Robertthebob's PhotoBlog

Chartres continued and Calais

2013-05-09T12:11:33Z

the bits to the rear of the cathedral are as interesting as the place itself! And then it was another drive to the north and east bypassing Paris and going first to Boulogne to shop and then Calais for the boat home. 1650 miles in 6 days!

Cahors

2013-05-08T23:53:15Z

Tucked into a rounded nook of the Lot River, Cahors is a lovely medieval city almost entirely surrounded by water. At the heart of wine country, the city’s most memorable landmark is the Valentré bridge and the nearby ramparts. The city’s main thoroughfare is pleasant for a stroll, as is the medieval neighborhood just to the east of the road. This surrounds the 11th century cathedral - notable for its two domes.

Chartres

2013-05-09T00:06:33Z

We left Cahors and drove north - hardly stopping until we reached the great city of Chartres and its magnificent cathedral. Partly built starting in 1145, and then reconstructed over a 26-year period after the fire of 1194, Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast nave, in pure ogival style, the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the 12th century, and the magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece.

une randonnee around Montcuq

2013-05-08T23:33:08Z

OK - I know it means a hike - or a long walk - and we only did a short one - but we then meandered around in the car and the title sort of fits.... The tiny hamlet of Soussis first - then Tournon-d'Agenais - another town built on a high point - this time by Raymond VII Count of Toulouse in the 13th century. Unlike Lauzert though this place is always deadly quiet! Then we headed to the river Lot and followed it through miles and miles of vineyards to Cahors - home of the Black Wine!

Castelsagrat, Lauzerte, Montcuq

2013-05-08T23:12:34Z

Our next stop was Castelsagrat, a charming bastide village midway between Agen and Moissac and where we were staying with a friend. It doesn't take long to visit the village. The focus is the main central square, the Place de la Liberté, which is surrounded by lovely stone arcaded buildings dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Then we were off to Lauzerte again one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”. Derived from the Latin lucerna (lamp), it designates an ideal position, visible - like a light - from a distance. At the end of the 12th century, the Count of Toulouse was gifted the hill in order to build a castelnau, a city protected by a castle. The foundation of the castelnau, given its strategic and economic advantages, was an instant success. Two hundred building plots were distributed to the first inhabitants, drawn by the freedoms they would earn. By around 1200, Lauzerte stretched along a single road, to the north, while a path circled the plateau to the south. Halting place on the pilgrimage route to Compostela, a thriving market town, populated and wealthy - witness its medieval houses - Lauzerte remains to this day one of the most beautiful and the most typical of the hill top castelnaus to be found. Montcuq was a thriving medieval town in the 12/13th centuries. Today it remains a lively town with several restaurants and cafes and a popular Sunday market where food and crafts can be bought from local producers and growers. It is a favourite place of mine - especially on Sunday mornings!

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

2013-05-08T22:18:19Z

You can see Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, on its austere stony outcrop, long before you can reach it. Rising from a sheer cliff at least 100 metres high, the village has taunted and repelled invaders for centuries. In the Middle Ages, it saw off warring seigneurs, religious fanatics and of course the English ..... IN June 2012 Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was crowned France's favourite village and apparently it is now besieged by tourists! We went in April on a rainy day and it was not at all busy! Richard the Lionheart discovered when he laid siege to Saint-Cirq without success in 1199 and during the hundred years war in the 14th and 15th centuries, the village changed hands often, leading to one hidden entrance being named La Porte des Anglais. Later still, the village was on the frontline of the 16th-century French religious wars between Protestant Huguenots and Roman Catholics. After the second world war it became a haven for French surrealists when André Breton, the movement's founder, bought a house here and established the village as a haven for artists. I love this place with its old houses their crazy sloped roofs and the door signs - I think it is magical and I hope it does not change!

Rocamadour

2013-05-08T21:52:46Z

After Martel we headed across to a place I have wanted to go to for years but have never been. The second most visited place in France I am told! Rocamadour. Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage destination, and has been for 1000 years. Built on the site of a shrine to a Madonna, the shrine became famous for its healing powers, and soon became a stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Campostela The other reason it is so popular is because of the beautiful and dramatic setting of the village, climbing up a cliff side. The village is essentially just one paved street, lined with medieval houses whilst the Grand Escalier (216 steps, once climbed by pilgrims on their knees) leads from the village to the sanctuaries above, and L'Hospitalet, with its views of the old town. The sanctuaries include the Chapelle Notre Dame - home to the Black Madonna - which we found surprisingly spiritual.

Martel

2013-05-08T21:31:54Z

So we rushed off from Beaulieu sur Dordogne - one of the most attractive villages in france and headed to catch the wonderfully named 'Chemin de Fer Touristique du Haut Quercy' but we got lost and missed it by a matter of seconds..... it was freezing cold anyway and I think it might just have been a blessing.... But we can always go again one day! And so we decided to explore the nearby town of Martel instead. This impressive and lovely little town developed because of its prime location on the intersection of trading routes between Paris and Toulouse in one direction and a key route from east to west for the trade in salt and wine. It is also close to Rocamadour and was an important resting place for pilgrims. The 13th century brought wealth to the town and many merchants houses were built within the defensive walls of the town. The town grew and spread into ‘barris’ or suburbs outside the town. The Hundred Years War threatened the town and led to the building of a second defensive wall. The town recovered quickly from the war and the 15th century saw another period of affluence for Martel. Nowardays it is a bit off the beaten track certainly the tourist track but it is well-worth visiting.

Beaulieu-Sur-Dordogne

2013-05-06T20:46:13Z

You can see in yesterday's pictures how sunney it was - well this day - Friday 26 was the wettest I can remember for a long time! We had a fair way to go but most of it was driven in torrential rain with no views! And as you can see when we got to our destination it was not any better! But the hotel - Les Flots Bleus - was magical and we had a memorable meal to brighten things up! The next day was not quite as wet but the gloom lingered! Situated on the banks of the Dordogne River, the town of Beaulieu-Sur-Dordogne knows nothing of modesty as its name literally means 'beautiful'. with many of the riverfront houses having glorious facades from the 17th and 18th Century. There is also a notable Abbey which we did not visit.

Semur en Auxois

2013-05-04T11:29:41Z

Semur-en-Auxois was the first trip on our latest French trip. Its a lovely little town in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It has a medieval core, built on granite and which is more than half-encircled by the River Armançon. We liked its old houses, antique ironmongery on the walls and doors and narrow streets. But we didn't stay very long for we had a long way to go! Our Hotel, the Hotel de la Cote d'Or, was a charming - boutique style hotel - with designer rooms and a great breakfast!