Accommodation

Les Clos des Rives, Dordogne – Accommodation for 1 Week – Days 11 & 12

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Les Clos des Rives, Dordogne – It’s great Accommodation on the Dordogne River. The above photo is from their website. To visit their website, please click on the image above.

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France Tour

In this post, I’m going to cover the end of Saturday the 29th & Sunday the 30th of April 2017 – so ‘Days 11 & 12′.

Saturday the 29th of April – Day 11 Cont…

We took almost the entire day to travel from Corn in the Lot Department over to our new accommodation, ‘Les Clos des Rives in Saint-Vincent-de-Cosse in the Dordogne. On our way, we visited a number of pretty towns and villages that were all renowned for their beauty (see prior posts). We could have done the journey in a fraction of the time had we gone directly from one place to the other, but we were glad we got to see some truly special locations that we would have otherwise missed. Finally, before reaching our accommodation, we stocked up with groceries and a few bottles of wine for the week.

The following image is a screenshot of our route from our accommodation in Corn to our accommodation in Saint-Vincent-de-Cosse, Dordogne. Click on the image to take you to Google Maps.

Our Accommodation – Les Clos des Rives, Dordogne.

Les Clos des Rives sat on generous grounds on the banks of the Dordogne River. Our self-catering ground-floor 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment (suitable for those with disabilities), was clean, spacious and had beautiful, serene views overlooking the river. The interior was simple but comfortable and a bit of a bargain at €360.50 for the week. I’m not sure what the price would be for next May (2024) to give you a like-for-like price, but for this October it’s €495 for the week, in that same apartment. That’s still really good for a property that sleeps 6 adults and is in such a good location.

We actually booked the accommodation via Booking.com but if I were to go again, I’d probably book directly with them.

We had been a little bit concerned on the approach as we’d passed some run-down, disused buildings that did nothing for first impressions but once we were at the property we were very happy and the lovely lady that checked us in couldn’t have been more helpful and kind, I just wish I could remember her name. The run-down buildings can’t be seen from the apartment and the whole setting is beautiful.

After settling in, we made chilli for dinner and sat outside to eat while taking in the views across the river, and listening to the crickets and birds. We managed a couple of glasses of wine before turning in for the night. Utter bliss.

As we’d been on the go non-stop since arriving in France, this week we thought we’d take it a bit slower. We wanted to unwind and rest up. This was the first night we got to sleep in separate bedrooms so we had an early night and decided that we’d just relax the following day. If the weather was kind to us we’d also be visiting the pool.

The following photos are ones I took on our arrival at the accommodation.

The following photos are from their website because I never thought to take any photos inside the property. Doh! To go to their website, please click on the initial photo at the head of this post.

There isn’t a photo of it, but there was also a second bathroom with a bath and overhead shower, plus a separate toilet. There was a large cupboard fitted out with a washing machine, iron & ironing board etc, this was great after being on the road for 2 weeks we managed to get all our washing done. Plus the apartment had aircon, a fully fitted kitchen, a sofa-bed and a tv in the living room area. The internet was a bit sketchy but we got by. Outside we had our own private dining space with a table and chairs, there was also a communal pool, BBQ, various seating options, sun loungers, table tennis, and a place next door where you could hire canoes. Not bad for €360.50 for the week. You really couldn’t ask for more…well, maybe a couple of additional comfy chairs in the living room, especially if a group of 6 were to rent the place.

We quickly came to realise that this property was very well situated for visiting all the main towns, villages and tourist sites in the area. I would definitely recommend this property to anyone looking for somewhere to stay. Unless something has changed in the last 6 years, you will need a car to get around though.

Sunday the 30th of April – Day 12

Today was a rest day. We were both wrecked, especially me. I’d done the majority of the driving up to this point and Amanda had done a lot of dashing around the locations I couldn’t do, taking pics and videos for us both, so it evened itself out.

Today I was going to keep my legs up as much as possible and try to give the swelling a chance to go down.

I woke around 7 am but not hearing any movement from Amanda, I drifted back off to sleep until my phone buzzed, waking me. I chatted with a friend for a while before getting up and deciding what we were having for breakfast. Today we had fresh crusty bread with pate, and for afters, we had strawberries with thick coconut yoghurt. Delicious.

The weather was nice enough in the morning but not quite sunbathing weather so I took myself back off to bed to read and rest my legs. I pretty much slept for most of the day, getting up around 4 pm when my tummy was rumbling.

Amanda had spent the day reading, filling out her journal, and chatting with her family and friends.

That evening we ate leftover chilli in wraps with salad and had a lovely big piece of cream cake for afters. Yum!

The Internet wasn’t the best but I did manage to upload a few pics to Facebook for my family to see. I didn’t dare try to load videos as the last lot had taken over 12 hours. 😀

The weather ended up being a mixed bag, we’d had sun but also thunder and rain. The rest of the week didn’t look to be much better which was a bit frustrating as I was hoping to get to use the pool. By the time evening came around the weather was calmer. We spent the evening sitting beside the river chatting and putting the world to rights. We had a few glasses of wine and picked at the selection of yummy French goodies. It was the perfect way to end the day.

All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise stated.

Thanks for visiting.

Touch of Cinnamon

Loubressac, France – Day 11

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Loubressac, Lot department, France – April 2017
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France Tour

Saturday the 29th of April 2017 and ‘Day 11′

Today we said farewell to the Gites de Combarel, to Daniel and Martine, and to all their wonderful animals.

The Gite was beautiful and perfectly placed with so much to see within a short distance. It even had supermarkets that were open, believe me, finding food on this trip was a task in itself. 😀 With regards to the gite, the only thing that was problematic for me, was that the loo was downstairs which was difficult because of my knees. Having said that, I would definitely return to this property even though my knees have deteriorated since we visited 6 years ago.

We’d originally planned to travel directly to the new accommodation in the Dordogne but since the weather was meant to be lovely and the forecast for the next few days was dire, we decided to travel in a wide arc, taking in some of the sights we had yet to see from our huge list. Our first stop was meant to be Autoire.

Autoire, France – Video by Greg Dekimpe
Lourbressac, France – Video by Sebastien Colpin

Autoire

Though clearly a fantastic place, the walks, both through the village and to the cascade were said to be steep but looking at the video they don’t look bad at all and I could have managed it. 😦 Anyway, we had to look at Autoire from a distance and it’s somewhere I will definitely be coming back to once I’ve had my knees fixed. Anyway, on to Loubressac.

Loubressac

A fairytale silhouette, Loubressac was equally charming up close. We were able to park practically in the centre of the village, making it easier for us to take a slow walk around the perimeter to admire the chocolate box houses and outstanding views over the valley and towards the Red Keep of Bretenoux.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful village and would visit it again in the future. It’s small but so picture-perfect that it would be somewhere I’d happily live out the rest of my days. I’d say Loubrassac was in my top 10 villages from this trip, bear in mind we saw around 60+, there are so many that I’ve not mentioned.

All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise specified.

Thanks for visiting.

Touch of Cinnamon

Cardaillac, Lacapelle-Marival, Assier, France – Day 10 Cont…

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Château de Lacapelle-Marival in Lacapelle-Marival, in the Lot département of France – April 2017.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France Tour

Friday the 28th of April 2017 and ‘Day 10 Cont…

It gets a little confusing for me for the rest of this day. I’m unsure which photos go with which village. I know that after Figeac we visited Cardaillac, Lacapelle-Marival, and Assier but I hadn’t got around to editing my photos, not that there were very many for the remainder of this day but now I’m not 100% confident which photos go with which village.

I do have some notes that we made that evening about our day so I’ll type those out and then add the photos that I think go with the villages we visited after Figeac.

Cardaillac

We drove through the main street which was pretty and accessible by car. We were looking for somewhere to park when we stumbled upon the medieval village.

A large, sem-ruined fort, not a chateau, a proper fort with ramparts surrounding the tiny but mainly untouched village.

The houses were insanely old and should be in glass boxes in a museum, and yet they were lived in.

Amanda had the pleasure of watching an elderly lady carefully tending her garden before hobbling back into her, no doubt very age-unfriendly but incredibly beautiful and quaint cottage.

I’ll put the photos here and then continue with the information from my journal about the remainder of the pretty villages.

Lacapelle-Marival

The village here seemed quite modern in comparison to some we had visited but the highlight was the amazing chateau, it was pure Disney.

Assier

This was a very pleasant surprise. Driving home we spotted an amazing church practically a cathedral, and went into the village looking for a place to park. We happened to fall upon a gorgeous 16th-century chateau. It was very different from anything we had seen so far and unfortunately, it was closed so we could only see a part of it, but what we could see was truly beautiful.

What was left of the day was spent relaxing back at the gite. I spent some of the evening, marking Amanda’s journal and making a few alterations. Ok, I cheated and used her journal to help me remember and basically copied everything she’d written. 😀

All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise stated.

Thanks for visiting.

Touch of Cinnamon

Capdenac-le-Haut, France – Day 10

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Capdenac le Haut, France – April 2017

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France Tour

Friday the 28th of April 2017 and ‘Day 10′ of our travels.

A bit of background on Capdenac-le-Haut:

“Capdenac-le-Haut is in the Lot Department in southwestern France. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Located just 4 km from Figeac, the village of Capdenac is erected on a rocky outcrop which overlooks a majestic meander of the River Lot.”~Capdenac Tourist Information.

Capdenac-le-Haut, France – Day 10

We started the day with French toast with strawberries and scrambled eggs – not altogether I hasten to add.

Amanda decided to climb onto the window ledge in the gite to take a photo of a bird of prey, while I watched on, terrified that she’d fall out as she’s not exactly known for her agility, she constantly trips over nothing and often ends up in the A&E. 😀

Amanda did the driving today as I was tired. Our first port of call was Capdenac-le-Haut and I actually walked around this one, albeit very slowly.

When you are parking the car in the shade of an 11th-century castle, you know you’re onto a good thing.

Capdenac le Haut, France – April 2017

The weather was fair so we took a slow walk around the entire village, which was delightful. One highlight was the discovery of the main square which Amanda loved because it was called ‘Sully Place’, her son is called Sullivan.

There was a war memorial in the centre detailing the many lives lost in what is essentially little more than a hamlet.

Capdenac-le-Haut had a few other surprises. Occupied since prehistory, local legend has it that this ancient fort was Uxellodunum, the last Roman Gaulish stronghold seized by Julius Caesar, but I think that’s now been debunked. There are certainly the remains of Roman baths, 240 steps (old and dangerous steps) down the cliffside but unfortunately or fortunately, these were closed. Maybe next time. 😀

This is Amanda taking her life into her own hands in an attempt to capture a photo of a bird of prey. France – April 2017

All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise specified.

Thanks for visiting.

Touch of Cinnamon

Gites de Combarel – Accommodation for 3 Nights – Day 8 Cont…

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View from our gite ‘Cottage La Grangette’, at Gites de Combarel, Corn, France – April 2017
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France Tour

Wednesday 26th April 2017 and ‘Day 8′ of our travels cont…

After leaving Rocamadour we started the short 45 minutes drive to Corn, in the Lot Department of France.

On the way, we picked up food supplies as this accommodation had a kitchen and we were looking forward to cooking for ourselves.

We stayed in a gite complex near Corn called Gites de Combarel. This was our base for the next 3 nights. The complex consisted of a main farmhouse where the hosts lived and three smaller stone buildings that had been converted into gites. We stayed in Cottage La Grangette. The three nights cost us €234.00 and it was worth every penny.

The Gite and its host were great. The property was a lovely mixture of an old building with new styling and facilities. The property was on two floors. The entrance was on the ground floor and comprised a combined living/dining area and a fully fitted modern kitchen. A set of stairs took you down to the lower-ground floor where the bedroom and lovely bathroom were situated. Outside the bedroom door, there was a little patio and table and chairs overlooking the beautiful countryside and shared pool, in the far distance. Unfortunately, the pool wasn’t open this early in the year and given that we had frost each morning, it was for the best. 😀

Daniel and Martine, the hosts at Gites de Combarel were absolutely lovely and made us feel very welcome. The area where you park is close to their property and the farm buildings. It’s a little walk along a path to the gite. It would be nice to know if they’re still the owners as it would be somewhere I’d like to go back to.

Below are videos from in and around our gite ‘Cottage La Grangette’ at Gites de Combarel, Corn, France.

All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise specified.

Thanks for visiting.

Touch of Cinnamon

Chateau de la Falque – Accommodation for 3 Nights

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The inner courtyard leading to our room.   Photo by Amanda.
Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France – Our Accommodation for 3 Nights.

Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.  Photos by Touch of Cinnamon.

Our Accommodation from Saturday 22nd to Tuesday 25th April 2017.

After Belcastel we took a fairly long and, as it turned out, eventful journey to our next accommodation.  A minor missed turning meant that we ended up travelling through the beautiful, historic Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, the next town along from where we were staying.

Relais du Silence -Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.
Photo by Touch of Cinnamon.

Unfortunately, I was the one driving and had the unenviable task of trying to navigate (using the spiteful wench of a sat nav) through the smallest of cobbled streets.  She (sat nav) seemed to think that roads, a mere hand-span wider than our vehicle, are perfectly passable.  These narrow two-way streets often ended in a 90-degree turn on to yet another narrow street.  Narrow roads don’t normally bother me when I’m driving in Ireland, but in France, I found them nerve-racking, maybe because I was driving an unfamiliar hire car and didn’t want to lose my deposit!?  To both our amazement, we managed to squeeze through and were heartily pleased when we arrived at our next accommodation, ‘Chateau de la Falque’ in Saint-Geniez-d’Olt.

A taste of the narrow, two-way streets I had to drive through in Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France.   Images lifted from Google Maps.

 Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-d’Olt, France. 

View from where we parked. You walk under the stone archway to get to the courtyard and our room.   Photo by Touch of Cinnamon.
Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.

Nestled between Saint-Geniez-d’Olt and Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, we seemed to have this beautiful, golden spa hotel pretty much to ourselves!  I’d have like to have learned more about the property but my French is none existent so I couldn’t ask the French-speaking receptionist for information but on my return, I spotted the following bit of info.

“Occupying a stone convent dating from the 17th century, this refined boutique hotel sits on 5 acres of parkland. It’s 1.7 km from Saint-Geniez-d’Olt village and 5.3 km from Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses.

A spa features a sauna, a whirlpool and a steam room, plus massages and treatments. There’s also a quaint courtyard and a chapel. ” 

The convent and its small complex of surrounding buildings were beautifully restored and walking through the stone archway to the inner courtyard made me feel very privileged.

Relais du Silence – Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.   This image is the property of the hotel.
Click on the image for their website.

The above image and the next two photos below are from the accommodations own website.  If you click on any of these images, they’ll take you directly to their website.

The Entrance  & our Bedroom.    These images are the property of the hotel.
Click on the image to visit the China Junior Bedroom on their website.

Our bedroom and bathroom.   These images are the property of the hotel.
Click on the image to visit China Junior Bedroom on their website.

The room was larger than expected and decorated in a pseudo-Chinese style with a great bathroom and the added bonus of a seating area.  As we were on a tight budget we used to pull the table over to the couch to eat breakfast and make up our packed-lunches before leaving for the day.  Living the high life, eh?  😀

The style of the room wasn’t really to my taste but it was large, clean and very comfortable for our three-night stay.   I only took a few snaps from inside the room but they were blurry, hence me using the hotels own photos.

Our room is the first door on the Left. Photo by Touch of Cinnamon.
Relais du Silence -Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.

The exterior of the building was definitely to my liking. It really was beautiful and a pleasure to return to at the end of a tiring day’s travels.  At night it looked particularly stunning and if we hadn’t been so tired each night, we’d have sat out in the inner courtyard with a bottle of red, but all we wanted to do when we got back, was sleep.

The inner courtyard to the rooms at night.  Photo by Touch of Cinnamon.
Relais du Silence -Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.

Views looking over the grounds and courtyard at night.  Photos by Touch of Cinnamon.
Relais du Silence -Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France.

We were surrounded by fields but only a short drive away from two towns.  There was an Intermarché with a petrol station within 5 minutes drive.

Each morning we woke to the sound of cow bells as the cattle came in for milking and in the evenings we were serenaded to sleep by the soothing mating calls of crickets. Perfect!

As for the town of Saint-Geniez-d’Olt, neither of us were particularly enamoured by it but in all fairness, we had been spoiled by some of the places we’d been lucky enough to visit prior to arriving here.  Having said that, the accommodation was wonderful and made a great base to visit some really special and beautiful villages and countryside nearby.

Chateau de la Falque in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt, France. Photo by Amanda.

There was a spa at the hotel but we didn’t go in.  We had intended on doing so but didn’t have the time in the end, plus it was quite pricey.

There was only one minor negative to this property and that was the view out of our window, it overlooked an industrial estate of sorts.  This was the only negative detail I could point out but it still wouldn’t stop me from staying here again, in the future.

The cost for the 3-night stay was €270 + taxes for the 2 of us, making it €45 per person, per night.   We didn’t eat breakfast at the property but it was available for a fee.

Below are three little video clips.  Again I apologise for how bad they are, I was using my phone and had/have a bad knee causing me to limp, hence the jerkiness of the clips.

Thanks to Amanda for her contribution.  All photos are the property of myself or Amanda unless otherwise stated.