You can see a map of our trip here.
You can see a map of our trip here.
We booked our trip with Sentiers de France. They tweaked two itineraries so that we can visit both the caves in Perigord Noir and Rocamadour. (On their website, tours 101 - Black Perigord and Prehistory and 100 - Dordogne and Haut Quercy). The website sold it to us - small hotels, mostly 2 star, with an emphasis on good food! We chose the Classic level trips. They offer a more luxurious version also.
Our pre-paid trip included hotel, breakfast and evening meal (except the second night in Sarlat), moving our luggage from hotel to hotel and some taxi rides for us. This was to allow us to see the maximum amount and to avoid walking the boring bits - business parks, etc.
The trip was self-guided - just the two of us - for 12 nights / 13 days.
We were extremely pleased with our trip - well organized, well documented walking notes with maps, good hotels and great food.
In the descriptions below, sections in quotations are descriptions from the Sentiers’ walking notes.
Wednesday, May 17: Fly from Toronto
Fly from Toronto to Toulouse via Paris.
Thursday, May 18: Arrive in Toulouse
Arrive in Paris today and fly straight to Toulouse. Plane is late to arrive in Paris so transfer is hectic. Finally find the right gate (it had changed since we had taken off) and the plane is already being boarded. Luggage remains in Paris, obviously remembers the good times from our Paris holiday.
Friday, May 19: Figeac
Ate at La Cuisine du Marche. Brother of owner runs Gamelle in Toronto (468 College St). Food in La Cuisine very fancy in plating and very tasty. Had foie gras, asparagus soup, cod, duck and white fish.
Lots of half timbered buildings in Figeac with open galleries at top (soleilho), One with 15 & 17 century renovations - stone columns & loggia, Lots of narrow crooked alleys. Figeac is a good place to acclimatize ourselves and get over jetlag.
Hotel des Bains is beside the river. In our room there were markings on the beams (in Roman numerals) to put them together.
Luggage catches up with us here.
View from Notre Dame
Saturday, May 20: Off to Montignac
“Montignac is a lovely small town alongside the Vezere River. The river splits the town in two and on each side of its banks have sprung fountains, washing places, houses and half timbered buildings. On looking up, you will see the castle, former haunt of the Counts of Perigord, perched on its rocky spur and overlooking the town nestling below.”
Train from Figeac to Brive, taxi waiting at Brive to drive us to Montignac.
Walked around Montignac - a few half timbered buildings but nothing compared to Figeac. Got tickets to see Lascaux on Sunday at 10:50. They converted the tour to English for us.
Dinner at hotel. Not as fancy as last night but the food was was very well laid out - little dishes with sauces and side dishes, small slivers of parsnip, jugs of sauces, lots of plating effort. Seems much more than anywhere we eat in Toronto. The dining room was pretty and very pink with lots of kittens (real ones, not on the menu!)
Beside the Vezere
Sunday, May 21: Visit Lascaux (16 km)
“Research carried out during the past decades has placed the iconography of Lascaux at the beginning of the Magdalenian Age, that is, 17,000 years before today.”
Visited Lascaux II, an exact replica of Lascaux which is closed to everyone except a few researchers. Very impressive, Feels breathtaking that humans 17K years ago were able to produce art just like us. What about the symbols? Family signs or how many visits? The guide was very interesting - lots of details about how the paintings were created (with crayon, blown pigment and sponging with moss). She also pointed out that some of animal parts were formed by using the hand as a paint shield.
Walk of 15 km was hot (30°C) especially in the sun, Last 9 km from Lascaux went quite fast, 3.25 hours with 15 minutes for lunch. The packs felt heavy with 2l of liquid each but it was not too strenuous. We were both a little apprehensive about the walk before we set out.
St Amand de Coly church very impressive looking, a good fort. Had wine and ice cream in a bar there. Our taxi driver met us at the church steps for the drive back to Montignac.
Fortress / Church Entrance
Monday, May 22: Walk to Les Ezyies (21 km)
“You will walk through the Vezere Valley or along the heights of the village of Peyzac le Moustier and La Roque Saint Christophe, an imposing cliff dominating the river whose caves were inhabited as a troglodyte fortress since the earliest traces of man!”
Model of Medieval Town
Long walk. Visited Roque St Christophe. Fascinating place, one that we might have overlooked - thank you, Sentiers!
It is great to belong to the world of the self-propelled. We saw some other walkers today. Everyone (shop-keepers, farmers, villagers) are friendly when they see our packs and trekking poles. Always a “bonjour” or “bonne journée”.
Sore feet, muscles, joints … Soaked feet in shower with flat plug we brought. Used Body Shop peppermint foot cream. Seems to work miracles!
The hotel is lovely, an old mill. Sat in garden with beer/wine beside mill stream.
The hotel restaurant is very posh, aroma of food wonderful, plating more traditional. F had confit and R cod with lentils. Started with with asparagus with parmesan and a brown gravy. R has Belle de Noix liqueur, F said it was like liquid Xmas cake. Try to buy some to take home.
Tuesday, May 23: Finsac to Beynac (15 km)
“You will cross through the forest of oaks, chestnuts and pines and arrive at the small chapel of Redon-Espic, sitting quietly in the middle of the woods.”
This morning we visited Font-de-Gaume, another polychrome-painted cave. Our tour company reserved tickets for us at our request. This tour was in French only but as experienced cave visitors, we figured it out. This is one of the few original painted caves still open to the public.
Lunch in Les Ezyies, then a taxi drive to Finsac. A shorter but pretty walk today along country roads. The small chapel (Redon-Espic) was closed for renovations. Walked to top of Beynac near the castle for the view after we arrived. Should have worn our hiking boots.
Big dinner: garlic soup (onion, garlic, bread & egg white) - we got a tureen that could serve at least four. Then a starter of pate de foie gras (F in cabbage, R fried with orange), then main course (R civet d'oie, F a fish and sea food dish). Tried cabecou de Rocamadour cheese with honey and walnuts. Good again, the sweetness tames the goatiness... Raspberry chocolate thing and a charlotte for dessert, Had two different wines; Monbazillac with starter (would not have thought of a sweet wine with these but it was recommended), then Bordeaux with main course. F did email at the hotel which was free for guests.
Lush Ferns beside the Path
Wednesday, May 24: Beynac to Vitrac (19 km)
“You will then walk down to the banks of the Dordogne and follow the river towards Castelnaud and its chateau, a rival to that of Beynac. You will cross the river to visit La Roque Gageac, a beautiful village built against the cliff, and then again to climb up to La Bastide de Domme, a lovely fortified city built on the top of a steep cliff.”
Long walk (with lots of up and down). We had tired feet, shoulders and legs after arriving in Vitrac.
Walked along river to Castelnaud. Climbed and climbed to get to top. Visited castle. Saw trebuchets and other siege weapons. The fastest fired twice a minute and the slowest twice and hour. Walked down. The up and down is what tires you out. Back across the river to la Roque Gageac, flat most of the way across fields in the river valley. Very high cliffs either side but the river meanders around the flat plain between the cliffs. There are farms down in the valley between the cliffs. Roque Gageac is a busy touristy town with lots of cyclists. Had picnic in la Roque Gageac in parking lot beside the river. F was worried that R was gong to fall in. Walked to Domme. Again flat in the river plain, then up, up, up to Domme. Had a beer at the top overlooking the valley (the waitress at the bar told us to say hello to the people in the hotel in Vitrac, she used to work there. Said the food was good). Not so bad walking down.
She was right - the food was good. Wonderful mussel soup with julienned vegetables. Trout with walnut and steak in morel sauce. Both finished with Monbazillac. Felt very welcomed at hotel, special table by window etc.
Looking Back at Roque Gageac
Thursday, May 25: To Sarlat (17 km)
“From Vitrac, you will walk to the village of Montfort and its fortified castle standing in a grandiose setting, highly coveted for centuries. You will go up to the Cingle de Montfort ( a bend in the Dordogne ), which gives a lovely view onto the Tursac Peninsula and the Montfort Chateau.”
Long route to Sarlat though the country. No food in Vitrac. Bought lunch in Montfort. A cafe made us a sandwich from local ham. We chatted to the cafe owner’s children while we had coffee - the sugar cubes had pictures of Quebec scenes. The baguettes were very tasty.
Saw Montfort meander (cingle). It was pretty but must have a big appeal to French taste to be talked about so much. Again European ideas of personal responsibility are very different from North America - parking on one side of a bend, have to cross road (only a D road but busy because of site) to stand on a shoulder about a foot wide in front of a wall to look out at the view. In North America with its fear of lawsuits, this would not be recommended!
Malevergne
Some nice woods to walk through. Seem to be able to smell the barley fields, like malt. Sarlat in a valley so the last bit was all down hill, good thing!
Laundry day finally! Right across from the hotel.
Dinner had some really imaginative items on menu. R had poached egg in aspic with mint and peas - very refreshing. Could not have skate in coffee sauce, had snail casserole instead. The meat dishes were tasty but not quite as good (lamb mince with cumin, coriander etc. stuffed in vegetables, veal cutlet with chicken liver). F's dessert very good (walnut liqueur over champagne sorbet). R's sabyon with fruit tasty but very sweet. F said same about Figeac, French seem to have sweet teeth.
Friday, May 26: Sarlat le Canéda
“We invite you to discover this medieval town, with its narrow streets, restored Gothic and Renaissance town houses, the Saint Sacerdos Cathedral and its famous open- air market (open Saturdays).”
Wandered in Sarlat, Found the internet cafe. Big local product fair that holiday Friday. Lots of French families on holiday this week so very busy. Bought walnuts for hike (tasty, very fresh) and walnut oil to take home. Also got eau du noix to take home (max 25% alcohol). Hope it tastes as good as the one in Les Eyzies.
Had omelette for lunch at one of F's recommended restaurants. Good.
Saw all the buildings, very beautiful stone, golden colour. A dull day so probably not as vibrant as some days. Not quite as special as Figeac and obviously a lot more touristy. A nice place but glad our hotel is at the edge of the old town so we can escape the bustle (after all the quiet country we have been in).
French like a good noise - there were people announcing a new event every 10 minutes on loudspeakers that are all over the old town, Band was playing, and with every special chord, the whole city seemed to cheer.
Food Fair
Saw a demo of a "goose dog" herding the geese. The geese were loose in the crowd and one wandered out of the crowd and the dog brought it back. After the demo it herded them back to their pen.
Old church turned into a market. Big doors cover the whole arch that would have been the outer arch of the original door. Old door 12 feet high, new door 40 feet.
Dinner at Criquettamus (Rue Des Armes). R had magret and preserved pork (all cold). Magrets like air dried type of ham. F had rabbit in sauce with olives. We decided we didn’t need a big meal because we weren’t walking as far.
Saturday, May 27: Sarlat and Souillac
“Visit the open market in the morning. transfer by taxi to Souillac in the middle of afternoon.”
Huge market, all the streets have stalls, food in the centre, clothes and other stuff around the edges. Bought picnic of cheese (comte and cantal), bread and melon . We think the vendor has a cheese shop in Souillac - didn’t we see the woman later in the day?
Ate in public garden on a bench.
More stalls of everything. Sausage of all kinds. Everything with walnuts. Strawberries smell wonderful.
Tasted a sample of Cantal from another vendor, I think it was better than ours.
Went back to hotel and enjoyed a glass of rosé. Taxi came to take us to Souillac.
Hotel a three star but we are staying in the annex on the next street. Surprised to find a covered pool, sauna etc. in the annex.
Visited the Romanesque church with its wonderful sculptures and the museum of automata. A Charlie Chaplin figure at lamppost that taps window to attract customers to store. Some very old (1700) machines.
Souillac is a workaday city, not really a tourist destination, except for gastronomy. There is a small medieval core near the hotel.
Isaiah
Dinner was good. Chestnut soup. Asparagus, salmon and walnut encrusted pork tenderloin. with mushroom stuffed pomme Anna. Also for dessert fruit covered with creme brulé - better than the sabyon because it is not so sweet.
Sunday, May 28: Walk to Cales (19 km)
“From here you will take a charming little route across the western portion of the Causse de Gramat to reach the hamlet of La Bastit, a small village along the Dordogne with a strange castle overlooking the river.”
Got taxi to come early (10:30) since we had a good visit in Souillac yesterday. and it looks like it might be hot today. Did not do the Lanzac lookout. The path behind the guard rail looked more dangerous than the road. After the last lookout we decided that it was not our life ambition to see this.
Walked half way down country lane to Bastit where we sat beside the Dordogne and the chateau and ate our lunch. We bought this at a pastry shop near hotel in Souillac last night (anchovy pizza, cheese pastry and apricot flan). Had an hour rest watching the river flow by under a willow tree, Family came by car with children and had a picnic there too.
The Willow Tree
Rest of walk very hot in sun on uphill road. Lots of stops for water, shade and cooling down.
Hotel in Cales looked and felt very cool after the long hot walk. Had baths to cool down - all clothes ringing wet. Sitting under an umbrella having a beer now.
Apparently I am turning this into a food diary. I am not going to tell about the ham, home smoked salmon or the strawberry cake the chef made for us. The boar in gravy (civet) was good too.
Monday, May 29: Lacave and Rocamadour (18 km)
“You will visit the Grottes de Lacave and make your way up the Ouysse valley wild and mysterious and spotted with old water mills, including the 13th century fortified water mill of Cougnaguet where everything works as it used to!”
Taxi to Lacave.
Visited the cave. Only four in tour. Guide spoke only French (and Spanish). All group English. Guide handled it well, telling us the cavern number so we could read the English guide we had been given. Beautiful reflections in the natural pools deep in the caves. Tried photos with no flash and slow shutter speeds.
Crab Leg Erratics
Walk to Rocamadour along Ouysse river valley past fortified mill, then into the Alzou valley where Rocamadour is. Both valleys have high cliffs like the Dordogne, As we went higher there were alpine type plants. Hot when the sun was out. The walking was a pleasure, along a high ridge surrounded by wild flowers. We have seen amazing flowers and butterflies and heard singing birds (cuckoos!) every day on our walk, today seemed extra special. Looking back into the woods, we could see the dark trunks of the oaks which gives the name to the area, Perigord Noir. It was also amazing to be retracing the steps of early pilgrims. Just as the path descended into the valley, there was a cross with St. Jacques’ scallop shell insignia.
Poured with rain after we arrived at hotel. Cleared out the day trippers.
Dinner was not as good as anywhere else. Waiter did not want to show us the menu, the dishes were not as tasty and the sauces inferior. The dessert was the best item. (Probably pilgrims have always complained about the local hostelries!) However the view from the dining room was fantastic!
We also visited the religious level of the town. F complained that we walked up the 200 odd steps rather than take the elevator but younger couples were more puffed than us. Church unusual with a square inside with a two level gallery on the side (not the back). Saw black Virgin, not sure why it is special apart from the miracles.
The place has lots of tourist shops, just like the old days.
Saw the town, by night from distance via the "petit train", it looks pretty, hope photos came out.
Tuesday, May 30: Walk to Creysse (19 km)
“You will leave the city through I'Hospitalet, a village built on the cliffs' edge, and pass through Le Causse and the picturesque villages of Mayrinhac-le- Francal and Bougayrou to arrive in Meyronne, an old cliffside village that looks out over the river, yet sits in the shadow of an old fortified castle.”
A Borie
The walking notes made it sound easy but it was uphill, all the way! The view back to Rocamadour was lovely though.
Walked to Creysse. Long walk mainly on road in the valley. Saw a church at Mayrinac. Had to get in via the graveyard and then walk all round the church to get in at a lower level. Old church with stone vaults of cobbles, rather nice (smaller version of the one at Creysse).
Hotel another mill on a little stream flowing into the Dordogne. Glad to arrive, tired feet.
Saw church, had to get key from the maire (mayor's office). Cobble floor and vaults. Modern window glass. F likes the chair and kneeler sets - 2 sizes of ladder-backed wicker chairs. Pretty little village.
Food good - were worried after last night’s uninspiring duck/goose. My paté (duck) was very tasty, F had a reprise of the gizzard salad from Rocamadour but it was much better. F had magrets in gravy, R duck with a good crisp skin. Pear and nut tarts to finish. Will try a la carte tomorrow, our menu only has two choices. That would be fine at the beginning of our trip but we are getting jaded - oh, no, not foie gras AGAIN!
Wednesday, May 31: Martel (15 km)
“Circular walk around Creysse via Martel, Gluges.”
Walk to Martel. We took the direct route on GR 46 so we could see the market (or perhaps because we wouldn't have to walk so much!). Market very small, only about a dozen stands. F liked the cookies (macaroons) but after lunch the stand had gone. Had a coffee and looked around at the buildings. Freezing day, had to wear all our layers. Probably the oldest place we have seen on our trip, lots of stone 1300 buildings, nice details on some. Church has very odd entry and restored wall decorations inside as well as an old stained glass window.
Market Square
Had pizza and carbonara for lunch. The C came with a raw egg yolk in half shell to mix in. (The Californians at the next table asked us about it. We mentioned the raw egg but they ordered it anyway. Of course, they discarded the egg!)
Walked back via Gluges, steep path that cuts a corner of the GR 46. Church locked. Walked along a small road with the Dordogne River on one side and a very high cliff towering above us on the other - and a falling rocks sign!
Tired feet again.
Thursday, June 1: Train to Toulouse
Taxi to Souillac. Our trip with Les Sentiers is over and we are on our own again!
Train to Toulouse. Had lunch at hotel when we arrived. It was good.
Walked around city. Tons of young people, at least in the area near the station and the squares. Liked St Sernin church.
Dinner of cassoulet at Orsi le Bouchon Lyonnais. We had great wine - 30 euros for the bottle, the most expensive of our trip. (We were only paying 61 euros for our hotel room that night- do we have our priorities right? We think so!) Patron gave us some marc to finish and a cassoulet pot to take home. Made our last restaurant meal very special.
Friday, June 2: Carcassonne
Visited Carcassonne. Picnic lunch. Walked between the walls before entering the city. Quite a surprise to find all those tourists there. There are even a few people who live in the castle. Ramparts tour of the inner castle was a little blowy but invigorating and provided great views as well as an informative tour. We spent the afternoon and evening at Carcassonne castle and enjoyed the quiet after the tour buses had gone. Tapas and wine in a little cafe with crepes and coffee in another. Late train back to Toulouse.
The Walls
Saturday, June 3: Fly to Toronto
Fly from Toulouse to Toronto via Paris. This was an extremely relaxing trip - no stress, nothing to decide! Just therapeutic walking and lots of good food. And wine, of course!
One piece of lucky luggage got an extra day in Paris!