Photography – Page 12

Kite Flying

Many of you will know that Gerry and I have just spent a month in France. The first three weeks of that time was at a gite in the Dordogne. Throughout that time we would hear the calls of various raptors. They would be soaring out over the gorges, sitting high up on the electricity pylons and occasionally we would see one stoop, plunging to the ground in a newly mown meadow. On a number of occasions I had disturbed a couple of kites sitting in a tree, so well camouflaged were they, I hadn’t even seen them until I was almost immediately below them as I walked the lanes. Throughout our stay I had attempted many photos of these fabulous birds but had pretty much only achieved interesting silhouettes.

During our last week at the gite, after a prolonged spell of wet weather, it was time for the grass in the meadow directly in front of the gite to be cut. I grabbed my camera, crossed the garden to stand at the fence bordering the field, my eyes scanning the skies in anticipation.

Went To Mow A Meadow

One Man Went To Mow

The farmer drove round and round, starting at the perimeter, steadily working his way into the centre of the field. Until his circumnavigations had reduced the potential hiding places, for any small creatures, to an island of tall grass in the centre.

Then they were there.

Well one bird had arrived to investigate. But it was soon joined by several more. There was still much of the grass to be cut. The birds wheeled and swooped over the field, as if taking a preliminary scan, then all disappeared over the tree tops and away.

A few minutes later and they were back.

There were five or six birds, although it was difficult to keep track of them as switched from soaring to low-level runs across the meadow.

Raptor1 — Black Kite ? – Serandon, Dordogne, France

I thought that the birds, once they were hunting or had potential prey in their sights, would largely ignore me. It became obvious that they were staying away from my side of the meadow. Unfortunately there was no where for me to get under cover and my lens wouldn’t allow me to be further back, I was already pushing its capabilities to the limits.

Raptor — Red Kite – Serandon, Dordogne, France

So I carried on , firing away. I ended up with many similar shots but not many keepers. I learnt that I need a better equipment. This time it was a spur of the moment when the opportunity presented itself. After all, I didn’t know the farmer was going to mow the meadow, but I could have been better prepared. The following photos were all over the course of an hour.

Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France

But, at a minimum, a better lens would have helped me maximise my use of this opportunity. I should state here that I accept operator error as a huge contributor. I was having problems keeping the lens focussed as I got over excited at all the action, jumping from bird to bird. I switched from auto to manual focus to try and make life simpler, so I could have more time to frame the shot. I obviously need more practice in this enviroment.

A case in point is this photo. I did actually capture the moment when one of the kites caught a rodent …..

….. better preparation, better lens, would have made this a better photo. Bottom line though, this is down to the operator, me.

And, while I’m mentioning equipment, perhaps, some kind of camouflage clothing and / or a collapsible hide. After all, I had plenty of room in the car for this holiday. Mind you that would then require me to be a better planner.

Ask me who didn’t pack his tripod, monopod or even his gorillapod for this holiday.

Family

After two nights in Troyes, the end of our holiday was looming on the horizon. But we still had two nights left. No dramatic sight seeing planned for this part of our holiday, we were going to visit family.

Gerry’s brother, Doug, has lived in France for many years and now lives near Arras. We hadn’t managed to get together for quite a few years. He works for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Our timing for this visit, probably could have been better. With many Somme 100 remembrance ceremonies taking place on the 1st July he was very busy at work.

As we headed north from Troyes the weather gradually deteriorated, becoming overcast and persistently dull. The traffic also grew in density as we left the agricultural heartland behind and got nearer to the channel ports and channel tunnel. The amount of traffic was also probably influenced by our proximity to Paris, the centre of the French spiders web road system. Still, we made better time than anticipated and, as a result, there was nobody home when we arrived. They had all headed to Lille to collect Lynn’s dad from the bus station. He had travelled down from Merseyside, by bus, leaving around midnight the night before. Now that is a trip I would not like to make. My days of long distance coach travel are long gone.

As an aside, nearly 30 years ago, Gerry and I did a coach based holiday picked out of our local paper. We travelled from Havant to Trento in Italy. The coach drivers took us on a torturous route through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. They seemed intent on avoiding all motorways and the journey took nearly 24 hours. I recall that, at the time, I had a theory that the drivers were pocketing the toll money hence no real motorway driving. Although the coach had seats that reclined they were not all that comfortable and, for someone who is over six feet tall, not much leg room. So I do have some experience of coach travel, and it’s not something I want to repeat.

So, back to France. We visited the nearby supermarket to pick up some alcoholic supplies to lubricate the imminent reunion. We hadn’t been back at Doug’s for very long when Andrew, Doug’s son, arrived and ushered us inside where we were soon drinking tea and coffee.

Later, Doug and co. arrived and there was much fat chewing and chin wagging. Lots to catch up on. As we all sat around the table for dinner the alcohol we had purchased was put to good use and it’s lubricity investigated.

The following day Doug had to work, returning home at lunchtime to pick up Brian, the father-in-law, for an orientation briefing related to the Somme 100 activities. Both Brian and Doug were going to be guides on the bus’ bringing guests into the remembrance sites.

Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery

Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery

Note: The above photos are from a previous visit in 2009. The weather was much nicer back then. Access during last week was severely restricted due to the Somme 100 activities.

The weather outside was awful, ranging from mizzle to full pelt rainstorms. We took the opportunity to relax, happy to not be moving for a while. Apart from a short walk, to the local school, to pick up Doug’s grand-daughter, Maddie.

Another super evening meal (thanks Lynn), with more wine, beer and lots of conversation. Then it was heads down to sleep.

Doug and Brian had a very early start the next morning. Up at four and picked up at five to begin their “guiding”. We had a much more leisurely start and while Gerry and Lynn took Maddie to school I loaded the car ready for our journey to the tunnel.

Drismal Day

These pictures give you some idea of the drismal nature of our departure day. It matched the sad feelings we were feeling to be leaving family. It had been nice to catch up and of course we have all promised to not leave it so long until our next gathering. After all we are all just a couple of hours from the tunnel, on either side of the channel. No excuses.

So Gerry and I bid farewell to Lynn, having said our farewells to Andrew earlier in the morning, and to Doug and Brian the night before.

Au Revoir !!

Troyes Treat

Our journey from Lyon to Troyes was largely uneventful and the satnag behaved itself. Especially since our hotel, Relais Saint Jean, gives two addresses, the satnag took us directly to the entrance for the secure parking. The other address is for clients on foot. Just take a look at the following photo’s ….

Rue Paillot de Montabert, – Troyes, France

Relais St Jean – Troyes, France

Rue Paillot de Montabert, – Troyes, France

… this is Rue Paillot de Montabert , too narrow for regular traffic, and the location of the hotel entrance and reception.

The friendly staff had us very quickly checked in and, once we were installed in our room, we set out to explore Troyes. We were spending two nights here so hoped to get a real feel for the town. Here is what the hotel website and the Tourism Office / Departmental Committee of Tourism have to say ….

Troyes, historical capital of the champagne region, a city of Art and History, distinguishes itself by the beauty of its architecture, the timbered structures of its buildings, its gastronomy, its nine churches illuminated by their remarquable tinted glass windows.

The old fortifications which in the past protected the city have left their place to the main boulevards, which still identify the perimeters of the city and form the famous “bouchon de Champagne” or “Champagne cork” (clearly distinct from the air). Within the city there is a hive of commercial and pedestrian activity, historical monuments and buildings remarquably maintained, preserved and brought to life in order to make Troyes a pleasure to visit.

The “Pans de Bois” or wooden structures are omni-present in the city center of Troyes and especially around the Hotel Relais Saint Jean. Everywhere you can admire the tall wooden buildings, their “Colombages” and rounded features.

Our first foray onto the streets of Troyes took us around the narrow lanes nearest to the hotel. Everywhere you look there are old buildings, some with remarkable features. All have something unique, making them just that little bit different. Whether it be blatant, such as the building colour.

Troyes – France

Or more subtle, by way of a carving in a door frame, or even the main building beams.

Troyes – France

After our initial exploration we decided that we would eat, return to the hotel and recharge our batteries ready for a full day exploring. For our meal we settled on Les Relais d’ Alsace – Taverne Karlsbrau.

Troyes36 — Le Relais d’Alsace, Tavern Karlsbrau – Troyes, France

It’s possible that I had the biggest meal, ever, at this establishment. The main course seems to have obliterated my starter from my memory cells. For my main course I chose the Choucroute de la Taverne. I knew I was in trouble when the waitress brought out a wire frame and spirit heater which she assembled on our table. Shortly thereafter she appeared with a large platter, placed it on the wire frame and lit the heater. She then proceeded to load up my plate with meat, two large boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. Perhaps I should explain that, by meat, I mean a Pork Knuckle, a sausage (pork I think), a Frankfurter, several thick slices of Garlic Sausage and a thick slice of Bacon. She then started to pile on the sauerkraut. I think there must have been about a kilo of sauerkraut and she would have put it all on my plate if I hadn’t stopped her.

An american guy on the table behind me was very interested in my menu choice and I showed him where it was on the menu. He seemed quite keen to give it a try. But, I think, his wife dissuaded him and he had a burger instead.

Needless to say, I didn’t eat it all. I ate all of the meat but left the fat and skin from the Pork Knuckle. There was a lot of fat. Gerry helped out by eating the potato and I left most of the sauerkraut. I do like sauerkraut but the amount delivered to our table was really excessive.

I did enjoy the meal and the knuckle was particularly good. Back home I quite often will have bacon hock when it is on the menu. The knuckle had the same flavour and fall apart texture.

Meal over, Gerry and I, well mainly me, waddled home to the hotel.

Next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we set out again to explore the town. The Tourist Info Office is just around the corner from the hotel so we popped in there and purchased a guide and one or two other items before continuing our exploration. Here are a few other photo’s to give you a flavour of Troyes.

Troyes – France

After much walking we stopped for a drop of liquid refreshment during which we, along with all the other customers, were serenaded by a guy and his guitar. He was really quite good although we had no idea what the songs meant. When drinking you need something to mop it up so we decided to have lunch. Gerry had a Croque Madame and I had Eggs Benedict. Very tasty, although the sauce was a very garish yellow.

As the hotel was very close we decided to drop our purchases back at our room. We didn’t make it back out. Opting to relax a little before heading out for dinner. In the end we didn’t make it out for dinner either.

I suggested room service, which Gerry was more than happy with. Our room had a balcony with a table and chairs. So we sat out there, watching the sunset over the rooftops. Gerry with her Spaghetti Bolognese, me with my usual Assiette and all washed down with a nice bottle of Bordeaux.

A lovely end to a lovely day.

To Lyon via The Millau Viaduct

So, fed and watered we left Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon having programmed the satnag for Lyon. Now the one thing I knew about Lyon is that it was north and slightly east of our current location. So I knew there was something not quite right when I spotted that the satnag wanted us to head towards Montpellier. That is south, down on the Mediterranean. So before we joined the autoroute, we pulled off onto a small side road and dragged out our book of maps.

I could see immediately what it wanted us to do but I wasn’t buying into its logic. So, once again it was necessary to try and outfox TomTom. I reset its route with Clermont-Ferrand as a via. It did an about-face with it route plan. Not only that but it was a shorter distance and time than he original plan. Go figure.

Of we set again, back down the roads we had just travelled before eventually heading towards the A75. Now at least it felt right. Also the good news was that this route would take us over the Millau Viaduct. And here some photos to show the bridge from the deck along with the bug splats on the windshield…..

Millau Viaduct – Millau, France

It’s quite a strange feeling passing over the bridge. I personally have never been that high off the ground and not either had my feet on a mountainside or been sat in an aircraft. When you look down on the town of Millau it is just like being on an aircraft as it make its last descent before touch down. Next time we will have to get down under this super structure.

Crossing over we pressed on toward Lyon. Passing through lovely countryside, superb views but we couldn’t afford to stop apart for the necessary pee breaks and a leg stretch.

Nr Coren – Auvergne-Rhone-Alps, France

And then we were approaching Lyon. For several kilometers we were on new roads and tunnels. The satnag knew they were there and, for several kilometeres, could tell us the speed we were going, but couldn’t tell us if we were breaking the law. Then, due to road works, we had to follow a deviation. Stop, start, stop again. Nose to tail traffic. As we got further into the Lyon suburbs the traffic situation got worse. Amazing since this was a Sunday evening. All we kept saying was “Imagine this at rush hour”. Three and four lanes of slow crawling traffic. Eventually we made it to the city centre and the satnag did a perfect job of delivering us to the front door of the hotel.

Of course there was nowhere to park up, so I double parked and went inside to check in and ge access to the hotel parking. The guy in front of me was having a debate about parking and I heard the receptionist say that there was no parking available. The guy in front voiced what I was already thinking….”The only reason I booked this hotel was because you state that you have parking”. They managed to provide the guy in front of me with access to a parking space behind some bollards. Of course when it was my turn to speak they had no such space for me. I pointed out that my requirement for secure parking space was so that I didn’t have to fully unload the car which had our luggage for a month.

His response to me was I had booked via Booking.com. They had a problem with them not informing clients that if you wanted parking you had to book in advance. At the time I was ready to give Booking.com a hard time. However, since checking the hotels web site they don’t mention advanced booking so he was tossing me a line.

So, the best I could do was dump Gerry and our overnight luggage in the hotel foyer while I took the car to the Gare Perrache, railway station and its car park, which he ensured me was secure with CCTV. Things got decidedly iffy as I drove off to the station. Immediately on leaving the hotel you have to turn right. I’m driving in France so I keep right. As I pulled out the guy behind me pulled over to the left and joined a single lane. Then I noticed the railway lines, not railway, tram lines. Nobody told me there were trams in Lyon. Just as I got to a right turn, a tram appeared in front of me. I just made the turn before the tram occupied the space I had just vacated. I had to make a circuit of the streets again to get back to the station.

Entering the car park the first thing is you have to take a ticket. The ticket machine is on the wrong side. So I jumped out, ran round the car, pushed the button, grabbed the ticket, dashed back to the driver’s seat and drove through the now open barrier. I parked the car, grabbed a few bits and then moved on to my next challenge.

How to get out of the car park as a pedestrian. I found my way into the railway station, which is also the bus station and the tram station. I eventually found an exit but on the opposite side of the station from where the hotel is.

By the time I reached the hotel nearly forty-five minutes had passed and Gerry was beginning to worry. So, time to check out the room, we grabbed our suitcase, camera and laptop bags and headed for the lift. Challenge number one was to get two people, one large suitcase and three small bags into the tiny lift enclosure. Challenge number two was to find and push the button for the third floor, the control panel hidden by a melange of limbs and baggage straps. Next up was the challenge of keeping my butt and laptop bag clear of the concertina doors which also needed interior space to be able to close before the lift would move.

After reversing out of the lift enclosure we followed the wall mounted signs to our room. The walls of the hotel are painted either black or a very dark grey. There were no lights on and no “visible” wall switches. All was well as the lights came on, automatically, as we advanced into the darkness. A bit like those movies where the lighting either activates or deactivates with the sound of large solenoid switches clacking at each transition. We didn’t have the sounds.

And so we entered our room. Very clean and tidy. The decor was fresh and modern. Not much space though. With our suitcase on the floor at the foot of the bed there was hardly room to squeeze through. Although there was wardrobe space most of the lower half was filled with a fridge and the upper shelf was all but filled by a safe. So no where really to stow our luggage. Good job we were only staying overnight.

By now my temper was not good. I was pissed of at Booking.com regarding the parking, I was pissed off at the hotel for their misleading pictures. Gerry calmed me down and we left to go and find somewhere to eat.

According to the hotel staff, with it being Sunday, many city centre restaurants open during the day but not in the evening. Which is exactly what we found. Several, were still open in the evening, but only for drinks. Sunday was the day Ireland were beaten by France, I think. Of the open establishments serving food, most of the outside tables were occupied with footie fans drinking. Judging by the number of green shirts in evidence, these were consolation drinks. To be honest they were very good-natured and not too rowdy. We eventually found ourselves a bar serving food, mainly burgers, and took a table inside.

Refreshments - Lyon, France — Refreshments – Lyon, France

We both had burgers, not something Gerry normally has, on the basis that this establishment didn’t look like they were up to cordon bleu cooking. And that they couldn’t really screw up a burger and fries. The food was surprisingly, OK. The beer was good.

During our previous three weeks in France, I have been surprised by the variety of beers on offer. Often, when I have asked for a “bière pression” the waiter will ask if I want blonde, amber, rouge, white or on at least one occasion noir. And that is before asking what brand I would prefer. For some reason they always seemed please when I declined Heineken or Carling, especially when I followed my response with a mime of spitting.

We completed our meal and sat watching some of the Hungary / Belgium match while I finished my beer. There was a guy, sat at a nearby table, built like the proverbial brick outhouse. I think he was a Hungary supporter, judging by his reactions to the near misses near the Belgium goal. We left before we became witness to his disappointment at the 4-0 defeat.

River view - Lyon, France — River view – Lyon, France

The following morning, after a fairly meagre buffet breakfast, it became time for me to retrieve my car from the Gare Perrache. Having delivered Gerry and the bags to the hotel foyer. The walk to the garage was executed in short order and I was soon at the floor where I had left the car. Unfortunately, the ticket machine was being worked on. Eventually the engineer closed the cabinet and I submitted my ticket. The display requested that I deposit 20 euro but steadfastly refused to accept my 20 euro note. It was then that the engineer stepped forward and informed me that the cash section was not working, that I could only pay by credit card. The machine had not such indications displayed. So, having settled up, I arrived at my car.

Thankfully, untouched and intact. Navigating my way to the exit I then had to repeat the previous evenings athletics. Arrive at ticket machine, jump out of the car, run round to the opposite side, insert ticket into machine. Dash back to the driver’s seat and wait for the barrier to rise.

It didn’t rise. Now what ?

Looking across the car I spotted that it wanted to give me my ticket back. So it was out of the car, go grab the ticket, back to the drivers seat. Up goes the barrier, I moved forward only to be presented with a second barrier ,which only went up when the first barrier was down. I assume this is to prevent tailgating.

Eventually I was allowed to exit the garage but on the opposite side of the railway / bus / tram station. I didn’t recognise the roads so I had to program the satnag and wait for it to calculate the many thousands of possible routes. Meanwhile I was having to drive away from the garage, so as not to cause a roadblock, for those who knew where they wanted to go.

Thirty minutes, or so, later I arrived back at the hotel and we loaded our luggage into the back. And then, satnag reprogrammed for Troyes, we were off to play with the Monday morning traffic. Amazingly, the traffic was a lot lighter leaving Lyon than the previous evenings traffic had been

I have probably done Lyon a huge injustice by not spending more time as a tourist. Also, it was probably a dumb decision booking a hotel in the town centre when it was just an overnight stop.

I guess I learnt another lesson.

Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon

Sunday morning and we have to bid farewell to Millau. I hope we make it back here some day. We were set to travel to Lyon, but first we headed out in the wrong direction with the satnag pointed at Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon. Our route immediately started us on a climb up to he Larzac plateau. Which in turn provided us with spectacular views over the countryside.

Near Millau – France

Millau – France

Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon is a village in the Aveyron department in southern France. Here is a little background courtesy of the official tourism website of Aveyron.

The Knights Templar took possession of the Larzac plateau in the 12th century thanks to the gifting of land to the order and from which the revenue served to maintain the Knights in the Holly Land. In order to ensure the security of the local inhabitants, they created the commandry of Sainte-Eulalie de Cernon, La Cavalerie, La Couvertoirade and Le Viala du Pas de Jaux; these villages which the Hospitaller Knights inherited during the suppression of the Order of the Knights Templar by the Pope in 1312 were fortified in the 15th century. The Hospitaller Knights ensured their management for five centuries.

It didn’t take us very long to get to the village and we weren’t disappointed by our diversion.

Sainte Eulalie de Cernon – Aveyron, France

After all this history, and with an eye to the fact that we needed to get on our way to Lyon, we decided to have a spot of lunch. Luckily there was a handy eatery, Auberge la Cardabelle.

Eulalie22 — Auberge la Cardabelle – Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon, France

Don’t worry, no musical link this time.

We had a good meal although Gerry felt she had to rush her meal. She felt she was in a race with the flies to see who got to eat first. In this instance France would give Australia a run for their money in the fly department.

Once we had settled up we headed back to the car and set of for Lyon with just a couple of parting shots before the village disappeared over the horizon….

Sainte Eulalie de Cernon – Aveyron, France

Millau

So on Saturday we packed our bags and left the gite in Serandon. As, per my previous post, we had experienced a super storm during Friday night, the weather was calm but misty / drizzly.

We wound our way down into the gorge and the first thing we noticed was all the debris, from the trees, strewn across the roads. And, as we climbed up the other side there were several areas where rock shale and mud had been washed down of the sides of the gorge, onto the road. Also, a number of trees were down but still being supported by electric cables. We eyed these with great suspicion as we maneuvered past them. Concerned that they would choose the moment of our passing as the time to drop completely.

As we wended our way towards Millau, the weather turned decidedly worse, until we were driving in torrential rain. Especially as we climbed up and down the various hills and gorges. As we travelled on the weather improved until, as we approached Millau, we were being treated to blue skies and sunshine.

The scenery in this region is fantastic and the more we saw the more we vowed that perhaps this would be the next region in France that we would target for our next long holiday.

Soon the reason for our trek to Millau popped into view.

Millau Viaduct – Millau, France

The following is taken from the Aveyron Official Tourist Website

Millau viaduct holds the world record for the tallest bridge, culminating at 343 metres (higher than the Eiffel tower), 2460 metres long and touching the bottom of the Tarn valley in only 9 places.

Conceived by the French engineer Michel Virlogeux and designed by the English architect Lord Norman Foster, it fits perfectly into the naturally intact and grandiose landscape: a very thin slightly curved steel roadway supported by stays gives it the appearance of a huge yacht and the ensemble rests on 7 very slender pillars.

The bridge is spectacular and can be seen from many miles out. We took a few pictures, then headed for our hotel in Millau.

We were staying at the Hotel Mercure and were soon installed in our room. ow lucky were we with the room allocated to us. Take a look at the view from our hotel room ….

View From Hotel Room – Hotel Mercure, Millau, France

After a little freshen up we headed out to explore and grab a bite to eat. All the eateries near the hotel were only serving drinks. Once again our pursuit of lunch had commenced after the proscribed hours. Pushing out, further afield and we discovered a brasserie, Le Mandarous, who were more than willing to take my Euros in exchange for food and drink. The brasserie was situated adjacent to a roundabout so we were able watch both human and automotive antics while we ate a rather tasty meal.

I’m afraid I’m getting rather boring with regard to my choices. If it is on offer, I will almost always go for the “assiette de charcuterie”, an assortment of cooked meats which can including ham, garlic sausage, salami and, depending on the region, perhaps some cheese. Back in the Correze it was common to have Chèvres, Cantal or Salers. In Tulle there was Bleu d’Auvergne but on this occasion, in Millau, I was treated to a couple of pieces of a rather nice Roquefort. This was a real melt in the mouth treat.

After our meal we continued wandering the streets, sorry I mean exploring….

Millau – France

We both decided we liked Millau and felt that it would be a place we should visit again. With its quaint cobbled streets and narrow alleyways it has a really nice feel.

As we meandered into another square, Place Marechel Foch, we decided to take advantage of the shade provided by the trees and sat down for a cold beer from the nearby brasserie. We became aware of a wedding group gathering outside a nearby church.

Wedding Car – Millau, France

Apart from the bride, page boys and bridesmaids there were numerous cars that had been decorated in perhaps, by UK standards, an unusual way. We liked it. Something else the French do is have the entire wedding group clamber into their cars and drive around the town honking their horns. Making everyone aware of the wedding and, I guess, involving everyone in their celebrations. There were several weddings on this Saturday afternoon in Millau and we had observed this tradition a couple of times around Serandon and Neuvic.Of course the Simca Rally Car did not need to sound his horn to make people aware as the engine noise was fairly noticeable.

Suitably refreshed we meandered our way back to the hotel for a brief nap before getting changed and heading out for our evening meal.

On the whole a good day.

Leaving

Last night there was a humongous storm. Possibly the wildest storm I have experienced. Very strong winds, continuous lightning and torrential rain.

This morning was calm but dull and damp. The picture shows the view from the gite towards the gorges. This was our last view of the Dordogne, at least for this vacation.

At the time of writing we have arrived in Millau, in the Aveyron department of the French Midi-Pyrenees region in southern France.

We are here, for just one night, to see le Viaduc de Millau, the tallest bridge in the world. Tomorrow, we head to Lyon as we meander our way back north and, ultimately, home.

Wedding Transport

Classic rally car, just one of many wedding cars spotted in Millau earlier today.

Argentat Revisited

The title is stretching reality, just a bit. We did make it to Argentat, about ten days earlier in our holiday. However, as I’ve already posted, we got a little distracted en-route and arrived too late to do it justice. You can see what diverted our attention here.

So, this morning, we got our act together and by 10:00 we were on our way. Determined that we wouldn’t get distracted, our resolve broke when we were passing through the village of Rilhac-Xaintrie ….

Rilhac-Xaintrie – Correze, France

Apparently the Chateau dates from the Fifteenth & Sixteenth centuries and is a listed building.

Continuing with our journey we soon arrived at Argentat which sits on the Dordogne River. Our first view of the town is from the side of the surrounding hills.

Argentat – Correze, France

And shortly thereafter we are parked up just a few metres from the Dordogne. The temperature today was around thirty degrees centigrade, or Celsius if you prefer. So without further ado, we headed for a suitable hostelry to quench our thirst and also feed our souls.

We were soon sat at a table in Auberge des Gabariers, with a prime view out onto the river.

Argentat – Correze, France

Gerry had a Tuna Steak with risotto, while I had a starter of Foie Gras followed by Steak accompanied by Trauffade. We both had dessert, strawberries with ice cream.

Suitably nourished we set about exploring a little further around Argentat. However, due to the heat, 32 degC according to the app on my mobile, we curtailed any further street walking.

Argentat – Correze, France

We decided to go and find a shady spot, preferably by the river, for an afternoon nap. However, once in the car again we set about exploring. randomly choosing destinations from our book of maps. The satnag was, on occasions, totally useless. But we found our way back to the gite, eventually.

We did stop for a couple of snaps ……

Lake Neuvic

Champagnac-la-Noaille

Tournemire / Pleaux

After two weeks in France, I finally decided to refer to the information that I had gathered, regarding places of interest in the region of our gite. We decided to head off to Tournemire.

Had I checked it out before visiting Salers on Monday, I would have realised that we could combine the two villages as part of one days touring.

Still, with another beautiful day promised we headed back out to the Cantal region and the village of Tournemire.

Tournemire village is situated 15km north of Aurillac, in the Massif Central, Auvergne region. The village is classified as one of the “most beautiful villages of France”.

While still a couple of kilometers out from the village you are treated to a view of the fortress sitting high up on the side of the valley.

Although the village is largely hidden from view by the trees. Joe Public cannot drive into the village but have to use the car park, a few hundred metres outside. Signs indicate that a ticket must be purchased from the Tourist Office.

However, it was closed, so we had to park illegally. There is always the concern that our car could be clamped or even towed away. We wondered if they would be so petty, especially since the fee for parking was one whole Euro, for the day.

Feeling quite guilty, we entered the village. Some of the houses are said to have been built on original Roman foundations. Once again the local volcanic rock dominates the construction and most houses are topped off with slate roofs. As previously mentioned the fortress, Chateau de Anjony, dominates the village and dates from the 15th century.

Tournemire – Auvergne, France

After exploring the village we felt it was time to recharge the batteries, so to speak. We headed back through the village to the Auberge that we had passed earlier in the day.

Auberge de Tournemire – Auvergne, France

At the Auberge de Tournemire we enjoyed a simple but filling lunch comprising Truffade with an assortment of cold meats. Truffade is a local Auvergne speciality comprising potato and cheese. Washed down, of course, with a nice cold beer. Sorry but I’m at it again with the musical links. You only have to say the word Auberge and the Chris Rea tune pops into my head….. dah dah dah dah dah !!!

After lunch we left Tournemire to meander our way back to the gite. Referring to some local pamphlets we picked up in the Tourist Office, and having paid our one Euro parking fee, we decided to go via Pleaux.

Pleaux – Cantal, France

Once again, many of the buildings in Pleaux are constructed using the grey volcanic rock and topped of with the grey slate.

We stopped to have a beer and watch the world go by for a while and also explored the “Land Art” on display in the square. There was some quite innovative use of bottle tops and coffee pods giving an almost oriental feel.

All to soon we had to continue our journey home to the gite.

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