Month: July 2008

12.-07.08 Saturday.

Lectoure to Roquelaure via an assignation in Fleurance.

We rose early after a noisy night in the world's most expensive campsite, some of the local staff were up and playing with the machinery for mowing etc at 06:00, still we did not mind but would if we were staying. The whole place is a lager, a fortified Dutch town in a foreign land, and not what we call camping. We then walked 6 miles in to Fleurance to meet Tim’s daughter Rhona and her friends who had done very well in the Pre Tour de France, Col du Tourmalet stage. We had a bit of a wait but not bad considering the difficulty they had in hitting the moving target presented by the two of us. We all had lunch put together by Rhona, on the steps of the Mairie in the old centre covered market area of the town, score again for Bastide architecture. Tim got a new book from Rhona, thank you especially since you have not finished it. We then after farewells decided rather ambitiously but because the rain had stopped and it was still cool (you have to go with the weather and today has certainly been a matter of good timing), to do another 12 miles or so to a campsite we were 95% plus sure existed, we arrived after a lot of walking some on roads, some on a very good track, and once through another mosquito infested green lane, nothing like mosquitoes for getting tiring legs going faster.
While in Fleurance we visited the local Office De Tourisme where a very nice lady whose English was even worse than our French phoned to a campsite we are hoping to use in 2 days time, but due to the vagaries of finding campsite information we didn’t know if it still existed. The phone call confirmed that it did, so maybe we will have a bed in to 2 days time.
This is another Dutch run site but completely different and family run – we were welcomed, and offered a biere, and given a pilgrim discount and asked to the Karaoke in the bar in the evening. The son of the owners has done the Camino on mountain bike (only 11 days from here!) so can’t be far away now.
We have also had contact fro Graham (an old Easter holiday friend) who is currently staying with friends in Bergerac. We had hoped to meet him there but we rushed past a few weeks too early for him. The current plan is to meet him (and George his dog) near Tarbes next week if it can be so arranged.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

11.07.08  Friday

Set off this morning from La Romieu, up early but had failed to note time of opening of boulangerie, still making interesting noises and smells at 07:05 so went on our way without breakfast, chocolate bars essential after one and a half hours.  La Romieu has an old Abbey we could not go round, but tours are arranged and there is a local legend about a cat woman that we could not understand but several houses are decorated with stone cats.

 

We are heading for Lectoure and then just south to a campsite called Three Valleys, this is a point from which we can reach Fleurance tomorrow morning to meet Rhona and her friends heading north after their visit to the Tour de France. The weather is thankfully cooler today and we make good progress into Lectoure by late morning where a market is in full swing. we got trout for later and then a meal in a cafe (breakfast and lunch).

We wandered into the old cathedral there – many church buildings around here date from 14th and 15th centuries and the establishment of the Bastide towns by the rival French and English royal houses.

The reason you have more than one picture is that we are on the worlds most expensive campsite, it is charging about ten times that of our cheapest municipal, we would have walked on but were told the next site had closed down. However internet access is inclusive, so taking advantage of it. It does have everything one could possibly require but it's a bit like a campsite for people who don't really like camping.

This is a post for those who have not experienced walking along the great range of French foot paths, in the hope that it may be useful to someone.

These waymarks are intended to guide a walker or mountain biker, VTT Velos Tous Terrain in French on a given route cross country. I will cover some of the mountain biking ones later. First the walking ones.

The waymarks for the GR network or Grande Randonnees (long distance footpaths across from one area to another) are red and white and the standard mark that says "yes, carry straight on" is a horizontal bar, or 2 in this case. These are usually painted on a tree, rock or post where ever handy BUT there may be nowhere handy for some distance.

The next is a cross to say don’t go this way, often at a junction there will be one or more of these on some ways forward and only one with the horizontal bar.

This may be confusing if two GR paths diverge at a point and this may be seen, indicating that this is the way for one GR but not the GR48, usually there are other signs in these situations.

Just before or at (or occasionally, and confusingly, just after) a turning a triple bar with a vertical stroke indicates turn left or right.

Sometimes marks may have faded or be covered with foliage. This one has just undergone some public service clearance by us.

The situation becomes more complicated when other paths become involved and since the GR may go round a village that has its own set of local footpaths in yellow, blue or any other colour one can see signs that are very complex and indicating various turns for different paths.

Finally there is the prospect of signs almost vanishing from age and lack of maintenance.

The sign for VTT is two round blobs and a triangle (a stylised cyclist) which can be tilted to indicate turns by the direction the triangle points.

10.07.08 Thursday.

Aubiac to La Romieu.

A very good night's sleep in our little suite in the La Metairie du Chateau, and a chance to chat with M. Marraud in the morning. He is the facteur or manager for the chateau estate, his uncle and aunt still live in the chateau and a good part of the old chateau outbuildings are converted very well for functions, such as weddings and the computer seminar we gatecrashed accidentally yesterday. They had to go to Toulouse yesterday to deliver a school exchange student back to his flight home to Spain. Unfortunately Easy Jet cancelled it.
Geoff has sensibly decided to head slowly for home walking back to Agen today for a train to catch for his flight from Bordeaux on Saturday. We also said goodbye to a magnificent Mastif with arthritis who is old now at twelve and sleeps most of the time.
We set off about 07:45 and the day rapidly warmed up, we did some miles of mixed road and farm track until we rejoined the GR mid morning and followed it into a great little ghost village called Pouy Rochelaure, where in the shelter of some chestnut trees with a red squirrel in residence we had lunch and cooled from fiery to merely warm over an hour and a half. The tap at the back of the church was a great help.
We then flogged on for a total of 17 miles to the campsite at La Romieu (the final few miles being on a very easy gradient into the village across fields), which we entered by the back door as in the previous site owned by this big campsite company, that we used in the upper Dordongne. The site has everything including a pool which helped the cooling off and we then tried to get some information about the next few days campsites both from the campsite office and the tourist office in the village, both of whom were very helpful and with useful information, how accurate this is on the ground remains to be seen.
We are now still waiting at 18:30 for the day to cool down before cooking, apparently the forecast is for cooler weather soon, we do hope so.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

9.07.08 Wednesday.

A Field near Bernadette Farm to Chateau d’Aubiac via Agen.

We met the farmer later in the evening, before pitching tents, his thick country accent and our lack of French meant communication was minimal but we understood he wished to put the cows in the field the next day (a ploy I think to stop long term camping) but we were welcome to camp for the night. Next door were several fields of sunflowers and the picture is for Betsy who loves them.
Three smelly pilgrims started south early next morning and although the route into Agen was not too long it involved four 100m ascents and a final steep descent into the valley of the Garonne and a welcome coffee, orange juice and croissant at the Café de La Gare in Agen (simply the first we came to).
The tourist office were again very helpful, yes they were Tony! (He was incensed by the inability to communicate between offices – this meant that Villeneuve who had found the campsite for us were unaware it stopped being a conventional camping 8 years previously and was now a holiday village.) They sent an email to Villeneuve on his instruction!! We then had a dilemma as there are no campsites south of Agen in reasonable walking distance, we hope we have confirmed the one in Le Romieu where we should meet Rhona on Saturday, but it will include another wild camp to get there. Since Geoff has to return to Bordeaux for his flight on Saturday we shall say goodbye tomorrow and thanks for being a great associate pilgrim. The tourist office did come up trumps and found us a great B&B at reduced price for “randonneurs” (they have travelled part of the Camino) in a small village called Aubiac just south of Agen. It was about as far south and just off our GR route as we cared to go on the very hot afternoon that remained after shopping. M. et Mme Marraud of La Metairie du Chateau are great and their building was being used for a computer seminar when we walked in. Fabrice & Evelyne were a little nonplussed at these three smelly pilgrims with big packs but very soon overcame any misgivings and not only provided us with a room but also offered us the use of their garden and kitchen so as we could do some washing and cook our supper. (They did sell us some wine though!)

Link to where we are on Google Maps

8.07.08 Tuesday.

Villeneuve to A Field just south of Bernadette..

A very good day for walking – not too hot, with cloud cover, our only problem we don’t know where we’re going to stay tonight. No campsites available to break the 25 or so miles between Villeneuve and Agen. Still we started out anyway with a possibility of a wild camp after about 15 miles. Up the hill out of the Lot Valley to a hill village called Pujols to get breakfast since we were on the outskirts of town and were sure there would be a boulangerie up there, arrived at about 07:45 in a little sleepy village with restaurants and an old church – the whole thing obviously a Bastide settlement – but nothing was open, the place dead to the tourist world until 09:00. Great views over the Lot valley back to Villeneuve.the whole place is a preserved village and basically now caters for the tourists, but only after 09:00! We waited listening to the “Today” programme as there was nowhere else for us to get bread for today and tomorrow morning. The man from the café opened early, we had our coffee and bought bread, and were off again.
The day has been up and down – not high valleys, but consistently up or down 100m. About 15:30 we reached the area where the tourist lady said we might find a friendly farmer. We have found a quiet field and wait to see if one turns up if not this will do for the night.
Only other point of note for the day was that Geoff’s sock made another break for freedom at lunch time. We had all taken boots and socks off to allow feet to recover and had just replaced boots when Geoff could only find 3 of the 4 socks he was wearing.
GF adds; we had been sitting on the concrete roof of a water control station, so it should not have gone far. Found it after a concerted search of boots, rucksack and field – down the back of my shirt! I had used the socks as a headrest for five minutes zzzs.
Postscript – the farmer has just turned up on his tractor to establish that we were not gypsies otherwise he was turning his cows out into this field. Having established our credentials as crazy English pilgrims, he then gave us permission to camp for the night.
Tim does occasionally talk about work still and I have brought him up-to-date with all the news (both good and bad, sadly). I am struggling to think it is a Tuesday and that I should be in theatre 2 and then day case tomorrow. Can’t seem to send any ordinary postcards from these fields, but love to you all, without forgetting recovery too!

Link to where we are on Google Maps

07.07.08 Monday.

Monflanquin to Villeneuve sur Lot

The lady of the house in the B&B was very good to us and took us back into town (no forward progress by vehicle) in order for us to have a meal, really beyond any expected hospitality. They have been there 7years, her partner is a builder, and we think has done great work in the restoration of the old farmhouse.
A slightly later start then after a good night’s rest and a full Dutch breakfast. But a relatively short day of 12 miles into Villeneuve, however once again the previous wet weather was still producing the horrible mud of the area and hordes of mosquitoes were on the prowl for fresh meat. Unfortunately for Geoff he was flavour of the day and his legs were devoured.
We arrived in Villeneuve about 13:00 and had an omelette and frites and a look round the centre. This is another Bastide town but much altered and very different from Monflancon being a river crossing not a hill fortification. The central church with an enormous red brick spire visible for miles is from the early 1900s as the original had a disaster in the crypts and collapsed. Only a very limited amount of the medieval centre remains.
The tourist office were very helpful and, after saying no camping in Agen, then found one just south and also suggested a farm/wild camp area suitable for tomorrow. Campsites look thin on the ground further south however.

GF adds; just gone back into town to get military strength DEET. Decided the problem is lack of quinine in my blood – haven’t had any G&T for a week now. Garlic from last night’s excellent meal (most comprehensive crudite salad for three I’ve ever seen) doesn’t only seem to encourage them!!
This blog is typed out on Tim’s laptop (we prefer camping equipment that is at least dual-use but he won’t permit us to use it to chop vegetables on) and then uploaded to Tony’s home server via his smartphone. So long as he can get a decent 3G signal, the whole process is entirely portable. Electricity usually seems available by unplugging the campsite washing machine for 30 minutes or until someone notices.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

06.07.2008 Sunday.

Castillonnes to Monflanquin.

A very wet night continuous rain and thunder from 1230 onward. We got up in the rain and packed under the leaky awning of the permanent caravan next door (unoccupied) and went into Castillonnes for breakfast. We rapidly left the roads and found ourselves on what would have been great walking the day before along an escarpment of chalk marle and light grass. Unfortunately the rain had made all rock slippy and all soil a glutinous mess that clung like glue to our boots. Three steps and about 1.5 inches of mud was stuck to the bottom increasing its weight by half a kilo, it would then drop off and some would end inside the boot. There were large puddles of unknown depths straddled the path at intervals No vines now, but fields of cereals and sunflowers are the main crops. The only blessing was that the rain soon stopped but it remained cool. It was a very tiring 6-8 miles before we took to the roads to make better time.
We arrived in Monflanquin at around 1400, a great little town on top of a hill. The campsite was not obvious so we went to the now dreaded Office de Tourisme. A list of the areas campsites (about a dozen) was produced rapidly, however the closest was a naturist site 7 km away in the wrong direction, all others were equally useless to us on foot. After consideration of our problem over a beer we have ended up in a Bed and Breakfast run by a Dutch couple 3 km out of town and in the right direction. Tomorrow’s campsite is on the list supplied by Tourist Office but another 20+ km we felt that was a bit too far!
However, a point of interest for us was that we had been hearing the word “Bastides” with respect to the area, this is a term for many of the towns in south west France that were probably the first experiment in urban planning of new towns during the Plantagenet era when both the English and French crowns were trying to increase their presence and support in the area and were starting new towns often in fortifiable positions in a sort of early Hearts and Minds Program. Also in this area the bell tower becomes a feature of most churches instead of the more usual northern steeple.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

5.07.08 Saturday.

Le Bost into Castllionnes.

On the way in to the site at Le Bost we passed a vineyard selling its own wines so returned later for tastings. A very fair Rose AOC Bergerac (did not know there was one) although a bit sweet went well with the curry that evening.
Dry night but cloudy and starting to rain as we packed at 0700 but a short walk (4 miles) through showers brought us to the small municipal campsite at the foot of the slope below Castillonnes. Tourist office lady quite helpful and definite about a camp site in Monflanquin about 15 miles and several in Vileneuve sur Lot about another 15miles. Shopping for 3 days done and ready although Villeneuve is probably big enough to have something open on Monday evening.
Breakfast in Castillonnes and then pitched tents for a day of rest.
Later in the afternoon a Dutch couple in their late50s walked into the pitch next to us, also on their way to Compostella on foot from Groinigen in north Holland. They started in mid April and were heading for St Jean Pied de Porte and the Classic French Route from Roncesvalles. Pilgrim stories of rain and distances were swapped, it seems they will finish before us as they looked fit and have a shorter way to go.

04.07.08 Friday.

Bergerac to Le Bost (near Castillonnes).

Early wakening to the mist blowing up the Dordogne, but dry tents. There was also a lone Canada goose looking hopefully at us, but since we ate out in town last night close to the old church of St James, there was no stale bread for it. We got going and got breakfast at the nearest boulangerie by the side of an open market just opening up with a magnificent fish stall and a stall with pizzas, one of which was carried on the outside of a rucksack for lunch. It was quite cool so we had a rapid march up the hill through the vineyards on the south bank of the Dordogne valley to Monbazillac, the home of possibly France’s second most famous sweet white wine, where we had coffee.
For the rest of the day vineyards alternated with woodland until after about 15 miles we arrived at the campsite that we had found only by internet search when the Tourist Office in Bergerac failed us (we are once again changing departments so they have little info over their own borders). It was not at first obvious where the site was, but a short walk up and down the N21 revealed only one house with two caravans and a lady cutting grass. In the event she turned out to be English and she and her husband starting up a campsite here in Dordogne. It was a case of the Virtual Reality being larger than the Real Reality!
However she rapidly mowed a patch of grass under the trees and we settled in comfortably.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

03.07.08 Thursday.

Villamblard to Bergerac.

A night of thunder and rain so cooler today, good walking weather. Unfortunately in the village at 0700 , half an hour before the boulangerie opened, so not wanting to wait started walking, no shops at the first village and so a handful of dried apricots was our first breakfast at about 08:00. Next village was quite a way so finally got coffee and croissants at about 10:15 after too many miles. The interest on the way was a salamander out for a stroll in the damp conditions after the rain, or maybe he just wanted his breakfast too.
The woodland and mixed farmland of the valleys north of Bergerac gradually gave way to vineyards as we started the descent in to the Valley of the Dordogne. The Chateau Monbazillac making the sweet white dessert wine is on the south side of the river so we suppose these were the vineyards making the red Bergerac wine.
We entered the city via a long section of parkland alongside the stream the Caudeau, in spite of this it gave a somewhat grubby appearance. After finding the small church dedicated to St James we crossed the river to the campsite, a small unprepossessing municipal of dubious security. The church of St James was built on the pilgrimage route in the days when you either crossed the river by boat or waded across. The river today is far too deep to wade but luckily the owners of the castle foresaw this and provided a bridge in about 1200. We had planned a day in Bergerac but if we can get the necessary information for onward travel I think we shall not stay, although further rain mid afternoon will make completing drying and further washing difficult.
GF adds; interesting how in this region the properties are looking very well kept – almost Swiss standard rather than the slightly neglected look of more northern France. The cars look almost new too and recently washed. Not like the vehicles I saw on my first trip to Paris; dents in each corner and matching ones in all four doors!

Link to where we are on Google Maps

02.07.08 Wednesday.

Saint Astier to Villamblard.

A thunderstorm in the night between 12 and 0230 woke all three of us, not much rain but an impressive Son et Lumiere. It also brought out the mosquitoes who were more active than us at 0630 so achieved a few bites. One even hitched with us to Villamblard inside a tent he seemed a bit shell shocked and was quickly dispatched after the tent was re-erected. A good day 12 miles and much less heat after the storm last night, we arrived at 1200 hours in time for lunch in the local restaurant with all the local workers. Once again no menu- no choice- but excellent value at 4 courses for 12 euros each, wine included. These places do still exist but one has to be lucky to strike one at the right time.
Geoff did not bring his walking pole with him and so another of the tools on the penknife (saw) was in use to cut him a pilgrim staff from the woods. (Thanks again, Penny).
The campsite we are at today is used to St Jacques walkers (according to the lady who runs the site), but these are mainly French walkers who stop at the French border (ie only do the French part of the route). Sounds a little strange, but maybe they are only happy with stopping at cdamp sites and not at pilgrim hostels.
GF adds; I was quite impressed with both the need for running repairs to our equipment and the useful kit Tim & Tony had brought. Thus today saw repairs to the uppers of Tony’s boots with suture and glue, repairs to Rohan shorts with needle and thread (colour coordinated – cotton bought today), and adjustments to my rucksack to attempt to reduce wear on the shoulder straps. The weak design had resulted in erosion most of the way through the padded area. I will have to ask Father Xmas for a replacement!

Link to where we are on Google Maps

01.07.08.Tuesday.

Lisle to Saint Astier.

A good day about 14 miles between 0700 and 1200 (including a welcome coffee in Mensignac) then it was too hot again. Even Geoff the lizard is perspiring somewhat. Good municipal campsite on the banks of the Isle river a tributary of De do Dronne Dronne, despite the campsite swimming pool being out of order. Usual buzzards around and several flat snakes on the road.
Arrived in St Astier at the height of a blazing noon and were surprised to see a significant proportion of the population pregnant! We mostly believe this to be statistical freak as later population studies did not bear out initial impressions, but theories as to reasons for this phenomenon were rife initially. GF adds; chances of seeing six consecutive pregnant women are very low (p<0.0002) so I assumed this town was twinned with Midwich (Village of the Damned for you film-buffs). Didn’t see any pregnancy test kits for sale in the supermarche. Certainly has warmed up somewhat so we have been rising at dawn to walk as far as possible in the morning before it is simply too hot to continue. Lunch by the river was good, the air thick with insects but we were treated to croaking display from the frogs and a display resembling a quiditch match from the swallows. Link to where we are on Google Maps