Reflections from the train

 

This is a good moment to reflect on the walk and why we did it. Of course, within the group there are at least two views and you will get the dominant one here. But at least all the photos were chosen by one of the other members of the group.

 

Just time for a quick chat along the route.

The main reason that we like a lot of things about France and about the south-west in particular. France is that it is one of the few developed countries, it seems, where the internal drive is not all about economics. In this part of the world, cultural values are very important and the old ways are difficult to leave behind. Of course most of the younger ones have left for the big smoke and we did pass a lot of places where each house is really a mini self contained retirement village and you are never sure if the people inside pottering around in their often well cared for gardens, are really just waiting to pass over to whatever comes next.

And they do take things slowly here. Most people are up for a chat. This can be annoying if you are waiting to pay for your newspaper, groceries, restaurant bill, hotel bill, train ticket or drinks until you finally realise that this is the way we do things here. You have to have a chat with our B&B hosts. You have to exchange views with the walking groups you meet along the way. You have to take just those few seconds to pass a comment or two with the supermarket check out people. You have to wait until madame has searched her giant bag for the money to buy her magazine. You have to wait until all staff selling train tickets are across the latest mini issue and the solution debated until anyone will resume attending to you.

 

 

But along the way and in the countryside, we enjoyed the solitude of the walk. Just us, with the birds, the deer, the fox, the cows, the sheep (not many here), the annoying dogs at each house it seems, the snake, the camels, the ducks and geese, the elephants and the Australian made hippo that became Yvonne's seat on the chateau lawns.

 

Things artistic are another attraction. And for us, the attention to detail is often amazing, even if a little kitch. House gardens around here are often enhanced with gnomes, rabbits, deer, ducks and other animals of the forest, as they blend into the forest nearby.

 

But we have met some very interesting people during this short walk. The middle aged couple who have turned former chateau stables into a classy restaurant and hotel, serving fine modern food and reasonably priced wine. The highly educated sisters refurbishing dad's chateau in between maintaining horse riding pastimes. The aging couple refusing to meet the modern world, tucked up in their dream hostellerie for the last 40 years. The open and highly organised lady running the B&B where we started and finished the walk and who could not do enough for us. The many great little restaurants we enjoyed along the way in very attractive settings and with attentive staff working their butts off.

Finally there are just a couple of things we will do for the next time. Firstly, even though we have done longer distance days in the past, we seem to have slowed down. So we have to shorten things up a bit. Secondly, and despite loving the peace of the forests, we should now look for walks through more villages - or places where we can pause for a few moments and enjoy a break.

We were lucky with the weather, even though we know through experience that May is often a great time in this part of the world. We had a couple of sharp showers on our second day only. For the rest of the time, we had overcast mornings and clear afternoons. Not too hot and not too cool. Perfect for walking. And the hotter weather is just around the corner and it will be a lot warmer next week.

Now we are in Toulouse for the weekend. No loose gooses here we hope. Toulouse rugby play a semi final today so maybe the place will be jumping. Roland Garos is going well and we are in great shape for a dive further south and then over to Corsica and Napoleon country. Just 200 years after his bloody loss and exile to St Helena.

And as Randall looks at the mighty train that is to take us from Angouleme back to Brive he thinks "This could be a useful addition to the train collection"   And it was a good ride too.

Dordogne crossed-What can we do next?

On the terrace of the Domaine Du Chatelard, a Relais du Silence not too far from Angouleme in the Charente, we sat enjoying our lunch and the completion of the walk across the northern Dordogne. So what can we do next?

 

We were more than satisfied with our efforts and began reflecting on the moments we had had along the way. The last walking day, as planned, was somewhat symbolic, a bit like the last day of the Tour de France in Paris - an exhibition. We were on the road just a couple of hours this last day.

 

 

It might have been a bit of a doddle but we had to remain focussed.  At one stage we almost lost our way and had to carefully cross a field of wheat to get back on track.

The day before was always going to be our hardest at almost 30 kms and it proved to be thus. Despite making a couple of route shortening changes it was almost 7pm when we arrived at our chateau B&B, fairly tired and ready for a big rest. The weather is slowly getting warmer each day which makes afternoon walking quite an effort. Fortunately, and rarely for this trip, we had passed a local supermarket earlier in the day where we bought some lunch and extra drink. And that, together with some fruit we had already with us, sustained us for the whole day. No chateau dinner for us that night.

 

 

 

 But we had completed our walk across the Dordogne and were now in the Charente, which seemed quite amazing to the young lady who met us for our stay in the family home. She had left her job with the owner of McLaren and Tag Heuer on avenue George V some years ago to return home and help her aging father and sister. Now they were into establishing a B&B business to go with the paintings of forebears on the walls and the extensive grounds of the place.

We slept very well in our Rapunzel like room and after the usual french breakfast and a farewll examination of the last wolf of the Charente, who is now stuffed in a statue of liberty like pose and holding an electric lamp, we were on our way again. Yvonne being too amazed to record Mr Wolf for our blog.

The day before that, when we walked from Brantome to Vieux-Mareuil, had been a bit shorter than the usual for this walk and we were lodged in our Blue Lake hostellerie by 4 pm. This place was also in a time warp. The same couple have been running it for over 40 years, almost on their own now it seems. With 70s style facilities but with the public rooms set up in hunting fashion with various stuffed animals around, it has a very unique atmosphere. He cooks and runs the admin, she is hostess and all round boss. It works well and although we were the only diners that night we had a great meal and some interesting conversation. And France has drifted a little too far to the Left it seems for this couple.

And that takes me back to our fifth walking day from Chancelade to Brantome. This proved to be a longer effort than planned - an optimisitic 28 kms. Well, we were well rested and the area not so hilly so it should have been a reasonable day! We did stop for a fair while at Bussac where the local 'vide grenier' was happening. One has mixed feelings about these events; they can be seen as 'you bring all your junk things and I'll bring mine so we can swap days' or a chance for communities to get together as spring matures and before we all go off for summer holidays. They happen in almost every community in France at this time of the year.

So we observed the stalls, the interchanges, the cheap trinkets going for kids, the rides etc as we ate our lunch. A couple of crepes suzettes and Perriers menthes and then we were off again.

 

But the delay made for a long afternoon and Yvonne especially was feeling the pinch. But we got to Brantome and after a well deserved and well presented meal we were back in the land of the living. And sitting in a good hotel with great views of the river and around Brantome helped us recover.

So the question still comes. What can we do next time? Research almost underway.

 

Now we only have half left

Ahhhhh!  She said 'rest' so we rested. Now we are tucked up in our chateau keeping company with Eurovision Song Contest. Searched for the Aussie leader of Tour of Italy to find no one and so we must rely on Guy Sebastian to carry colours over the line.

All is well in our team. Day 4 was a tad shorter than the others and we seem to be either running low on hills or we are stronger. Enjoyed our rest day with a late breakfast then a short leg stretch around the suburb on the edge of Perigueux. Apart from a few elephants, camels and zebras living down the end of our street, this is rural France as it ever was.  The weather continues to improve and we are hopeful that it will not get too hot.

We did manage to join up with another GR heading from Vezelay to Spain so we met up with a few pilgrims on their way south, one claiming to have walked 26 kms that day so far. We had covered about 10 to 12 kms so maybe he needed to get to Santiago de Compostella for confession!!! Happily none were heading our way for long.

The French people we meet have all been very friendly.  Some curiosity with strangers. Some wonderment that Australians can speak French so well. Most of our meals have been outstanding and the wine is good and light-as we like it.

Now on to Brantome tomorrow, the Venice of the Dordogne.

Yes, the World's lonliest Walk!!!!!

Randall is content to have found/created a great almost lonely walk.  Day 1. We left just outside Terrasson and finished in Montignac. Day 2 brought some showers and we had to resort to wet weather gear. We finished in Rouffignac St Cernin de Reilhac after some considerable hill climbing. However a wonderful welcome and dinner at a manoir enhanced our comfort.

Day 3 is now completed and we are ensconced in our Mas de Bories calme and relaxed refurbished stables not too far from Perigueux where we will head towards on day 4 and then our rest day.  The verdict? Oh, that depends on who writes this blog.  One would say 'fantastic'. The other would say 'tough and too long between stops'.

Weather so far tending towards overcast. Terrain is not too bad but at about 25 kms, it does get a bit slower for the retirees towards the end of the day. Accommodation is up to par and we have eaten very well indeed as you should when walking.  We have had our accommodation upgraded twice as they were astounded by our walking achievements. We have met some great people and enjoyed some lively conversations to stretch our language skills somewhat. So we are a little tired. We sleep like babies and are enjoying the Dordogne.

And only two other true trip walkers seen thus far. Two fiftyish men going the other way. Mostly just us, the forests and paths, a few wild deer here and there, a fox, rabbit and the birds, cuckoo birds that drive us crazy. Great.

Reconnection

You sometimes hear 'The world is getter smaller all the time". Does not seem so as even with the A380 to help, it is still the same long distance to return to the European civilization. Nevertheless we turned up in reasonably good condition and have squeezed ourselves back into our small but comfortable Parisian hotel in the 15e. We have reconnected to the lifestyle and have continued our tapering programme in preparation for our walk in the Dordogne.  A recovery stop on our first afternoon was Rodin's back yard.  Museum in renovation at this time.

 

After a nice and easy breakfast Saturday close by to Bastille we duly wandered through the Place Des Vosges and then spent most of the rest of the day in the 2e and 3e arrondisements just reconnecting with Paris. The occasional stop for a bite to eat or a drink.  We were re-adjusting to the close dining habits of Paris and the necessity of keeping up with the flows of humanity on the streets. The weather is a touch cooler than anticipated with a hint of late Spring rains about.

 

 It was European open museum day so we visited the Musee Carnavalet and learned some more Parisian history, especially about some sort of Revolution they had here, an executed King (hmm-might be idea to get our Republic into place back home-about the only way it is going to happen in my lifetime I expect) and the Congress of Vienna, now 200 years ago.

Saturday evening we dined locally at Le Volant restaurant to find that the man that formerly owned the place had died since we were last there around 1984. This is part of life apparently. There were some locals there too and with Aussie and American visitors in an overflowing place we enjoyed our meal and the repartee with the Polonaise waitresses. Their French was surprisingly good.

Sunday we ventured out into the Bois de Boulogne area to check out the new Louis Vitton museum designed by Frank Gehry. Yes an impressive building but the art collection was a tad too modern for the budding artist of the group. Back into town for an impressive lunch at a spot along Avenue Wagram and then we drifted down past the Grand Palais until we reached the Seine and from there it was a pleasant and sunny walk along past the ever busy Bateaux Mouches and then home. A cool drink to complete the day and now time to think about getting the train out of here to Brive La Gaillarde and then into the Dordogne. We are ready for it now.

Cruising along in Third Gear 2015 style

Our first 2015 travel challenge is a nine day walk.   For the past two or three months we have walked daily and we have improved our fitness.  The idea being to extend ourselves just a little further than we did for our last walk in France during 2013.  By that we mean that we have designed our own walk, based on the Grandes Randonnees (GR) system, aiming to walk from near Brives in the Correze to near Angouleme in the Charente, a distance of almost 200 kms.  We expect this will take just eight days plus one day rest/backup. 

We have made our own maps and booked our own accommodation.  And, as we did for our 2004 walk along the Chemin, we plan to carry all we need for the walk with us, leaving our other baggage at the start point.

Along the way we will pass the Grotte de Lascaux (Cro-magnon man), Rouffignac (Nazi atrocity), Perigueux (food), Bourdeilles (chateau), Brantome (Venice of the Dordogne) and Dignac (more food).

But first we will complete our training with a few days in Paris.  We think that it will help to settle us down after the long flight from home.