France - A walk in the Dordogne - Plus Beaux Villages - the prettiest villages

Hotel Bonne Famille in Sarrazac - lovely

A very amiable wander through the Plus Beaux Villages
We booked our trip to France last year and it was definitely a moment to savour as we made the first steps on our journey through the Dordogne. Turn left out of the Hotel... We were setting out on a self-guided walk through some of the prettiest villages in France.
It all seemed easy when we booked and paid our deposit but we did not get the full details and distances until we had paid in full. TW in particular was horrified by some of the daily distances. In fact she put the instructions back in the envelope and hid them behind the lounge sofa until the day we left.
I was more concerned about getting to France. This was an Anglo-Australian expedition but we all needed to Travel from Austria where we had spent a week in the Gastein Valley. The Aussies opted for the train which meant going on dog leg via Paris. We chose to fly which meant flying from Salzburg to Gatwick and then Stanstead to Brive a couple of days later. There was so much that could go pear-shaped! French Train Strikes and Air Traffic Control Strikes were both forecast. Happily, everything that could go wrong did not! We arrived in our Taxi at Brive Gare about 10 minutes before A&G. We even manged to share the 40 Euro cost of the Airport Taxi with a rather dishevelled Englishman. Just enough time to research a nice restaurant before the train arrived. The fixed price lunch menus in France can be great value. This one, at the impressively named Grand Hotel, was no exception. It was a lovely introduction to Central France.

Lunch at the Grand Hotel in Brive

We sat outside. Brive was sleeping in the lunchtime heat. It was about 30 degrees and the sun was beating down. A foretaste of things to come. Happily we were sitting comfortably in the shade and getting good service from a friendly waiter who, a bit surprisingly, spoke no English. Our first of many opportunities to try out our rudimentary language skills, great fun.
Time to head to Sarrazac and our first Hotel of the tour. I think it took about 40 minutes but like many Taxi rides it was a relief to escape the vehicle unscathed. If Brive was sleepy then Sarrazac was comatose. G beat on the hotel front door and we all wandered around looking for shade and someone from 'a good family' (we were staying at The Hotel Bonne Famille).
After what seemed like an age, but was probably only 10 minutes, our Hotel Owner Chantal arrived. Apparently she had been shopping. Sarrazac is tiny, just a hamlet really. Although, surprisingly, it did have two sets of church bells, one set chimed two minutes after the first. So if the first doesn't wake you the second will! It also had a nice old country school right in the centre, very much a step back in time. Chantal showed us to the Annexe where there was time for a shower and a snooze before heading to the Pool. The Bonne Famille is a little bit ramshackle but that is not a criticism. After the hell that is London Stanstead at 6am it was simply paradise.
Dinner was lovely, we sat out on a covered terrace with flowers and greenery and were served by Chantal herself. There were a few choices which made meal selection difficult. All the other guests were French, about six tables, and had no trouble with the menu. Anyway, we were all happy with what we ended up with. Chantal told us the Restaurant is very popular with the locals, a claim that is very believable. She also puts on a very good breakfast so we took on plenty of nutrition for the task ahead.

First Dinner (tea) at the Bonne Famille

Sarrazac to Mayssac

Sarrazac to Turenne 8km

So turn left out of the hotel, pass the cemetery on your left....
We were on our way! A bit of a climb out of the valley on what seemed to be a dog leg as we headed off for Turenne, It all seemed very French. Then surprisingly, at the village of Hopital de St Jean we saw a Kiwi flag outside a building and then, blow me, G spoke to a local and he responded with a G'day. He claimed to be an Australian from Melbourne escaping from the Australian winter! Now we all know that Australians do not have a winter, we have seen the brochures and Holiday Ads. He did not invite us for a cuppa and why is he staying in a village that was once a leper colony? Grounds for suspicion or perhaps I have been reading too many thrillers.We moved on quickly! Turenne is a nice spot and a great place for our first stop and an early lunch. Trouble is the Restaurants in Turenne do not do early. Come back at 12:00!

Heading into Turenne

We decided the best bet was to go for a drink. A bar and souvenir shop by the main road was perfect. I volunteered to go to the Supermarket while the others enjoyed their drinks. I returned with tins of Tuna Snacks and baguettes. I thought we would have to leave the shade and head for a picnic spot up the hill but our host said we could eat at our table which was brilliant. Suitably refreshed, and very grateful, we headed off on our second leg.

Turenne to Collonge  10km

An Aussie escapee says G'day

With the temperature well into the Thirties we headed west through lovely countryside. Clearly we would need to carry lots of water on this trip. There were no more watering holes until we reached Collonges la Rouge.

Seeing red in Collonges- la Rouge

A whole swarm of tourists had also descended on this very pretty town. We came across a stall selling hats and I invested 29 Euros in a replacement for my cap. Alison also bought an elegant straw number. It really was baking hot in the sun. We retreated for a nice long drink under the shade of a trailing grape vine and watched the world go by for a while.

Take a Hat

The lady with new hat

Collonges to Meyssac 3km

It was, however, a hot and weary group that headed into Meyssac for an overnight stay. Shower, Pool, Beer and Dinner. The swimming pool was just lovely and we continued the tradition of partaking of cold lager after a bit of a swim. Lovely! No energy for a walk around Meyssac that evening. The dinner was unfortunately not up to scratch and the service was a bit odd. My Frites were floating in oil. One of the waitresses was clearly untrained, the other was a bit awkward. However, we were in a forgiving mood, maybe it was the Chefs night off. The owner, Martine, was very pleasant we found. I discussed with her our planned walk the next day and she suggested a lift part way and that for 10 Euros she would take us. We jumped for it like salmon.We would like to think we were not being wimps. A walk of 27km in the mid 30's after today's 21km was a good number of steps too far.

Meyssac

Game face on in Meyssac Market

Market Day Meyssac

Our Hotel

Meyssac to Beaulieu Sur Dordogne

Just time for a pre-breakfast wander around Meyssac. Like Collonges the old buildings were built of large, quite crudely made, red bricks. Collonges was touristy and picture postcard, Meyssac was much more functional. A Street Market was being set up so there was the clatter of metal poles and a general hubbub as the Traders set up their stalls ready for a hot day in the sun.
Of course, we had our own bit of French sunshine to enjoy and after a very good breakfast we headed off with Martine. One of the clever things we discovered about these planned walks is that, in most cases, it is the Hotel Owner who transfers the bags to the next Hotel. So Martine was planning a later trip to Beaulieu with our suitcases. This time though, her destination was the village of Curemonte where she left us at a lookout point high above the village.

Curemonte to Beaulieu 15km

Heading into Curemont

Hot today, like walking into a hair dryer

Bonjour Madame - 86 years young

Time for the first group photo of the day. A vieil homme happened by and proved to be a very patient and dedicated snapper. He needed to be! He was handed a succession of phones and cameras! Merci Monsieur! So our happy band set off down into the village. At least there was a bar and Tabac in town. Too soon to stop of course, we had barely walked a kilometer. Like a lot of rural areas this part of France is partially depopulated as youngsters tend to move away for work etc. Sadly Curemonte is no exception. At least expats take on some of the properties otherwise they would just fall into decay. One local we did really enjoy meeting as she walked up up the hill was a sprightly 86 year old. We had a bit of a chat with our limited French, she mentioned the empty buildings. Must have changed quite a bit in her time. All told it was about an hour before we hit our stride and headed out into the open, but hilly, country.

Just one more camera. Ready for the off

Lunchtime in Doumazac

What a picnic spot

There were no shops or hostelries en route so we needed to find a spot to eat our Tuna Salad and Baguette. At around lunchtime we emerged from the woods into an open area with just a couple of large manor houses, a freshly cut paddock and shady trees on one side.
 Our lucky day continued! Lunch break in Doumazac! Suitably replenished we headed onwards and downwards. The descent into Beaulieu on a Mule Track was a bit tough but we soon had our first sighting of the River Dordogne. We all struggled with saying Beaulieu. It's too easy to say it the

The Atherley Sisters on Tour

English way, - as in Bewlee Hampshire. Bow-lee-eur is about close as we could get to being misunderstood.
Anyway, we had nice rooms at the Bow-lee-eur Hotel for our two night stay. Our routine had to be modified for this Hotel and became Shower, Beer and Dinner. The pool was missing!
There was a pleasant square in front of the Hotel and we sat under an umbrella supping our beer at the Voyageurs and wondering how we would survive two nights with no pool. Our itinerary suggested a 12 km circular walk for tomorrows 'rest day'. Not really our idea of rest.

Our comfy Hotel Room in Beaulieu

Maps and Instructions at the ready

Anyway, it was a set meal for Dinner. The Staff wanted us to sit outside in the Hotel grounds which normally would have been OK but the ground was covered in fake grass Astroturf. Our medical consultant was adamant that we would be at risk of injury and with my dodgy knees I was only too happy to agree. We sat safely inside in the comfortable dining room and enjoyed some form of marinated meat starter, fish main and chocolate desert. Graham had his first and very last Pastis. Pastis is an aniseed based drink. It is a very popular aperitif with the natives but it must be hereditary an acquired taste. One for the nearest plant pot thought Graham.

The Beaulieu Bike Club

Bow-lee-eur is a pretty riverside town, good for a wander around. TW suggested bikes for our rest day but we had a big problem finding some to hire. The hotel receptionist said there were none to hire in the village. This was backed up by the Tourist Office who said there were no bikes until July. Oh, and there is no walking path along the Dordogne. Wrong! With bit of help we found bikes at the Activity Centre on the other side of the river.  We bumped our way upriver along the riverside walking path and then turned back through walnut orchards towards town and our lunch, again at the Voyageurs in the square. It was very, very hot.

Beaulieu

We were back at Voyageurs again in the evening for Dinner as this was our only night off from Hotel fare. One of the delights of summer in France is to sit out on a warm evening in a square having a nice relaxed meal with good company. That was us - we were there!

Classic Brits

Beaulieu  to Carrenac 

 We were a bit concerned that, without a pool to sit and read by, we would struggle to fill our day off. Happily the day flew by - but without much relaxation. Now back to our new routine, bags to reception, breakfast, shop for lunch and head south early to avoid some of the heat. There were no towns on the route so we would need to carry our lunch with us again.  After the supermarket we had a bit of an unintended detour. OK we got a bit lost but only because our instructions seemed to have us leaving a different hotel. Then a climb out of the valley and a lovely walk along quiet roads and woodland paths. A lovely interlude on the way was a drive past by a rally of Classic British cars. A whole succession of old Sports Cars from Austin Healey  to MG roared past, their drivers hooting and their passengers waving, a really special moment. Time passed quickly as we headed towards Carrenac. Time for lunch and we all sat under a shady walnut tree in a residential road. The Lady opposite came out of her bungalow to ask if we needed anything. We said no but regretted it almost immediately, how about a nice cup of tea, too late. We, maybe, could have detoured from our route into Puybron for our lunch but not sure I would have voted for extra mileage.

Phew, it became a long, hot, hard day and we were relieved when we crossed the Dordogne and were on the final turn to the Hotel Fenellon. Just when we needed clear instructions they let us down and we overshot and walked right through the village. Aagh!

Beaulieu to Carrenac 19km

Settling in at the Hotel Fenellon

Things took a definite turn for the better once we were inside the quaint old hotel. Shower, pool, beer, dinner. After the Pastis moment Graham and Alison were a bit sceptical about my aperitif suggestions but I was on pretty safe ground with a Kir, a small glass of white wine with cassis (blackcurrant). There were no plant pots to hand in our pleasant dining room anyway. We had a good table in the middle and large open windows looked out on the Dordogne. Our server, Natalie, was very nice, we assumed she was French but she was actually from Moldova, wherever that is? We found that out because Graham took from his pocket a walnut he had picked. We were not sure what it was but she identified it and told us - there were an awful lot of nuts in Moldova!

Team dinner at Carrenac

There were plenty of choices on the menu and it was my favourite meal of the trip. A French couple and their daughter were at the adjacent table. It was Mum's birthday so we gave her a wonderful rendition of  Happy Birthday, well at least we thought so.

Carrenac to Loubressac

Rooftops in Carrenac

We were down to three for our final tour day. TW opted to go with the baggage as the previous day had quite worn her out. The heat and a heavy rucksack of water had taken its toll. So she ended up at the next Hotel early and this proved to be a blessing. She was able to get our rooms changed so that we would get good views. Good is very much an understatement, we could see for miles and miles. Loubressac is a pretty little place overlooking the valley. Our Hotel was on the outskirts and was perfect for our last two nights in France. TW did a recce but as it was Monday the town was closed. Mind you, it was so tiny there was not much to open anyway. Our Hotel's Restaurant was closed for lunch as was the supermarket and the other Hotel Restaurant. We were due to arrive at lunchtime so we got a worried phone call from TW telling us that there was only a kiosk open. I had visions of a greasy spoon outfit selling hot dogs in dried up bread rolls. Reality was much better, we had lovely salads washed down with beer. In the end, TW probably walked as many miles as we did

Carrenac to Loubressac 9km

Our walk that day to Loubressac from Carrenac had commenced with a steep climb out of the valley. We had opted for a more direct route than was scheduled for us but we almost took a wrong turn by a communal washing well. A French chap stopped in his car to give us instructions which was nice. We pretended to follow his suggestions but then nipped up a grassy track around the corner. We did see him again later in the morning so we gave him a merry bonjour and let him think he had done us a favour. Much of our chosen route was on quiet tarmac roads but it was fairly level and we made good time. Our elevenses break had the luxury of a picnic table with plenty of tree cover. Two aggressive dogs, one with massive testicles, tried to waylay us on route. It is a pretty safe bet we could have outrun one of them but we had to put defensive strategies in place for the other healthy beast. Squirting it with water was favourite whilst my back up solution was to present, and sacrifice, my 29 Euro hat to its foaming jaws and then give it a drop kick under the chin. Thankfully we passed them both without incident.

Loubressac - our final destination

Our onward route was on a ridge so we had stunning long distance views of the Dordogne Valley and beyond.

Our new Hotel, the Relais de Castelnau had a lovely infinity pool and we felt just a little bit spoiled but we also felt we had earned our place in the sun or at least a shady corner.






Loubressac circular walk

From Here to Infinity

G was keen to explore the valley on our last full day in France so we made an early start and descended near the Chateau. It was really, really hot again. We took a bit of a detour through a wood. We were not actually lost but the path disappeared and we were left clambering through the bush following our intrepid guide along a virtual path on his GPS until we found, and joined, the real thing.

TW in Loubressac

Now TW has a hatred and fear of snakes but if there is one about, she will find it. She almost trod on a huge snake, at least 1metre long, that then slithered across our path, It was probably a couleuvre, a non-venomous snake, but not pleasant and put an extra spring in TW's step as we climbed back in the direction of lunch.

Loubressac circular walk.

Back in town we found a nice table at the only Restaurant.

Service was good and the food fine. The Restaurant only opens from April to October but today it was filled with a mix of tourists and locals.

We would also have happily gone back to our kiosk but it was closed on this sunny Tuesday.

Then it was a return to our lovely infinity pool........

Adelie had reserved our table on the terrace for Dinner and we ate and drank well. None of us were hardened drinkers but it was nice to try some of the local tipples. Not sure how I was talked into drinking a Pruneaux Eau de Vie though.

Ready for Dinner or perhaps Tea

The sunsets at Loubressac

Oh well, next morning it was time to head off, A & G to Paris by train and we were flying back to Stanstead. We all took a Taxi from Loubressac to Brive Station. Unusually the Taxi driver was brilliant and we had a calm relaxed journey. We were a bit concerned by his Ambulance driver shirt but luckily we were all heading home in comfortable saloon.

It was sad saying goodbye to A & G. We had such a lovely time together, they were great company and we vowed to do it all again sometime.