Tuesday 31 May 2022 Lac de Pareloup

 

Quickly got into a routine of morning swim in the  clear, cool lake (800m up), a swim in the warm pool when it opened at 10 am and a shower. The campsite was in the middle of agricultural land with lots of flies, there was no path around the lake and the nearest village was 7 km Salles-Curan with a small Spa. Although the road around the lake was quiet, it was fast and I didn't have the confidence to use my electric bike.

 

We got chatting to Anne and Andrew from Northwich who were a few pitches up from us. They were hosting a 17 day  tour of the Aveyron area for 17 vans from Thursday onwards and invited us over for drinks in the evening Anne was a French teacher before she retired and this was their 5 h tour based only at Les Genets. We met Keith a retired Mercedes Benz dealer.

Andy SUP boarded across the lake to Salles-Curan marina, but didn't do any shopping. Speedboat wake was a hazard.

Monday 30th May 2022 Espallion to Lac de Pareloup

 45 miles south to Lac de Pareloup. It was quite a climb out of the valley from Espallion.

Andy in pain from an inflamed Achilles tendon so he decided to rest from walking for a few days. We stayed at ACSI campsite Les Genet 19€ per night. Large lake facing pitch with beach, jetty and swimming pool. 

We ate pizza in the restaurant in the evening Pareloup is one of a series of 5 lakes with dams in the Auvergne countryside which provides HEP to the area.

Sunday 29 May 2022 St Etienne to Entregues-Sur-Truyere to Estaing to Espallion

Left Lac St Etienne after a final swim and stopped at the village at the entry to the Gorge to view the Roman bridge

This is the community  flower  garden  at Entregues , a  confluence of two rivers 

Ceramic mosaics display panels  

Up closer 

'A river of green sliding unseen beneath the trees '

Great picnic spot to park in 

Next designated beautiful mediaeval village along the river on approach - Estaing - family home of Giscard d' 

Church with stunning stained glass art deco windows much visited by Camino pilgrims

 

Lots of  beautifully carved old doors in this village

Saturday 28th May 2022 Lac de St Etienne

 Large lake with lots of inlets. Very shady Aire 5 minutes walk  away from the nearest beach. Struggled to get past the barrier to the aire until a friendly French woman (in a MH) phoned the number provided for us and got the barrier lifted;  both French and English vans suffered the same problem over the weekend.

Walking round to Renac where the second beach is, 30 mins walk along an undulating forest path, across a steel Himalayan style rope bridge. 

Lots of watersports available 

The bridge swayed in the middle

We tried a walk around a peninsula of the lake but got lost once we ran out of path, couldn't access satellite, wandered up and down the road for a while and discovered that the Sentier de St Etienne signs had smaller print beneath the sign explaining that the road/path  was yet to  be constructed! So we walked back the way we came. I apologised to Andy for my grumpiness.

 

Our cafe on the beach at La Espinet beach was delightful with cold showers on the side and a ready supply of Smartie ice creams and cold beer.

Friday 27th May Rocamadour to Lac de Sainte Etienne

 

Got up at 8am after a peaceful night and walked 20 minutes from the campsite to Rocamadour, the most visited hill top village in France. Wanted to visit before the tourist coaches arrived. Famous for its walnut wood black Virgin Mary. Shops at ground level, sanctuaries at first level and chateau at top level. We

climbed up the steps rather than take the 5€ each lift.

 

Pretty stunning in the morning sunlight

Ground level  gateway  to the village, and specialities of the area 

Church built into the rock face 

Next to Chappelle Notre dame where the walnut wood Black Madonna  resides, all is in darkness. There was a choir practice in the small chapel so the figurine was not seen 

The stations of the cross according to St James were clearly depicted leading up to the church entry

Laying of the body in a cave 

 

Thursday 26th May 2022 Sarlat to Chateau De Fenelon to Rocamadour

 Sarlat is a lovely town but quite tourist focused 

20 k cycle ride there and back on the outskirts of Sarlat  on this disused railway line green route felt like a good outcome for me on my electric bike 

Canoe companies abound  on every river 

The Chateau de Fenelon is  a short distance from Sarlat and has a huge gatehouse, one of the biggest 🙂

A cedar tree was planted on the day that Fenelon was born, August 6 1615, he was the author of the adventures of Telemachus 

It's where Ridley Scott's film  The Last Duel with Jodie Comer was filmed.             (Netflix) 

Here's a scale model of it with its peppercorn  roof turrets 

 

The well 

The kitchen range. Took photos until until I remembered no photographs inside! 

Don't get to see many Morgans these days 

We drove on to Rocamadour and paid for a campsite at Kaowa, 18€, with a large oval shallow swimming pool which proved tricky to swim in. It's Ascension Day in France so school children have today and tomorrow off school.