in previous posts. Guess I like the place. Our last trip in June was poor weather wise, but this time couldn’t find a cloud in the sky. Most days over 30 degrees and the pool was 25.

I was usually up early for a walk from the house getting back just as the leisurely breakfast was appearing. The afternoons were just too hot.

As I’m the ‘chef’ on these trips I was keen to use as much fresh fruit from the vicinity as possible. The trees were full of plums, apples, mirabelles and figs. The hedgerows laden with blackberries.                                                                                                                        The grapes will be ready for picking in October but can be found now in bottles!  So grilled goats cheese, fig and walnut, drizzled with honey for a starter.  Figs and mirabelles in the fish couscous. Stewed plums in yoghurt with a blackberry coulis and ‘creme de mur’.  Get the idea…

To get back to the walking – one day I set off early on a longer walk aiming to be in Duravel by lunchtime for a rendezvous at Cafe de la Mairie. Walking through the vineyards to Touzac and across the wonderful iron bridge over the Lot brought me to another wooded region. Climbing up I reached the small hamlet of Cavagnac –  a fortified church and a few houses.

Here I joined the GR 652 which is a variant of the St. Jacques pilgrims route through France to Santiago de Compostela. I cycled this entire 1600k route 15 years ago. The waymarks are distinctive.

The route took me down into the Thèze valley and picturesque small village of St. Martin le Redon. Close by and visible are the limestone cliffs of Montcabrier where I’ve spent many days climbing in the past.

Time was short today and I was soon climbing out of the valley on ancient tracks through chestnut trees and over the ridge to Duravel.

Arriving as the church clock struck 12.  I was disappointed to find a closed sign in the restaurant!

My transport arrived and we diverted to Le Pigeonnier on the side of the Lot river in Puy L’Eveque. Massive, appropriate for today’s walk,  St. Jacques salads and then prune crêpes accompanied by Brittany cider in ceramic bowls.

Another day; another walk and I found more examples of rusting French cars for my photo collection.

I used to own a Renault Fuego – far too fast for British roads as I found out once taking a bend near Tyndrum on my way to some ‘Munro’

Deer came down into the garden to feast on the fallen apples, Blue Tits spent all day pecking at the over ripe mirabelles, Redstarts were  constant companions at meal times, Buzzards flew lazily overhead. Wasps were everywhere. Butterflies teased me as I tried to get photos.

So whether it was plenty of food , walking or wine it’s a great time to be in France.

Bonsoir.

As the week progressed the weather began to improve a little, sometimes the sun shone between showers. Managed a few short swims in the pool most afternoons and shivered myself dry. We even ate outside a couple of evenings. A friend lives in a nearby village, Martignac, where he is doing up an old house. This is an interesting place with a 12th century church well known for its painted frescoes. We were invited for coffee and to see the progress in his renovations. Whilst the others would drive up I decided, as the weather was fair, to leave earlier and walk the 12k or so.

From the house one goes on tracks through the vines passing the beautiful Château Gaudou, whose wines are available in England.

Looking back to Château Gaudou

Going over several small ridges you enter Puy-l’Évêque by a bridge over the River Lot. Here one has an impressive view of the medieval village with buildings dating back to the 13th century.  Wandering the alleyways of Puy-l’Évêque is like stepping back in history. This was once an important port on The Lot for timber, limestone and wine before the coming of the railways. In recent years the locks on the river have been restored in an attempt to make this section of The Lot navigable again. There are canoes available for hire on this stretch  – great fun gliding down the river.

Puy-l’Évêque

As I walked up into the village I realised I was way behind schedule but luckily the others passed in the car and I was able to get a lift up the hill through the village for a couple of kilometres. I was dropped off so I could follow the old lanes up into Martignac.

Further on you pass the village washhouse which has been recently renovated and provides a pleasant barbecue area.

Washhouse

As you enter the village on the edge of a field there is a very good example of a  caselle or gariotte. This is a dry stone hut once used as a shelter for shepherds in this area of France.

The village of Martignac consists of a few scattered houses [one restored wooden building was once a tobacco drying shed] surrounding the church, which has a prominent elevated position.

It is inside the church that the faded but still discernible wall paintings are the great attraction. Above the altar is the God of all the world. On one side are the Seven Heavenly Virtues and on the opposite aisle are the graphic and imaginative Seven Deadly Sins to scare the congregation!

Seven Deadly Sins.

Our friend is doing well with his home improvements but I think he is enjoying the French social life a little too much to get his house finished on schedule. Can’t blame him – it must be good living out here. Didn’t have to walk back.