Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
Saturday the 29th of April 2017 and ‘Day 11′ Cont…
Carnennac is a medieval village full of beautiful architecture. The Iglesia prioral de San Pedro de church with its ornately carved portal/arched entryway is stunning.
We parked up, possibly illegally, in the shadow of the Château des Doyens, and from the minute we drove in I knew I wanted to push myself and take at least a little glimpse of this pretty village and I’m so glad I did. We were short on time because of the agreed check-in time for our next accommodation but it was worth every second and it’s definitely worth a second visit…it’s very pretty. Carennac village
I’m sorry my posts aren’t very detailed, I’ve forgotten so much but I still wanted to post what I did have. I may come back and fill in more details at some point.
All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise stated.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
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.
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 FranceTour
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.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
Friday the 28th of April 2017 and ‘Day 10′ Cont…
Figeac was quite a large town compared to the others we’d visited, and it was the first time we felt a bit uncomfortable. Nothing had happened but I think we’d spent so much time in tiny villages that this felt a little daunting at times. I don’t think this feeling was helped by there being a vintage car rally driving through the centre of the town. These were very beautiful and expensive cars, and because of this, they seemed to have attracted a certain sort of character to the town that was there to beg or hustle/hassle the visitors.
Figeac, Lot Department, France – April 2017
We stopped for a drink and for me to use the loo. The toilet was grubby and a bit scary as the light was flickering really badly making it almost impossible to see. It had all the makings of a murder scene. 😀
After my freshly squeezed orange juice and Amanda’s “Proper” coffee, we took to looking in the windows of a couple of Estate Agents because we really loved the Lot Department and a girl can dream.
We didn’t spend that much time here as it was getting busier by the minute and we kept being followed by dodgy-looking characters that looked like they were on the rob.
The town’s architecture is lovely and we wished we’d visited on a different day but it is somewhere I’d recommend if you’re in this beautiful region.
All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise stated.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
Thursday the 27th of April 2017 and ‘Day 9′ Cont…
We visited so many towns and villages but I couldn’t walk so I only saw most of them from a distance and to be honest, I can’t remember which photos go with which village anymore. There’s a good chance I’ll post photos out of sync and maybe they’re even from the next leg of our trip but I’ll pop a few pics in here and name a few of the villages I know that we passed through. Some we stopped at but some we just drove through.
The names of towns and villages I know for sure that we passed through:
Caylus, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, Najac, Lagarde Viaur, Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Martiel and Gaillac.
Below are the very brief notes from my travel journey about the various locations we visited on this leg of the tour. Unfortunately, most of my memories of them are lost to time so I can’t really elaborate further but here goes…
Caylas: A lively centrepiece church but very little else…I feel sure that it’s far better than this, so forgive me. I was copying from Amanda’s journal so we’ll blame her. 😀
Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val: A fairly large town with lots of winding streets with very old buildings. We chose not to stop as it was very busy with loads of traffic, so we took a few shots from across the river looking back at the town. See the main photo a the top of this post.
Najac: I’d had high expectations of Najac but I was underwhelmed. Again, this was probably due to being in so much pain and the weather not being great. Najac is dark and medieval with a grand cathedral but it’s very high up and seemed to have limited access and parking. We did manage to park at the top of the town and had a quick look around before dashing into a cafe for a drink and a loo stop, and to avoid the weather.
Lagarde Viaur: A minor SAT-NAV setback meant that we nearly missed this place but I’m so glad we didn’t. It’s a sprawling, hillside village with an ancient stone bridge, and wide river and valley views.
Villefranche-de-Rouergue: Another town I was looking forward to seeing because I knew it had lots to offer but it was far too busy to attempt to navigate or park. Instead, we visited a Carrefour for food and petrol. I will be back one day though. 😀
Martiel: I just have ‘Meh!’ written. :O Oh Amanda! *Shakes head*
Gaillac: Very small, barely half a dozen houses, one of which was an occupied Chateau. We saw several kites circulating the valley as we wandered along its short street.
One other very notable point from this day was our journey down/up probably the worst road EVER. Barely a car width wide. We couldn’t work out if it was unfinished or if it had simply been washed away, either way, it was seriously dodgy with rocks strewn everywhere like a dry riverbed. There were bits of fallen trees partially blocking our path, and potholes big enough to hide a small chateau in. It was both terrifying and hilarious. We emerged intact though and miraculously, so did the car. Oh the joys of SAT-NAV!
Photo from the Internet and altered to give you an idea of what the road was like. No Joke! 😀
All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda unless otherwise stated.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
Thursday the 27th of April 2017 and ‘Day 9′ of our travels.
On our approach while trying to find parking close to the village, we managed to get the above photo and a bit of video footage of this stunning location and its surrounding landscape, unfortunately, this would be pretty much all I’d get to see on this trip.
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was one of the villages I’d most looked forward to visiting but by the time we got there, I was in agony with my knees. I’d run out of painkillers, my legs had swollen up and I could barely stand. To make matters worse we couldn’t get parked above the town so I dropped Amanda off at the top with my phone to get me photos and video footage and then went in search of somewhere to park. I ended up about half a mile away from the bottom entrance to the village.
One thing we hadn’t thought of was, how would Amanda know where I was parked? She couldn’t call me as she had my phone. Doh!
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
Thursday the 27th of April 2017 and ‘Day 9′ of our travels.
We drove on towards Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and as recommended by our hosts we stopped for a while to look around the pretty village of Marcilhac-sur-Célé.
We parked by a monument at the entrance to the village and had a little wander down to Célé River past the heavily pollarded trees and an old stone building with a tower that I can’t find a name for or any information about.
I sat down by the river while Amanda walked down a little further. We didn’t stay long as we wanted to get to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie before it got too busy as we’d heard that parking was limited.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in FranceTour
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.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France
Monday 24th April 2017 and ‘Day 6′ of our travels.
A bit of background on Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt :
‘Sainte-Eulalie d’Olt is a pretty village listed among the ‘most beautiful village of France’ at about 30 kilometres north-east of Rodez in the Aveyron department of the Midi-Pyrenees, just one of several picturesque villages that lie on the course of the Lot River in the region.’ ~France This Way
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Today we were meant to rest after such a busy few days but the weather had threatened to be bad the following day so we decided to get out and visit the village close to where we were staying in Saint-Geniez-dʼOlt and I’m so glad we did.
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
The church of Saint-Côme d’Olt houses a reliquary containing a fragment of Christ’s crown of thorns that was gifted to the town by a Templar and gives rise to a procession held each year on the second Sunday in July. All the village’s inhabitants, in period costume, re-enact the main phases of the crucifixion of Christ. The festival lasts the whole weekend with a traditional dance, meal and fireworks.
Catholic Church – Eglise de Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt & the Symbol of Christ’s thorns that were gifted to the town.
This quaint, little known village was a real joy to walk around. There were so many beautiful buildings and pretty features like the small stream running alongside the sandstone coloured, chocolate box houses and pretty flowers just coming into bloom that we decided to sit and enjoy the scene for a while in one of the few cafes that was also a hotel.
Hotel, bar & cafe in Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt is a small but truly beautiful village full of charm with some buildings dating back as far as the 11th to the 18th century. Take a look at the photos and make your own mind up. For me, personally, it was up in my top five for beauty.
Boulangerie, Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, France – April 2017
Sorry for taking so long to get back to blogging but I hope you like the new post.
All photos are the property of Touch of Cinnamon.
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France
Saturday 22nd April 2017 and ‘Day 4′ of our travels (continued).
A bit of background on Belcastel:
The incredibly beautiful village of Belcastel is situated in the Aveyron department in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. It’s about 20 kilometres west of Rodez and most definitely a must-see place if you’re in the area.
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Continuing north, we headed cross-country to our next destination. As we drew closer to the river Aveyron and its many tributaries, the landscape became more dramatic with lush, tree-lined valleys, rock promontories and crystal-clear rivers and streams.
Amanda on the bridge at Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
All this beauty should have prepared us for the wonder that was Belcastel but to turn a corner and suddenly see the beautiful Château de Belcastel appear as if by magic in its hidden valley was simply breathtaking.
The beautiful stone bridge at Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France. My friend Amanda in the centre photo.
Belcastel is a picture perfect, chocolate box fantasy of a village. Spanning a sharp curve of the Aveyron River, the majority of its buildings, including the restored château, are on one side of the bank whilst the church and a sprinkling of hotels and cafes can be found on the other.
The beautiful bridge at Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Each is joined by a 15th century arched stone bridge which practically sparkled in the glorious sunshine. Just above are a few shots of this beautiful stone bridge.
To my amazement, I saw a gentleman guiding a young woman, in a car, over this bridge. There was barely enough room but she managed to cross unscathed. I wish I’d taken a shot of this great feat now.
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Hidden away until the early 20th century, the village was relatively inaccessible and it was as recent as the 1970’s that the château was purchased and restored by a local architect. This spurred individual property owners to join in the restoration of the village and lead to its extremely well deserved Les Plus Beaux Villages de France appellation.
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Fish scale roofs (apparently referred to lauze-roofing), thickly forested hillsides, and overhanging balconies with skirts of verdant wisteria all add to the fairy-tale-esque feel of this spectacular place. Stunning.
We visited so many beautiful historic towns and villages on our ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’ trip but I have to say, Belcastel was one of my favourites. God willing, I will come back here because this magical place deserves more than one visit.
Belcastel, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sincere apologies for the poor quality videos, that’s my doing. It’s been pointed out to me that I should have turned my phone around. Sorry about that. 😀
All photos and videos are the property of myself and Amanda.
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France
Saturday 22nd April 2017 and ‘Day 4′ of our travels.
A little bit of background on Sauveterre-de-Rouergue:
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue is located in the Aveyron Département of the Midi-Pyrénées in Southern France. It’s roughly 35 km south-west of Rodez.
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Heading north, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue was our next stop. Having done a bit of research since then, it seems that this little village was something of a design project in its day
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Essentially made of nine blocks set three by three, the centre ‘block’ is a large, open, arcaded public square surrounded by eight separate blocks of buildings, each set around a garden with its own well. Not a bad bit of planning for the 13th century!
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue is a very old royal “bastide” that dates back to 1281 and retains its original layout.
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
There are still lovely half-timbered or Renaissance-style houses on the main square, with about forty-seven arcades surrounding it.
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Nestled under the beautiful stone arches are a number of sweet boutique-style shops where local craftsmen and shopkeepers sell their wares.
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Well off the beaten track, the village was remarkably quiet for a Saturday afternoon and we enjoyed yet another impromptu picnic in the sun before hitting the road once more.
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Thank you for taking the time to visit my site and I hope you enjoyed today’s collection of photos by Amanda and me.
Monestiés, Tarn Département, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France
Saturday 22nd April 2017 and ‘Day 4′ of our travels.
A little bit of background on Monestiés:
Monestiés is located in the Tarn Département of the Midi-Pyrénées in Southern France. It’s 15 km east of Cordes-sur-Ciel and approximately 22 km north of Albi.
It’s a small village but it’s classed as one of the ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and our next stop after Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Our visit to Monestiés was very brief but we got to enjoy a quick coffee sat under a young Wisteria vine before buying bread for the journey to our next lodgings in St-Geniez d’Olt.
Monestiés, Tarn Département, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Though very small, there were a wealth of various architectural styles in evidence and not one but two beautiful churches to admire.
Monestiés, Tarn Département, Midi-Pyrénées, France
It was not until we were on the road again that we were to realise that we had actually only seen a small part of everything this village had to offer, as the village was actually split in two by the main road. Ah well … maybe next time …
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel
Saturday 22nd April 2017 – ‘Day 4‘ of our travels.
A bit of background on Cordes-sur-Ciel:
Cordes-sur-Ciel is located in the Tarn department in the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France. It’s approximately 1 hour 15 minutes north-east of Toulouse and 30 minutes north-west of Albi.
If you’re in the region, Cordes is an absolute must, just be prepared that it’s very steep and can be very busy in high season.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Day four and we were on the move again to our next location but not without wringing every drop of sightseeing that we could in the process. Painfully aware that not only was it a Saturday and so market-day but also a blissfully sunny day, we headed into the small hilltop town of Cordes-sur-Ciel expecting to be crushed in our first French crowds. Instead, though it was undeniably busy, it was cordially so and we were easily able to drive to the very pinnacle and admire the once again glorious views before exploring the town itself.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
I honestly feel that our fleeting visit did not do Cordes-sur-Ciel justice. More ‘touristy’ than the places we had seen so far, this was nonetheless very tastefully done with a greater emphasis on local crafts and artisanry than the usual grockle bait.*
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Amazingly well-preserved, it was one of the larger bastide’s we were to visit and consequently there much to see and many narrow roads to explore.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Established in the early 13th century, Cordes quickly became prosperous on the back of its cloth, silk and leather trades and the stunning architecture reflects the success of its merchants. Gothic arches abound and almost everywhere you turn there are beautiful sculptural touches to the buildings in an array of differing styles.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Much of the towns surrounding walls are also intact and we would often turn a corner to see a grand and imposing gateway framing a picture-perfect view of the skies and valley beyond.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel is a must see in the region and we were very lucky to see it in such glorious sunshine and relatively calm. It is noted for its crowds once the season starts in earnest.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
*Grockle bait. A phrase is taken from the south of England where ‘grockle’ refers to the migratory tourists that flood into the more popular coastal towns of Devon and Cornwall the minute the sun so much as peeps out from behind a cloud. ‘Grockle bait’ therefore refers to those products and/or stores which cater almost exclusively to said, tourists. Usually overpriced, under-appointed and thoroughly scowled upon by the natives. We saw the same brand of pâtés de Foie gras being marketed as produced locally in just about every town and village we visited…
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Special thanks to Amanda for her wonderful photographs and words for this post.
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Aerial views of Ambialet to the left & Brousse-le-Château to the right. Photos source unknown.
Friday 21st April 2017 – ‘Day 3′ of our travels (continued).
On leaving Castelnaud (see my previous post), we headed towards Ambialet and it was here we hit our first road block – almost literally! The satnav was stubbornly trying to send us down a road which had been helpfully blocked by the local gendarmerie. After a few (admittedly poor) attempts at trying to force the satnav to reroute us, we were both getting a little frustrated and more than a little annoyed at finding ourselves back at the same roadblock again and again.
As tempers threatened to flare, and blood sugar crashed, we decided to go into the nearest village, stop, regroup and grab a bite to eat before heading off again. That village was Giroussens where we sat on a bench overlooking the Giroussens Panoramique, a gorgeous panoramic view over a verdant, river-ribboned valley whilst we ate an impromptu picnic of pâté, fresh French bread and fruit before moving on to Ambialet. Magnifique.
Seat and view where we ate lunch in Giroussens.
Ambialet
A bit of background info on Ambialet:
Ambialet is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France. It’s a small town and not on the list of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France but is worth visiting for the surrounding scenery and pretty riverside location alone.
Ambialet’s castle was a stronghold of the Cathars and was sacked during the Middle Ages by Simon de Montfort.
The beautiful scenery around Ambialet, Tarn Department, France.
Ambialet in the Tarn department of southern France.
Ambialet, which we eventually reached via a completely different route, was small but notable for the approaching scenery as much as anything else. Trailing alongside the river Tarn, steep hills and wooded valleys abounded and after a brief stop for a spot of guerrilla photography, we decided to push on to Brousse-le-Chateau.
The beautiful scenery around Ambialet, Tarn Department, France.
Ambialet in the Tarn department of southern France.
Brousse-le-Château
A bit of background on Brousse-le-Château:
Brousse-le-Château is a small village in the Aveyron department of southern France, set in an idyllic and peaceful location perched on a rocky spur above the banks of the Tarn and Alrance Rivers.
It is classified as one of the ‘most beautiful villages in France’ and is within Regional Natural Park of the Grands Causses.
The medieval castle dates from the 13th – 15th centuries, with the towers and original castle ramparts casting their protective gaze over the pretty village as they have for more than 600 years.
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
The journey to Brousse-le-Château was a joy itself. The wide, crystal clear Tarn to the right of us, the Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses all around us and the occasional small but perfectly formed village made the journey fly by.
Pizzeria we discovered en-route to Brousse-le-Château.
We even picked out a dream holiday home which was annoyingly already occupied by a pizza restaurant of all things (see above pic) but we could forgive that one flaw for the glorious views over the water and its abundance of turrets (a must have in Amanda’s eyes). Brousse-le-Château did not disappoint however.
The view from the bridge looking at Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
More so than many of the other Bastides we would visit, there was something rather militaristic about Brousse. Just enough that one was in no doubt that this was a village that had seen considerable conflict over its long lifetime. The fortified walls remain and unlike the fairytale turrets of Carcassonne, the château here looked rather more solid and indomitable than decorative.
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France. This photo is by Christophe Finot – Wikipedia
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
The perilously steep and ruggedly cobbled streets were a little perilous under foot and difficult to navigate with my dodgy knee so we were unable to venture far into the village itself but what we did see was beautiful. Its sprawling silhouette and untouched streets looking more like a set piece on a sound stage than the living, breathing village that it is. The temptation to return in a long dress and mantel will remain with me forever I suspect …
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
Brousse-le-Château, Aveyron Department, Midi-Pyrénées, France.
We instantly fell in love with Brousse-le-Château, the wonderful feelings that this place evoked will be ours to treasure for a lifetime. For me, I have to say, it might also have something to do with Brousse being awash with my all time favourite flowering plant, the beautifully romantic ‘Wisteria’.
My all time favourite flowering plant….Wisteria.
As an aside, today was the first time we were to fall afoul of what was to be an ongoing adjustment problem: finding food.
Being out of season as it was, most places were closed and the few that were open kept very short hours – 12 till 2 at lunch time and perhaps 7 till 9 in the evening. After this, nothing. And I mean nothing. Even the supermarkets (when they could be found) were open for a couple of hours in the morning and again in the afternoon. Consequently, we found ourselves scouring the streets of Cordes-sur-Ciel at 20h45 desperately searching for food.
We managed to dash into a Pizzeria just as it was about to close and they graciously served us with probably the biggest Pizza and Salad I have ever seen. Under normal circumstances, you could have fed a family of four with our meal once the bread and sides arrived but by this point, we were starving so normal be damned…
Brousse-le-Château by Pierre PONCHEL – Wikimedia
The photos are my own or Amanda’s unless otherwise stated.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France
Friday 21st April 2017 – ‘Day 3′ of our travels (continued).
A bit of background on Castel-de-Montmiral:
The village of Castelnau-de-Montmiral is situated in the Tarn department in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. It has Albi to the west and Gaillac to the north-west.
It’s perched on a hilltop amongst beautiful scenery, above the valley of the Vère river.
The village was founded as one of many bastide towns in the region in 1222 by Raymond VII of Toulouse and is among the ‘The Most Beautiful Villages in France.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
After Puycelsi it was a short trip to the hilltop village of Castelnau-de-Montmiral. Though not as pristinely restored as the village of Puycelsi, the beauty of this ‘Les plus beaux village’ lay in its authenticity and the almost palpable sense of age and history that seemed to ooze from its narrow streets and stone buildings.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Half-timbered ancient houses with overhanging balconies lined the cobbled streets leading to the centre of the village where the medieval main square, edged with dark corbel-vaulted arcades and dotted with quintessentially French bistro tables, was perfectly positioned for people watching.
Thoughtfully placed blocks of stone were also evident throughout the village, worn smooth no doubt by a procession of weary travellers through the ages struggling with the steep and winding cobbled roads as we did.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Space is obviously at a premium in Castelnau-de-Montmiral and the closely packed medieval buildings are strangely reminiscent of the Shambles at York though on a far grander scale. Even the Church (Notre Dame de l’Assomption), home to a 14th-century reliquary and a 15th-century altarpiece, came as a bit of a surprise, hemmed in as it was between dwellings and other buildings.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
There is no lack of space though in the glorious vistas to be seen from the village itself. Overlooking the river Vère and the nearby forests of La Grésigne, the views were beautiful, unfortunately, I don’t seem to have any photo’s of my own. The photo below is by Amanda.
Castel-de-Montmiral, Tarn department, Midi-Pyrénées region, France.
All photos are either by Amanda or moi.
Thank you for coming along to take a look, hope you enjoyed it.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – The Most Beautiful Villages in France
Friday 21st April 2017 and ‘Day 3′ of our travels.
A little bit of background on Puycelsi:
Puycelsi is in the north-west of Gaillac in the Tarn department of Midi-Pyrenees, France. It’s a medieval walled village surrounded by ramparts and the beautiful Tarn countryside.
Its narrow streets are edged with charming 14 and 15th century stone houses with terracotta tiled roofs and wooden shutters. Unfortunately, my photos don’t do it justice but take it from me, it really is worth visiting if you’re in the area.
O.K. back to the post…
So on the 21st April, I decided to be brave and have a go at driving in France. This was a fairly major thing for me to do but I really wanted to give it a go and I’m so glad I did.
Driving in France meant I’d be driving on the right-hand side of the road, in an area I’m not familiar with, in a car I’ve never driven before, with signs I can’t read, but I did it. Actually, I/we did it ALOT. We covered over 2,500 km in the 18 days we were away and had a fantastic time.
After crossing myself and saying a little prayer, I tentatively set off driving in the directions of Bruniquel, the first of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France on our list. Disappointingly, we didn’t end up walking through the village as the parking was further away from the village than my poor injured knee could cope with. I do regret that I didn’t just go for it, as the place looked lovely from the online photos I’d seen. Anyway, we took a couple of photos of the village from a distance and carried on to our next destination…’ Puycelsi’.
Puycelsi Village nestled in the beautiful scenery in the Tarn Department of France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
The drive was really pretty, made more so by the beautiful weather we were having. It was a delight to drive through the wonderful hilly scenery dotted with pretty towns and villages. old stone bridges and stand alone beautiful historic buildings.
We were lucky enough to see a few deer and red squirrels.
Above us was just as interesting. The sky seemed to be full of birds of prey, which particularly thrilled Amanda, who’d intermittently let out squeals of delight that made me jump out of my skin and slam my foot on the brake a number of times.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi is set high on a plateau overlooking stunning scenery but it was the village itself that won both our hearts. It became the benchmark for all the other villages to live up to, so much so that Amanda coined the phrase ‘it’s no Puycelsi’ when visiting other villages that didn’t meet the Puycelsi standard.
Everywhere we looked was picture perfect. Golden stone buildings against blue skies and the lush green surrounding hills.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
View from Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
View of Puycelsi Village from a distance. This photo is borrowed from the Internet but I can’t find the original source of the photo to accredit them.
Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
The cobbled streets were adorned with stone pots and borders filled with flowers and plants. It was early in the season but I bet within a couple of weeks the place would be ablaze with colour.
Thankfully for me, there was also plenty of seating dotted all over the place. This was a God send and meant I could rest my very painful, injured knee whenever it became too much. I know, suck it up, Adele!
In some of the videos I’ll be sharing from this trip, you’ll hear me huffing and puffing and generally being a feeble wench. I was in pain and struggling to walk, this wasn’t helped by the steep gradient of some of the tiny streets and that I’m so unfit. 😀
Puycelsi was a gem of a place and I really want to return with my family sometime in the future.
My travelling companion, Amanda, in Puycelsi Village, Tarn Department, France.
Bruniquel from a distance. We decided to go straight to Puycelsi and not stop here.
The photos are my own or Amanda’s unless otherwise stated.
Touch Of Cinnamon 
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