30.06.08 Monday. Brantome to Lisle. Got up and packed up as our two families of mallard ducklings came to see us off. They still looked stuffed with bread from yesterday evening so got no more. Early start into Brantome for 0070 and breakfast. Then off up a steepish slope on to limestone uplands and then …
Month: June 2008
29.06.08 Sunday Brantome. Rest day. Contact with Geoff who has arrived in Bordeaux, he will try to catch a train to Perigueux and meet us in town this afternoon/evening. A walk to the supermarche Shopi, just out of town, for food for today and tomorrow: we were asked if we had a loyalty card, very …
28.06.08 Saturday. Chateau le Verdoyer near St Saud Lacoussiere to Brantome. For those waiting avidly for the next instalment in the chateau; sorry. We looked at the map and felt that the 28ish miles to follow the GR436 to Champangac de Belair was a bit too far for the day. So we left the campsite …
27.06.08 Friday Oradour sur Vayres to St Saud Lacoussiere. A long day we knew it would be, campsites seem few and far between in the forests on the watershed, 23 miles from 0740 to 1630. Thanks to Peter at Maison Taupe for getting up to get us started early. A good breakfast always starts the …
26.06.08 Thursday Rochechouart to Oradour sur Vayres Longish day planned and early start with no breakfast, walking at 0640 and 7 miles to St Auvent along green lanes mostly through forest, pastries and coffee at the Auberge by the church were well needed. The next 8 miles or so were road walking with the day …
25.06.08 Wednesday. Suris to Rochechouart Correction for yesterday, it was Tracie & Kieth who owned the campsite. Sorry for any confusion caused. Early start after yesterday to try to avoid the heat, walking by 0645 but no breakfast until 0900 when we reached Pressignac a nice little village with a good bakery, the French seem …
24.06.08 Tuesday. Confolens to Suris Early start, 0700 too early for the boulongerie in Confolens so walk 2 miles to Ansac sur Vienne to cross the Vienne for the last time and to get breakfast and our lunch baguette just as the bakery there opened. We are gradually ascending to the watershed with the Dordogne …
23.06.08. Monday Avrailles-Limousine to Confolens. A short day planned to allow us to get to Confolens in time for lunch, as recommended by an elderly English couple who have been touring this area for 20 years, in the Café du Gard. This is one of those French places frequented by locals, from the pompiers to …
22.06.08 SundayMoussac to Availles-Limousine, A wet night with thunderstorms still raining at start time, but will probably be hot again so better get started. Breakfast in the toilet block while packing up not on the rather nice picnic table 10 yards from our tents. Rain stops promptly as soon as we have started and got …
21.06.08 Saturday Montmorillon to Moussac. An early start this morning after being awoken by a (single) noisy lorry going past at 4:50 followed by a very local cuckoo who wished to be noticed.After breakfast from the boulangerie in the town, then up the hill and off, past the books & writing area of town (never …
20.06.08 FridaySt Savin to Montmorillon. A good easy day down tracks and roads alongside the Gartempe a nice little river about the size of the Wye at Hay but not as fast flowing. It is held back by small weirs, the site of past mills at regular intervals, and over looked by relatively small but …
19.06.08 Thursday La Roche-Posay to St Savin. A very good day, two in one, we had planned to get to St Pierre de Maille (about 12 miles) but we started early and were there feeling well by 1130 so pressed on with the help of the local paths organised by the local boroughs instead of …
18.06.08 Wednesday Le Grand Pressigny to La Roche Posay. A good days walk with little pain. Following the GRP route as this seemed more useful than the GR. Cool in morning so moving fast from an early start.. Woods and fields some deer in the forest and ? a kite in the forest. Also a …
This may seem a curious post but I can assure you that considerations of style assume huge importance when carrying a 18kg pack; not only stiles and the chances of getting over them, because of their design or their decrepitude, without ending up in a bed of nettles (always closely associated and often over growing), …
17.06.08 Tuesday Descartes (La Haye) to Le Grand Presigny. We are now leaving Descartes, but a quick further word about this town, it was originally La Haye and claims to have been an important point on the route to Compostella ?from Paris, it has a very old church and remains of a pilgrim hostel. After …
16.06.08 Marcilly sur Vienne to Descartes. An Epic day, not only did we cross the A10 the Paris to Bordeaux peage (toll motorway), a modern watershed but we reached the town of Descartes. This little town is not only the birthplace of Renato Descartes, philosopher, but also one of the many points of resistance between …
15.06.08 Sunday. I'Ile de Bouchard to Marcilly sur Vienne. The ladies left us today after meeting us for lunch, it was a good break and a needed rest. We were still on the site in Chinon and had washed, dried and repaired everything by last night. Our little tents were taken down last night and …
14.06.08 Chinon to Ile de Bouchard. An accompanied walk – Betsy became a pilgrim for a day (yes, you too can become a pilgrim for a day). A very straight forward walk 13 miles long, first up into Chinon and then along through wooded tracks. We left the GR3 outside Chinon and joined the GR48 …
13.06.08 Friday Rest day in Chinon. We did meet up with our ladies they had “white knuckled “ down the autoroutes from St Malo and arrived around 20:00 hrs, we then had a good meal out with the main course for 3 of us served in jamjars! The tents they brought with them seem enormous …
12.06.08 Thursday Montsoreau to Chinon Started early to Boulongerie outside campsite open at 07:00hrs and, after breakfast of a very crisp baguette and ham, headed off up and down the escarpment past more troglodyte houses and up on to top, with a good view of the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne. The GR3 …