We set off from Sarlat to drive to Carcassone - about a 3 hour drive, which went fine.
Arriving in Carcassone we had lunch down at the base of the old city, then found our way to a car park (or series of car parks!) from which we could access the old city and fort. the old city is a smallish maze of streets that are only accessable by foot. It is almost totally a tourist town now - very few people live there. So it was a bit weird wandering around these streets all just catering to tourists. In the centre of the old town was the fort - which was certainly worth a visit. This was a fortress within a fortress - a bit like the white tower wthin the tower of London. This place was the first defence for France against the southern invaders over the years and had lots of interesting history.
We met the Verweys at 5.00pm and embarked once more in the car to find out hotel - with a stop at a pharmacy on the way to pick up a new epipen for Dick - but life is never that simple! To buy an epipen we needed a doctor's prescription - so we needed a visit to a doctor!! Luckily there was a surgery nearby who agreed to see us at 8.00pm. So we had a quick dinner at the hotel first. This was our most budget hotel (under 50 Euro) and the room was as budget as you would expect for the price - and suitably located in the Zone Industriale - but the dinner was delicious. Mary and I had chicken cooked in fruits of the season and Michael and Dick had sausages and beans. Then back to the doctor who was very nice and then to a pharmacy and we were all set. So we headed back up to Carcoassone for another walk around in the evening and a drink in one of the tourist cafes in a square.
Spent the morning wandering around the busy streets of medieval Sarlat. It was market day and the place was full of both tourists and locals. Sarlat was a town I remembered from 27 years ago for it's amazing medieval feeling (this was where the film "Chocolat" was filmed. Indeed it still is an amazing medieval town, but it's been cleaned up and restored and filled with tourist restaurants - so a lot of the atmosphere has been lost.
In the afternoon we headed out to a small neighbouring village called Beynac - to try to find some rural atmosphere along the Dordogne river, and found it! We had a lovely walk along the banks of the river with conoeists gliding past, chateaux against the skyline, old bridges - just beautiful. Back to Sarlat to meet the Verweys in dinner in town - at a bistro in the square where we had steak, lamb and duck on sizzle rocks, then glaces - all going well until suddenly Dick has a major allergic reaction to something. Without going into all the details, he became very unwell and we think the epipen probably saved his life. It ended up an epic and emotional evening - but he came through fine.
This was a big day on the road. We left Le Puy just after nine am (after a tense and testing 15 minutes as Michael got the car out of the car park - where it was wedged between a big black mercedes and the wall!) and didn't arrive at our hotel until 7pm.
We knew it was going to be a day driving on winding roads through the mountains - but we weren't anticipating a detour due to road works - that sent us on 60 kilometres of winding roads, accompanied by trucks roaring along in the opposite direction when making our way through narrow village streets.
It was all very picturesque though, and it meant we made a visit to a lovely little village (Allanche) where we bought some apricot slice from a stall - big slabs of it for one euro/slice - she insisted on us tasting a great chunk each first - so we hardly needed to buy any anyway! We had a coffee in a beautiful restaurant - the cleanest, most decorated toilets you could imagine (dried flowers, pictures, statues all fighting for space!)
On again for hours driving through the most beautiful hills, pastures, woods - as well as the occasional startling bridge over a ravine or a tunnel though a mountain. We had our picnic lunch just outside some town - remarkable for having 2 donkeys in the yard of the house next to the picnic spot. Michael and I wandered over to look at them while we ate our rolls - they came over to us expecting to be fed, and stamped their hind legs in rage (in true donkey fashion) until I gave them some bread. We stopped at the "Gouffre de Padirac" because I had a vague memory that this was a famous spot. We paid our 9 euros each, not knowing what was going to happen - and found ourselves descending into the bowels on the earth into the most amazing cave - with a river and a lake in it, soaring ceilings, 60 metre stalagmites etc. We were taken on boats through the underground caverns, then on a series of stairways through the amazing twisting caves. Incroyable!
It was after 7pm when we arrived at the hotel, so we had a quick rest, then set off for a meal of omelettes - everyone but me had then with the local "cepe" mushrooms. With the omelette was a bit of tired salad and some greasy potatoe dish - our first disappointing meal of the trip. A bit of a stroll through the ancient streets of Sarlat, then collapsed into bed.
We set off from Bourg-en-Bresse onto the motorway, so that we could bypass Lyons. We were glad that we did. Lyons is an enormous city, and even on the by pass it took nearly half an hour speeding along freeways, overpasses and underpasses to get through it. After that the pace slowed a bit and we got off the motorway and made our way to Le Puy en Velay - a mid sized town in the hills.
The main feature of the town is a large 'puy' - or volcanic chimney that erupts from the centre of the town, on which is placed an enormous statue of Mary. The town had been a centre for pilgrims for a thousand years - so there is a great old church and cloisters etc - all of the 'old city' climbs up steeply from the valley floor, and there are winding lane ways and steps and arches all over the place.
We spent the afternoon exploring the town - and climbing up the puy to statue of course - see the beautiful views. Michael found all the steps hard going at times ....... That evening we ate at the hotel - a good meal of the local lentils and pig cheeks - very tasty! after dinner, Dick and Michael tried out the local 'digestive' - a green fire-water called "Verwaine" - how appropriate a name (Verway/Waine!). Michael bought a small bottle as a souvenir.
The Verweys decided to have a rest day today, but Michael and I were keen to take a drive to a nearby scenic town, Perouges. It is a medieval town that was almost bulldozed about 100 years ago as it was all falling into disrepair, but it has been saved and partially restored, so that it is still a working town - but now mainly for tourists.
There are virtually no cars in the town, and the little winding streets and houses are all made of stone. We spotted a great looking restaurant in an old building that people were gathering around for the traditional family Sunday lunch. We decided to splurge and join them. It was a great experience - traditional french dining in a beautiful environment, with local dishes such as the galette - which is a cross between bread and crepe.
The drive home was along lovely winding tree lined roads. This evening is our rest time - for bodies and stomachs!
Prelim finals day - Geelong vs Collingwood! Mary and Michael could barely contain their nerves and excitement - so it was an early start to try to get to our next stop (which had WIFI) in time to listen/watch the game. So we set off into the french countryside again, but dallied a bit long over morning coffee (as we happened to stop at a very interesting village called Tournus with an amazing old church - see the pictures of the crypt and some roman style mosaic flooring - next to some lovely art galleries). So then it was onto the autoroute for some fast driving.
The game had already started! The poor hotel owner didn't know what hit her - 4 mad foreigners who didn't want their room keys, but just the code to get onto the internet! Mary and Michael huddled intently over the computer in the foyer (as we were too early for check in) to watch play once we finally got reception - and of course the result is known now - a glorious win to Geelong - but where will we be next Saturday?? Barcelona!
After all that driving and excitement Michael needed a little rest, then we headed off to see the sites of Bourg-en-Bresse - or in particular Brou - which has a great old abbey, then into town for a wander around. Mary and Dick set off to see an installation of chook statues around the town (this town is famous for its poultry) - we met them several hours later - they'd found all 21 chooks, but nearly killed Mary in the process - as the afternoon got hotter as the day wore on and she was exhausted - but Dick still looked like he'd just stepped out of his hotel room! Dinner at a great restaurant next door for 15 Euro, 3 courses.
Vezelay to Beaune
We spent the morning exploring some more of Vezelay. The crypt of St Madeleine was interesting – very old and containing an amazing casket covered in gold and jewels in which a relic was held (looked like a finger bone!). The panoramic views from the back of the basilica out over the countryside were beautiful. It was a misty, drizzly morning, so the photos don’t really do it justice. Coffee was in an old building which has been used for hospitality since pilgrim times – we peeked at the rooms upstairs where guests have been seeking refuge for over 500 years. We set off for our lunch stop, Autun – which was a bigger town than we anticipated. We got a bit lost trying to find the roman ruins – but found a great old church which we wandered around before having a picnic in the central square/car park – and were able to use the public toilets once the madame returned from her lunch break at 2.00pm to take our 30 centimes each entry fee! We did find the Roman amphitheatre – which was magnificent (seating 15,000) and still used for events.
Then on another hour or so to our destination – Beaune. Again a bigger town than we were expecting, and very touristy. After the lovely little villages we’ve been in the past few days, it was a bit of a shock. We had a good meal in a little local bistro/pizza shop out of the tourist area a bit. Pretty laid back with the telly on and the locals popping in for a quick meal. Mary, Michael and I had excellent salads – fresh and full of good ingredients. Dick had a baked potato and ham dish that was tasty but filling.
Beaune
Today we just spent in Beaune. There’s meant to be a jazz festival going on – but it’s pretty low key. There are only a couple of events over the 10 days which are open to the public – none when we’re here, and only one concert in the three days we’re here. So we decided to buy tickets to that concert – tomorrow night. The program looks good - there will be a wine tasting, then 2 concerts. We heard one of the bands today as we were buying the tickets from the festival centre – they were doing a session for some local school kids – and they sounded great.
We did a tour of the “Hotel de Beaune” a medieval building that has functioned as a hospital for the poor for the past 500 years – and still has an operating aged care centre in it. It has been restored to it’s original condition, as a place of beauty for the poor and sick citizens of Beaune – one of the original Christian charitable establishements in the world – the chapel was part of the grand hall where everyone slept and lived – with religious paintings all around – it makes Bethlehem’s statue of Mary on the stairs look quite subdued.
In the afternoon we took on the “Marche du vin” – where for 10 Euros you get let loose in underground caverns full of wine – with 15 different bottles open for you to try. I enjoyed many of them, but they were a bit light for Michael. We talked to the Vigneron and he told us that all the grapes for red wine are pinot noir in this area – we need to go down South for the big reds – next time! We purchased a bottle of sparkling rose, which the hotel have refridgerated for us, and we can enjoy tomorrow night with the Verweys before dinner – we’ve sampled enough for now! Dinner was at a Nouvelle cuisine / japonese inspired restaurant – we had interesting entrees, such as curries lentils with anchovies, then a nice plate of meat or fish and vegetables or risotto, followed by an amazing selection of desserts in little jars.
Beaune and surrounds
In the morning we set off on foot for a mustard factory – and somehow manged to walk straight past it without any of us realising! Anyway, we found the door in the wall (yellow wall of course should have given us a clue!) just in time for the 10.00am tour. The tour was mainly about the history of mustard making, and then a tasting and we were given a few little samples. All quite interesting, but not one to put on the “must do” list.
After a picnic lunch, back in our rooms (with a very tasty combination of salads plus ham and egg in aspic) and a siesta we took off for Chateau Pommard – a nearby winery. We were a bit taken back by the cost of a tour – 17 euro, but it was well worth it. The chateau is beautiful, with a few rooms used as reception rooms which were beautiful to see. Then a few rooms made up as a museum – very interesting kitchen and wine utensil rooms, then our guide took us on a tour of the cellars. It was fantastic, as today was the last day of grape picking for their wines – so it was all action – grapes arriving, being pressed, being stored, being moved by hose into big vats etc. After looking at thousands of bottles lying in storage underground, we emerged for a tasting. We tasted 5 wines – one white, 3 reds and a liquer – all for sale at at least $100/bottle!
After the tasting, where we disappointed our guide by not buying any wines (she still offered us the tasting glasses for free) we wandered back to the Salvador Dali exhibition that happened to be on. The owner of the winery had recently purchased two large Dali sculptures, and so the Dali foundation allowed an exhibition of sculptures and paintings to come to the chateau for 6 months. It was fascinating, and the curator was very helpful in telling us about the pieces
Back to Beaune for a short rest before heading off to the jazz concert – which included a free wine tasting. We felt we’d done enough tasting, but the Verweys were up for more..
A big travel day from the Loire to the Burgundy regions. We set off just after 9.00am, intending to visit a sound installation in a cave at our first stop, Loches, but found that it was closed that morning. We had a little wander in the old medieval city instead, and a coffee, then set off in the car again.
A few hours later we arrived at a beautiful spot on a river, St Florent sur Cher, where we had our picnic lunches in the grounds of a beautiful castle (which is now used for Council offices it seems). After a less than beautiful visit to underground toilets, we jumped back in the car and headed on again. We successfully skirted around some big towns, and were enchanted with some places we whizzed through (such as La Charite sur Loire) and found some towns quite bleak (such as Issodun).
Finally after 8 hours on the road we arrived at our destination Vezelay – an old town perched on top of a steep hill. Our rooms are quite basic and a bit musty, but have fantastic views out over the countryside. The town has a basilica dedicated to Mary Magdelene, and has some of her relics are here - it is said. This was where one of the crusades was launched, and has been the destination for pilgrims for hundreds of years. Now the pilgrims seem to be of the fairly well-to-do variety, seeking a culinary/gastronomic treat in beautiful surroundings – so we had trouble finding a reasonably priced menu, and ended up eating and spending more than we intended. Oh its tough this travel business.
Today we took the advice of our hotel "madame" and headed for a local little village which has been declared one of the "most beautiful villages in France" - Candes-St-Martin. It was indeed beautiful - small winding streets set into the hillside rising up from the Vienne River. We came across a fascinating installation representing "Marriages des Nomads" on the banks of the river - with 2 more similar installations elsewhere in the village. We had a cup of coffe in a little place that was a man's front yard/garage/installation of objects of interest/bookshop.
The church was fascinating - this place was where St Martin died in the 4th Century and has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. An incredible large church was built in the 12th century to replace the original church on the site, and although it has decayed somewhat and been restored over the years it still had relics of ancient statues and was full of atmosphere.
A picnic lunch in the next little town, then heading to Samuar we came upon a mushroom farm open for inspection in the old caves which were formed by the excavation of huge amounts of limestone to build all the chateaux and towns in this area (and also exported - such as to build St Paul's in London).
On to Samuar, where we just viewed the castle from the distance and home via the nuclear power plant - we tried to get a tour, but you need a clearance for security reasons etc, so it was all too hard.
The morning was spent getting to know Chinon - a before-breakfast stroll across the river, then up to the castle. It is a great castle - in the middle of a large restoration project. The oldest parts date back to the 12th Century - so it has some great towers with winding staircases and 'wall walks' with beautiful views of the surrounding country-side due to its high defensive position. It is most famous for being the place where Joan of Arc met the Dauphin. who was in hiding there, and convinced him to lead the French to a glorious victory over the English who had laid claim to half of France - no wonder she is such a herione here! In typical french style there was an exhibition of photographs of the contruction which were beautiful in their own right.
In the afternoon we headed off to Villandry in the car - Michael becoming a bit more accostomed to the back to front driving! Villandry is a superb late-Renaissance castle which has a magnificent garden - fairly recently restored to its original glory.
For dinner we found a little restaurnat run by a youngish couple spepcialising in local, frech ingrediets. We had a lovely meal with interesting fresh produce - such as a tabouli with betroot, herbs and nuts and a glorious big tomatoe cut up with pistacio oil drizzled on it, accompanied by fresh goat's cheese - tres french and tres delicieux.
Today we left our petite Parisian apartment for the wide open spaces of the french countryside. One last ride on the Metro took us to the Montparnasse railway station and our train to Chartres where we picked up our hire car. Luckily we arrived at 11.45, only 15 minutes before their 2 hour lunch break; as it was the woman serving us wasn't happy about having her lunch time taken up attending to us; and once the paperwork was completed and keys handed over she ushered us out the door, the roller door came down and she made a quick exit via the baqckdoor for her car and much awaited lunch and siesta.
After a trial run around the carpark to familarise myself with a lefthand drive car we launched ourselves into the Chartres traffic and the unsuspecting french motorists. Driving on the right hand side of the road certainly takes some getting used to and we had a few interesting moments.
Chartres has a grand cathedral, Notre Dame Chartres, similar Gothic style to Notre Dame in Paris, but with the most beautiful stained glass windows and still very much a Church that is used by the people - not just a tourist attraction; as we were leaving a wedding party arrived and we waited outside to catch a glimpse of the (Vietnamese) bride, who had to stand all alone outside the Cathedral and wait for her bridesmaids to arrive
A leisurely drive through the French countryside brought us to Chinon - our home for the next 3 nights. After trying to check in to the wrong hotel and then the right hotel being overbooked, we finally had a room and then a hearty traditional regional meal at the Maison de Rouge - very heavy and gamey!
Today we got up close to the Eiffel Tower, then walked along the seine and crossed to the fashionable area with all the up market shops - some very chic people wandering around. We had a coffee in a snazzy cafe, where all the waiters were sitting down to an early cooked lunch with wine - that's how lunch should be at work! We've been amazed at the parking in the streets here - how people get in and out of these spots is beyond us. On to the Champs Elysee - all a bit much there - too expensive and too touristy - so we jumped on to the metro and headed to the Marais.
This is a very beautiful part of Paris where old buildings and little streets and shops all run into each other. We had lunch at a street cafe (Onion soup for me and Nordic salad for Michael) then wandered around to Place de Vosges where we ate fruit on the grass, then enjoyed some time in St Paul's before descending to the metro again and heading home for a rest.
Today was spent in the Latin Quarter after another visit to Notre Dame - this time on high! There was a long queue to climb up to the top of the bell tower, but we endured it (standing in drizzling rain) and it was well worth the wait and the climb. The circular stair well seemed to extend on forever, but finally we emerged to a dazzling view all over Paris. There was also the opportunity to see the big bell and wooden structure supporting it.
We were ready for a coffee after all that climbing, so we wandered around and found the lovely Place Maubert where we settled in for a rest and some people watching. There was a great selection of little shops - a boulangerie, charcuterie, fromagerie etc - so we got some bread, ham and cheese and found another little park to have a picnic in.
Then on to the Museum of the Middle Ages in the Abbey de Cluny - an amazing collection of buildings and artefacts dating back to gallo-roman times. We then wandered around the St Germain/Latin quarter and Michael bought himself a little satchel (which will be better than the big back pack) and a light rain jacket. We also bought a necklace for me - as a 25th wedding anniversary present.
We wandered back to the Seine, then found St Chapelle - but the long queue deterred us this time - so we headed back to the apartment for another home-cooked meal of meat, salad and potatoes. I've picked up a sore throat and runny nose, so I've opted for a quiet night and so has Mary - while the men have gone out to explore the funicular up Mont Matre.
Today we headed straight to the Louvre, and spent a good part of the day there. It is an amazing museum - so many wonderful works of art. We hired the audio guides and just concentrated on a few areas - in particular the Northern European art - as we thought we'll see plenty of Italian art later in our trip - though we did fit in the obligatory viewing of Mona Lisa.
In the afternoon we wandered up through the Tuillerie Gardens to the Orangerie to see Monet's water lilies and also a good collection of impressionists. On to la Place de la Concorde and down into the Metro for the trip back to Pigalle - just near our apartment. we've got the hang of the metro now - very easy to use with the swipe card and maps everywhere. Generally only a few minutes wait at most for a train - but they have been crowded. even last night at 11.00 pm on a Tuesday night we couldn't get a seat.
Back to the apartment for some home-cooked pasta and salad, with ingredients bought at the local supermarket, and then a well needed early night.
Arriving in Carcassone we had lunch down at the base of the old city, then found our way to a car park (or series of car parks!) from which we could access the old city and fort. the old city is a smallish maze of streets that are only accessable by foot. It is almost totally a tourist town now - very few people live there. So it was a bit weird wandering around these streets all just catering to tourists. In the centre of the old town was the fort - which was certainly worth a visit. This was a fortress within a fortress - a bit like the white tower wthin the tower of London. This place was the first 
defence for France against the southern invaders over the years and had lots of interesting history.
