Despite knowing we were tiki-touring again today, we didn't leave the house until 10.15am. Making sure all our kitties are where they should be, is the first priority and we knew we would be out all day.
Rocamadour was the goal, 2 hours south of here, and a good part of that is on the A20 motorway, which is North/South, Paris to the Med.
When I opened the shutters this morning, I was delighted to see blue sky and white clouds. After such a wet day yesterday, this was a real blessing for a long trip and plenty of walking. We weren't disappointed, and the dry air made for glorious photos. We 'WOW'd ' our way there and back. Countryside that is indescribable in it's beauty, far reaching views, amazing rock faces, fabulous Automne colors still and hardly any traffic on the highways and by-ways.
We like to travel the D-roads and sometimes E-roads, which could only be described as farm tracks...one way, and no shoulder to speak of. They do present hazards, of course, and one of those is that local French drivers seem to think MY side of the road also belongs to them! Aiee...a few close calls at speed, but we arrived home safe and sound dead on the dot of 5pm.
Time to go!
Not far from home was our first surprise of the day...Chateau Chervix. We stopped down the hill somewhat, but couldn't see the Chateau from down there, so this is the only photo we have, unfortunately. It is a 13th Century Chateau.
The green sign tells you there is a Pharmacy right there.:)
The countryside below the Chateau. I had pulled over, thinking I would take a photo of the other side of the Chateau, but alas, there were other buildings below it, blocking the view. No going back, as we had a timetable, for a change.
This is a D-road. No, not very wide, and really only room for one car. With small shoulder, it is sometimes a challenge to pass with an on-coming vehicle...sometimes a tractor moving hay bales...the big round ones.
What a stunning surprise to find this lovely lake, dotted about with fishermen and women. Don't ask me the name of this place. I have to stop to take the photos, otherwise Waz is taking them 'on the fly' as it were. He does his best to photograph place names, but you will have to be happy without them today, sorry:)
Views like this one peppered our travels. We are still in the Limousin Department, here. We travelled through the Creuse Department and into the Dordogne, the further south we went, and in and out of the small towns on the D roads, and before joining the A20 south.
The town of Martel is not far from Rocamadour, and today it was busy for some reason. There was nowhere to park (all the spaces being full) so we drove on through. Waz noted the changes in architecture, especially in the churches. This one looks fortified. see the arrow slits in the towers?
Right through the Limousin we are in Apple Country. There is also an Apple Tour route through these country roads.
Plenty of ornate crossed on rocky outcrops.
Most of the crops had been harvested and we saw only the occasional field of Corn still to be harvested. The landscape looks groomed, doesn't it? See the village under the rock face?
Blink and you might miss it!
We proceeded down a side road to get a photo of this church, whose bells were ringing at 11am.
Back on the road and across this bridge.
Looking right as we crossed. There were plenty of outdoor pursuit activities down the side road, and we can see why. This river is glorious, just here and what better scenery to kayak in?
Some of the tight bend yield stunning views around the corner, and this tiny hamlet was one of them. The amazingly old church's bell was ringing as I exited the car to take photos, and I did manage to get some video with that sound on it. Below the rock wall and behind that old cow trough in the foreground, is a hamlet.
Some of the hamlet is alongside the road....exactly how DO you enter your house without losing your life? So close to the road!!
And the rest of the hamlet is below the rock wall, across the road. Don't you love the ski-jump roofs?:)
More above the road houses.
The church in the village above the ancient Rocamadour, and in the village where we stopped for lunch. Knowing how we usually keep going, and that this is Saturday, we figured we should stop NOW, or we might not find food further on. We were partly right. In the ancient town there were but two restaurants open, that we found. We also found that the prices in this place are a bit exhorbitant. Typical of isolated places that bring hoards of visitors in summer.
We were the ONLY customers in the 45 mins it took to make our meal and for us to eat it. Duck confit! It was beautifully plated but we were sure they took the whole meal out of the freezer. Sorry, I didn't take photos. We could imagine that this place would be jam packed in the tourist season. The small town is undergoing all kinds of renovation work, and looked a little too pristine for our liking.
This tower was opposite the restaurant in a small park. We thought it might contain public toilets, but didn't find out.
Not 200 yards down the road (sorry, back to imperial measure!) was this stunning scene. Truly breath-taking. Rocamadour! We stopped in a restaurant parking lot where this is the view to beat. The restaurant was closed, of course, as so many are out of season.
The Chateau is the building on top, and the Church is the large building below it. We didn't make it up to the Chateau, unfortunately. Another time, perhaps.
Back in the car and winding down the road...some slow and skinny places where you don't want to meet a car coming the other way. We couldn't for the life of us imagine what the crowds are like in summer. Thank goodness we travel in the off-season, is all we can say.
A closer look, again. The scale of this place is deceiving, to look at it like this. To the right of the Church in the foreground, is a zigzag road...can you see it? That goes up to the Chateau.
Here is a better look at it. See how the road is supported, going up? The whole place looks Lilliputian, from here.
Now, to get down there....through this tunnel....a little daunting, because you cant see the other end until you are in there. It curves around to the right. That roof thing is to arrest and rock-fall.
In and around to the right....
...and out the other end. A few other tight corners with no sight of who is coming up the other way...and we did meet an up-bound car, which was going waaaayyy too fast, but it was the only one.
Initially I thought to park just here, but Waz kindly reminded me that the parking lot belonged to the restaurant...not that it was open, but we have learned the hard way, that parking in some of these places can be expensive. Parking gratuit is prefere. (free!)
Follow the road down, but not through the portal ahead. Turn left...Many cars did go through the portal, but we obviously needed a workout...as you will see shortly.
Over there...he said! Where? To the right! ....ok! We appeared to be getting further and further from the Village....doooowwwwwn below, in fact.
..as you can see...
...as you can see!
See those steps? Yep...we have to go up them!
Looking across the higher road to the rock face opposite Rocamadour.
Half way up the stairs.
Now at the top.
The street rises, back towards the portal at which we turned left to go down to the parking lot.
Looking up!
Just happens to be on a wall, on the way.
Hotel which is closed, but they want staff for the 2018 season, if you are interested. In fact, most of the businesses here were looking for next summer's staff. We wondered where the staff might live, as it would be hugely expensive to live in the village.
Hardly anyone around, as you can see. It wasn't warm, but it also wasn't too cold, around 2pm.
Another portal
A pretty square with one of the few restaurants open.
When you keep looking up, the view changes, and the whole place becomes more extensive than you first imagined.
Having walked through the portal, we were surprised to see the stained glass windows on this side.
This candy shop was open...selling Rock candy, of course.
WOW!
We haven't started the second climb yet...still walking through the 'town'.
The Bell Tower. Two bells and a speaker. Look carefully at the stone work. You can see where some has been replaced, but so much of it is original. Thank goodness the stonework has been repaired, or we wouldn't be here today! It is truly incredible to think of how some of the restoration took place, so precipitous is the location.
These buildings are literally built INTO the rock. No idea what the rock is, but it must be sedimentary.
Now for the hardest part, but we didn't think this was anywhere near the climb we had to undertake at the Mont Saint Michel, in Normandy. Walk the Grand Stairway. This stairwell is the beginning of the Pilgrimage you face to atone for your sins, and to help in the contemplation of your life, your struggles and your redemption sought with confession in the Chapel at the top.
Turn right at the top of this short stage...
But take time to admire the prettiness on the way.
There are 260+ steps to the Chapel.
Something interesting happened to us on the first few steps. The eagle-eyed Wazster noticed fossils in the steps. So, here we were, almost on our knees, making discovery after discovery on each step, of Scallop shells...Cocquille St Jaques, which is pertinent, because Saint Jacques also made this pilgrimage, according to one source on a wall.
...and up we go!
See what we mean? Fossils. We brought them to the attention of so many people. As always we were looking up, but when we looked down, we found an incredible treasure trove of history in the stones. We looked out over the valley below and imagined it under the sea, at some stage of it's existence. All these stones come from this valley! I think I have about 100 photos of the fossils! lol. You will be glad Im not putting them all on here.
Isn't this incredible?
Oh glorious view, opposite!
Looking back whence we came.
More fossils!
Where those houses are (in the distance), is where I took the original photo of this Village.
A modern sculpture of Saint Jacques.
Portals galore.
When you think of the millions who have trodden these cobbles....both as tourists and pilgrims.
I cant really begin to tell you about most of this place. But this I know!
There are 7 Churches and Chapels.
The Chateau is 13th Century, and this was originally a fortified town (makes sense). It has been sacked many times over the centuries, beginning in the 11th century. Henry Plantagenet, king of England was one of the first, in 1183.
The rock walls are 390ft (120 meters) in height, and the River Alzou runs in the valley below.
The book called The Miracles of Our Lady of Rocamadour, written ca. 1172,[3] an example of the miracula, or books of collected miracles, which had such a wide audience in the Middle Ages. (thanks to Wikipedia)
Church of Saint Sauveur
The door leading into the Church
Other doors and portals...who knows how old these are. No guides were around to ask.
Another Spire, and this one of the Eglise de Saint Anne.
Stunning hinges.
I couldn't read the French references to this dagger sticking out of the wall but I think this is the alleged fragment of Durandal. It was supposedly the sword of Roland, paladin of Charlemagne, in epic French literature. Thanks again to Wikipedia for this information....
According to La Chanson de Roland, (The Song of Roland) the sword was brought by an angel to Charlemagne who was at the vale of Moriane, and Charles then gave it to Roland. In the poem, the sword is said to contain within its golden hilt a tooth of Saint Peter, blood of Basil of Caesarea, hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of the raiment of Mary, mother of Jesus, and to be the sharpest sword in all existence.
At the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, Roland took the rear-guard to hold off the Saracen army troops long enough for Charlemagne's army to retreat into France.[12] Roland slayed a vast number of enemies wielding Durendal. With the sword Roland even succeeded in slicing the right arm of the Saracen king Marsile, and decapitated the king's son, Jursaleu, sending the one-hundred-thousand-strong army to flight.[13][14]
Roland later attempted to destroy the sword in battle, to prevent it from being captured by the attacking Saracens. But Durendal proved indestructible.[10] After being mortally wounded, Roland hid it beneath his body as he lay dying along with the oliphant, the horn used to alert Charlemagne[15][16] before succumbing to his injury.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durendal
...for more reading on this interesting subject.
Inside the Eglise Saint Sauveur
Literally built into the rock face behind.
Beautifully decorated Organ. We would love to have heard it being played.
Detail of the Alter piece.
While much of the Eglise has been restored, there are patent reminders of the building that was. Look at those hand hewn rocks in the vaulted ceiling.
These might well be the original stone floors. Pilgrims have walked here since the 11th century!
Those chairs were made for VERY small people!
ancient frescoes.
A large collection 'box'.
Another of the 7 chapels.
This whole place is pretty mind boggling.
The sign above this crypt tells us that the well preserved body of Saint Armadour was found here in 1166.
A small chapel built into the rock.
Looking down from the highest that we climbed.
A little bird perched long enough for me to get this photo.
Details that move and excite. Mary's face is very beatific.
Back down the stairs
It is now 3pm, and we need to be home before dark. We could have spent hours more here, and hope to return with more knowledge about the history. Today's journey was rather spontaneous, so we hadn't done our homework.
Leaving Rocamadour.
Back up the way we came. Through that skinny tunnel.
On the A20, northward.
Waz had set the GPS to take us home, but somewhere along the way we disobeyed our 'girlfriend' as we call our female (English) voice on the GPS. She kept wanting us to do U-turns, and of course we had forgotten which on-ramp we had taken onto the A20, and now couldn't remember where to get off the highway. That said, we took a gamble, and found another D-road to explore. Always a good thing, in my book, but Waz was getting anxious about the fading daylight, and keen for us not to arrive home in the dark. I had to keep stopping to take photos:)
The apples have been harvested, and the Apple Festivals have been and gone, and now the orchardists are beginning to remove the netting covering their Apple trees. They are everywhere in this Limousin department.
Oh look! Another church!. Quite fabulous this one, as we drove through Vigeois.
Perhaps you can imagine how excited I was to turn left instead of right as prescribed by the Girlfriend, upon seeing this fortified Chateau. This is in the town of Pompadour! It isn't too far away from 'home' so we will return. There is even a moat, albeit a grass one, these days.
Waz waited in the car, and gave me strict instructions to be QUICK with my photography. You can see the waning light, and we were still some 20 miles from home.
This was the last photo I was permitted to take...ha!
I drove the winding roads back to home, stopping at the nearby Intermarche for a loaf of bread (rustique) a cucumber, 4 tomatoes, some chips (Ancienne variety in individual packages x 12...they come in 6's, 1.67 euros for 6!!)...all for just over 6 euros! Hard to beat that!
Home we went, parking in the garage tonight. It is supposed to frost overnight. It was 4C when we turned into the driveway.
Of course all the moggies were waiting for attention on our arrival...and food. We had to get all the potted plants in under cover, against the expected frost, and then we could concentrate on turning on the soup pot, feeding the monsters who were all over the place...aiee!! and once they were fed and watered and off outside for a final yahoo around the grounds, we could think about eating, for ourselves.
I am proud to say that all 6 cats have been put to bed tonight. We have had variously 4/5 and now 6 go down to the sous-sol, for the past 4 nights. Elsa has been a hard moggy to keep in the house, as has old boy Jolly. I have had to feed Elsa on her own, as she gets a bit beaten up by the others. I was rewarded for my trouble by having her stay inside, tonight. She even sat by the fire with Waz!
Tomorrow we will stay home. We are entertaining our new friends to lunch.
Au Revoir...a demain!
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