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France 2022
  • Danielle and Co travels

France 2022

After two years of delays due to COVID we are finally getting ready to head off to France. We are combining some independent travelling with a walking tour through Southwest France. Read more
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  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler

    Exploring Épernay on foot.

    September 21, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    We had no commitments today, so had a lazy start to the day. I went out and purchased some baked goods from another local Boulangerie and we headed out around 10am to do a self-guided walk around the town that was recommended by the Tourist Office. Unfortunately, not long into the walk we found it difficult to ascertain some of the landmarks as the print on the map was tiny (my eyesight is pretty good but even I struggled), so decided to go a bit off piste and do our own thing.

    We went past the Hôtel De Ville (town hall), Théâtre Gabrielle Dorziat and Église Notre-Dame. At this point we found it impossible to follow the map, so we just meandered down the streets, stopping at various buildings or areas of interest. We saw the Portail Saint-Martin, Maison de La Lune (a funky Art Nouveau house) and Église St-Pierre et St-Paul. There was so much to look at and on such a lovely day it was nice to explore the town.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Main roundabout at the start of Avenue de ChampagneTown HallMoët & Chandon private house - sadly only used for functions nowMoët & Chandon L'OrangerieCheers

    Up, up and away in Épernay

    September 21, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    While we were wandering around the town we kept catching glimpses of the tethered balloon, so we decided we may as well take a ride and hopefully see some spectacular views 150 metres up. We chose the “with champagne” option - nice in theory, but not very practical and pretty crappy champagne. I think our taste buds now demand fine champagne and can’t tolerate the cheap stuff.

    We had wonderful 360 degree panorama views out over Épernay and the surrounding champagne region. Bronwyn is claiming this as her first balloon ride but I am challenging the veracity of this.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Dinner from our local chacuterieFirst FlightSecond FlightLove a corgiPandora - a very friendly dog!Range of bottle sizesStaircase at Champagne museumCellars at Champagne museumJean Milan Rosé ChampagneMacrons for dessert

    Flights of fancy

    September 21, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After floating above Épernay we headed back to the apartment for a bite to eat. We planned to have a few Champagne tastings (flights) this afternoon, well at least Bronwyn and I did.

    We first did a bit of shopping - we have been well behaved during our stay, only buying Champagne and chocolate so far. We bought a couple of souvenirs before heading to our first tasting at Champagne De La PROPRIETE. Ian joined us and we had six different champagnes; they weren’t too bad and they came with snacks. We then moved onto Janisson Baradon for our next tasting. (Ian elected to skip this tasting and instead went to the Champagne museum.) Here we had five champagnes:- Brut, Extra Brut, Grande Réserve, Blanc de Blancs 2014 and finished with a Brut Rosé. All had fairly low sugar added, which suits my palette.

    During our tasting we starting chatting to a retired Dutch couple on the table next to us. They were really fun and were spending 2 weeks in Champagne. The afternoon flew by and before you knew it Ian was back form the museum. We headed home to have dinner, which comprised of quiche and green beans from our Charcuterie, some yummy bread from the boulangerie (one with chorizo and one with lardons) and macaroons for dessert, all washed down with a bottle of Jean Milan Rosé.

    We had tried to book into a restaurant called Why Not for dinner but they were fully booked, so our makeshift meal in our apartment was a nice alternative. Tomorrow we leave for Lyon, and will be up early as our train to Paris is at 8.30am.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler

    Doors of France

    September 21, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    I have been snapping many doors during our travels, as well as knockers and other interesting architectural features of buildings. Here are some of my favourites.

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    SNCF train that brought us from Épernay
    Place de BastilleWinter CircusGare de LyonGare de LyonHall B at Gare de LyonWaiting for our trainHall A at Gare de LyonFrench countrysideOur address for the next few days

    Épernay to Lyon via Paris

    September 22, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    We left our apartment about 7:30 am and headed to the station for our train back to Paris. It was a nippy 2 degrees and so I got out my puffer jacket. The train was on time and before you could blink (Ed - long blink, 1.5 hours) we were pulling into Gare de l’Est. It was a beautiful sunny day in Paris, so we decided to walk to the Gare de Lyon (also because we have heavy cases and didn’t want to try and get up and down in the metro).

    We predominantly walked along large boulevards with expedition leader (Ed - ceremonial role only), Ian, with the assistance of Apple maps, leading the way. We stopped at a brasserie for coffee and crepes on the way; the journey took us about 90 minutes and was about 4 km.

    We entered the busy train station and found our way to the correct Hall and platform and had about a 50 minute wait. I decided to get us lunch for the trip and went to Paul’s. I started ordering in French and the server yelled at me to speak English - I don’t know why he was so mean to me (a French guy in the line behind me said my French was fine and the guy just has a bad attitude). When I told the others of my experience Ian suggested that perhaps he thought I was English, hence his gruff manner.

    Our train arrived and we made our way to our seats in 1st class (worth the extra few euros). We had 3 seats in a group of four and were hoping we had a spare seat. However, just as we were leaving a young guy came and sat there. He had lots of attitude and had a few words with one of the staff when she asked him to move his bag out of the aisle. Then when they returned to check our tickets there was some issue with him (he wouldn’t show his ticket or identification) - it got quite heated, and there was talk of getting the police - he stood his ground, looked very surly and no police arrived.

    It was a relief when we arrived at Lyon station just before 3 pm as there weren’t any stairs to navigate, just a large ramp to walk down. We then walked the kilometre to our apartment to meet our host, who let us in and gave us a quick briefing. The apartment was on level 5, so thankfully there was a lift, but it trumped the one at Le Petit Madeleine for the smallest lift ever.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    1

    Lovely to meet you LYON

    September 22, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Arrived this afternoon and once we had met our host Fanny and deposited our bags in our fifth floor apartment we headed out to explore the “hood”. We are in the 6th arrondissment, about 1.5kms from the city centre, in what appears to be a family orientated neighbourhood. We found a fabulous coffee roaster just down the street that made a great coffee.

    We then headed towards the city centre - located between the Rhône and Saône rivers - exploring this beautiful city full of fabulous sights and smells. The pastries are works of art and we are trying to restrain ourselves by looking but not buying!

    We crossed the Rhône and went past a beautiful square and the very impressive town hall. We then headed across to the next river, La Saône. Both rivers are very wide and clean. After walking along the Saône to the next bridge (a lovely but fairly wobbly footbridge), we started to wander back towards our apartment.

    We stopped at a local brasserie that appeared to be full of locals, where we started with a fabulous Chardonnay from Macon Village by Loren et Fils (Fleurie) for the aperitif. During the day the brasserie has a full menu, but at night they have a type of “tapas” style option of small pots of deliciousness. We had mozzarella with basil, ham, ratatouille, confit octopus, confit pork, gravlax salmon, seafood pie and some chicken and pork dishes. Sounds a lot, but all fairly small. We loved it all, but the seafood pie and mozzarella were my favourites.

    We wandered back to our apartment after the meal and had an early night as it had been a big day. We had walked over 20kms.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Entrance to the park
    GatehouseBeautiful houses border the parkLead on McNicol!We were surprised to see GiraffesCrepe and café timeThe lakes were enormousGoose asking for foodBeautiful rose gardenThe arbor in the rose gardenMore rosesPaul Cezanne Rose

    A wander around the burb

    September 23, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This morning we had a bit of a late start, which we all needed after our big day of travel yesterday. Ian suggested we visit a Park close by, Parc de La Tête d’Or, the largest Urban Park in France. It is huge, with a very large lake, a free open air zoo, glass houses, a couple islands within the lake - one with a velodrome on it - a lovely rose garden, and a botanical garden. It was a perfect morning to stroll around this amazing park, and have a coffee and crepe in a shady cafe located next to the lake. We only saw a very small part of the park.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Paul BocuseThe cheese in Lyon is superbLoving the Lyonaise saucissonThe berries and fruit generally was divineSuch a ramge of mushroomsAnd the pastries and cakes are works of artMore works of ArtVenue for lunchOne happy camper!And another happy camperIan enjoyed his prawnsHe really enjoyed his prawnsThe florists here are divine

    Off to market we go

    September 23, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We left the park and headed to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, a famous French chef from Lyon credited with developing nouvelle cuisine. This was a wonderful oasis of sights and smells, full of shops selling cheese, meat, seafood, wines, fruit and vegetables, bread and pastries, etc. All have to be vetted by a special committee, and it is where you can buy the best produce in Lyon. We wandered around checking out all the wonderful stalls and the fresh produce on display. The French really do markets beautifully.

    We also decided to have lunch while we were there. We chose Chez Antonin, where Bronwyn and I shared a dozen very plump oysters from Brittany, and Ian chose crevettes (prawns), all washed down with a lovely half bottle of a local white. The oysters and prawns were absolutely divine.

    After lunch we headed back to the apartment for a quick ‘refresh’ before heading off for our walking tour of Lyon. We were well on track to do more than 20,000 steps again today.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Bartholdi Fountain
    Our guide ToniOld LyonTrobulesThe cats were supposed to scare away the diseaseNoses of lions weee broken off as there was a fable that the jews hid their treasures thereA traditional bouchonOld LyonSilk shopSilk productSilk worms feasting on the mulberry leavesInside another TrobulesMusicians in Place de Change

    Lyon’s Highlights and Secrets

    September 23, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    This afternoon we did a walking tour of Lyon, hosted by Toni, a native of Barcelona who has lived in Lyon for 11 years. It was a lot of fun. Toni is full of passion and has excellent knowledge and experience about Lyon. We meet in the Place des Terreaux at the Bartholdi fountain of Marianne (heroine of the French Republic) drawn on a chariot by four horses, which represent the four largest rivers in France:- the Rhône, the Saône, the Seine and the Loire.

    We meandered through the Place des Terreaux, Vieux Lyon and Fourvière Saint-Just areas over the afternoon, with Toni providing an interesting running commentary. We explored the Traboules (hidden passage ways linking two streets) of the old town, and saw some wonderful architecture, as well as hearing about the history and development of the different areas of Lyon, the Vieux (old) city, the Presque Île (between the two rivers) and the newer area our apartment is located in.

    We visited a silk shop, where we saw silk worms chomping on mulberry leaves, visited the Place St Paul, where all the good wine bars are located, and passed the Cathedral of St Jean, where many of the angel and saint statues were beheaded by the Huguenots in the 15th & 16th Century.

    We also strolled down the Rue de Boeuf to check out the numerous Michelin star restaurants and visited the Place de Change where the Italian, Swiss and French bankers gathered to exchange currencies. We also found out the origin of the word banker - a reference to the tables (or baca in Italian) used by the money changers, and of the term bankruptcy - which was a result of people loosing their money and getting so angry with the merchants that they would bang the table until it ruptured. We visited the largest house in Old Lyon which was owned by the Gadagane family. Even today in Lyon, they refer to people being “as rich as the Gadaganes”.

    After exploring the lower part of the old city, we caught the funicular up to the top of the hill of Fourviere (named for the Roman Forum originally located there). We checked out the Roman Ruins from 43 BC, which included a theatre for the poor folk and an Odeon for the wealthy folk. We then popped into the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere, where nearly the entire inside is covered in mosaics. This Basilica was funded by the people of Lyon, to thank the Virgin Mary from sparing them from the Prussians, and is approximately 150 years old. There was a mass underway, and so to be respectful we weren’t able to walk through the Basilica or take pictures.

    We then proceeded to a terrace just beside the Basilica that afforded lovely views of the city of Lyon. After taking in the views, we descended from the hill through the Jardin du Rosaire, which was a lovely shaded walkway, and down a large staircase where we had wonderful views of the rooftops and chimneys of Lyon. This was a wonderful afternoon getting immersed in the history and culture of Lyon.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    2
    An 85 year old street artist writes Je T'aimeBest cocktails in Lyon according to ToniCathedral of St JeanStreet artOnly fresco in the BasilicaDescending the stairs tonthe Old town of LyonRooftops of LyonStreet artThe symbols representing the Rhône and Saome rivers

    More snaps from our Lyon walking tour #2

    September 23, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    There were so many wonderful views, I had to have a second footprint.

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Basilica of Notre Dame de FouvriereIan very excited about his glass of redLanson Champagne - very niceAmuse boucheThe restaurantBoeuf avec haricot et fritesRoast chook with Paris mashLamb chopsCrême Brûlée1ProfiterolesVacheron, glacè, chantilley and fruit

    More snaps from the walking tour #3

    September 23, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    I needed to include these photos as well. After the tour we went to Brasserie Le Theôdore for a delicious and very authentic French meal.

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler

    We let our tastebuds do the walking!

    September 24, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We headed off early to the meeting point for our food lovers tour of Lyon. We caught the metro, as Bronwyn had developed some blisters and we wanted them to heal before we started our main walking tour.

    We met our guide Henrick and the rest of the group 10 am in the old city. Henrick gave us a little history of Lyon before we headed off for our first tasting at a Fromagerie run by the very passionate cheese man Cherie (Ed - Blessed are the cheese makers). He bought the store eight years ago, without much experience but brimming with passion for all things cheese. He took us through how he labels and colour codes the cheese, raw (or cru), semi-pasteurised or fully pasteurised. We then went to the back of his store to partake in a cheese tasting, accompanied by a Swiss dry white wine often used in fondues. The four cheeses we tried were a Rigotte de Condrieu (AOP), a St Marcellin (IGP), a Bleu du Beaujolais and a Fumaism (smoked) Briebis. (Ed - AOP and IGP are origin and quality certifications). They were all delicious. I even enjoyed the blue cheese as it was quite mild.

    The next stop was a traditional Bouchon, Les Lyonnaise, where we had a pâté, crevelle de caunt (silk weavers brain, a mix of yoghurt, garlic, herbs and wine), a Puy lentil salad and a glass of beaujolais. It was all very nice.

    After this, we stopped at a store called Le Sirop de La Rue, which translates to “children who run in the street”. The owner, Fred, was a very amusing man who only spoke French, so poor Henrick had to play interpreter. The store predominantly sells the local produce of Lyon - cured meats, a special syrup that Fred developed made from praline, and praline based sweets. We were given red wine with the sirop that Fred has developed while he gave us his back story, which was quite amusing. A lot of it involved not listening to his mother when she told him to learn English. We then went down to the cellar to sample the range of saucisson Fred sells in his store along with a glass of Côte de Rhône red wine. The saucisson (sausage) was delicious.

    We then visited Bonnat Crozet, a company that currently sells spirits, wine and chocolate, although they are soon discontinuing the chocolate aspect of the business and focusing on the beer and spirits. They currently run a speakeasy in the cellar and want to expand their bar. We got to taste a dark beer with a 65% and 75% dark chocolate.

    We ended the tour at the Luminarium café, where we sampled the infamous Praline Pie, the local dessert, with either an espresso or a tea. It’s packed full of calories - sugar, butter and cream - and not one to tell your dentist about. (Ed - I liked it).

    It was a really enjoyable tour with a nice group of people, again, all from the US.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    A specialist Lyonaisse produce store
    Fred our host, he was a hootSaucisson of LyonMy new best friendTasting of the saucisson in the cellarOur last stop on the tasting tourPraline pie - very sweetEspresso essential to counter the sweetness of the praline pieStreets of Old LyonMichelen Star Restaurant

    More photos from tasting tour

    September 24, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    There was so much to see, eat and experience on this tour. Here are a few more snaps of what we saw and ate over the afternoon. (Ed - You ear with your eyes.)

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    People everywhere
    Lovely covered walkwaysHenrick showing us the secret entry to the speakeasyStairs down to the speakeasyLots of micro breweries producing beerThe beer paired with our dark chocolateCoffee machine from the 1930'sHalls of JusticeHow much is that doggy in the window

    Last night in Lyon

    September 24, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Following the food tour, we decided to make our way back to the apartment to have a quiet evening and get ourselves organised for tomorrow’s day of travel. The city had closed off many streets to cars, many shops had set up stalls in the street, and it appeared that all of Lyon was out and about this sunny afternoon. There were lots of sales, but Bronwyn and I resisted. (Ed - Good job.)

    We stopped for a coffee at our local cafe, and then bought some ham and cheese baguettes and a potato salad to accompany our champagne and sweet treats for dinner. We didn’t want to be carrying extra stuff, so we had to drink all the champagne and eat the macrons and praline brioche. (Ed - Can’t help bad luck.)

    The weather turned quite stormy, with thunder, lightning, rain and hail in the evening, so it was good to be spending it inside. We spent the evening catching up on writing the blog, packing and taking it a bit slow, as it will be go go go once we commence the tour.

    Ian was having fun practicing pouring the champagne as the French waiters do - the photos speak for themselves! (Ed - He was a natural, so watch out Brian - put your best Monty Python voice on to pronounce this.)

    I have also included some more photos from the day.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Weather in Lyon this morning
    Part Dieu train station, LyonHeading into PuyOur room in Puy

    Lyon to Le Puy en Velay

    September 25, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We were up early and packed and ready to go before 9am. We had arranged to meet our host at 10.30am to hand over the key and then head to the Part Dieu train station to begin our journey south west to Le Puy en Velay.

    The rain had started falling last night and it was still raining this morning. Even though the apartment was less than a kilometre from the station we elected to take the metro to ensure we stayed as dry as possible.

    The trip to Part Dieu was uneventful and we were ahead of schedule, so organised supplies for the train trip and also purchased a couple of umbrellas, which have came in very handy in the afternoon.

    Our trip finally appeared on the departure screen and we were allocated platform, so everyone made their way up and awaited the arrival of the train. Five minutes before the scheduled arrival time, an announcement advised that our train was now leaving from a different platform. So, everyone raced to the new platform and the train arrived very promptly. Finally, we were on our way to Le Puy en Velay!

    We had a 40 minute journey to St-Étienne Châteaucreu where we then had to transfer to a smaller train for the remainder of the journey. As we got off the train I heard some Aussie’s talking about Le Puy en Velay and I told them where our next train was departing from. It turns out they were the rest of the tour group, so we met Carmel and Maria from Sydney a little earlier than expected.

    We made it onto the new train and misread the signs, and settled in 1st Class. We then realised we actually had 2nd Class tickets, so moved to a different area. Our travelling companions, who followed us into the same area decided to stay put, even though they only had 2nd Class tickets. They made the right choice as, unlike us plebs in 2nd class, their tickets weren’t checked!

    We travelled through some lovely French countryside on our way to Le Puy en Velay, for much of the way tracking along a steep gorge of the Loire river. The weather continued to be cloudy with rain showers. We walked to our hotel and checked in, then met up with Mary our tour leader and Jerome our bus driver.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler

    Wandering around Lentil Town

    September 25, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    After meeting the group formally and learning a bit about one another, we headed out for a tour of the town, led by Janet, a lovely English woman who married a French man and has lived in France for many years. Janet provided us with some of the history of the Way of St James (Jacques in French). Interestingly the Way of St James is the oldest pilgrimage trail, but it was lost during the religious wars of the 15th & 16th centuries, and was only rediscovered in the 1970’s. About 30,000 people from all over the world do some of or all of this pilgrimage trail each year. Interesting fact, the first record of someone doing this pilgrimage was Bishop Gottschalk. We know some Gottschalks in Melbourne, and will need to check if they are descendants.

    We left the hotel and wandered through this very picturesque town (known for the quality of its Puy lentils) heading towards the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy. This Cathedral was built on a volcanic mountain and looks down on the city of Le Puy-en-Velay, as does the Rocher Corneille et Statue Notre-Dame de France.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Lit a candle for mum

    More of Le Puy en Velay

    September 25, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    So many interesting things to see - here are a few more of my favourite photos from the afternoon.

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Fabulous wine with dinner
    Broccoli soupTuna tartare with mangoLambChicken, mushrooms and leeksCrème brûlée

    Getting to know you

    September 25, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    We headed out for our first group dinner in the evening. We are a small group and a fairly relaxed one, so I think the next 12 days are going to be a lot of fun. There was much laughing over dinner and some drinking of wine. Mary, who is now 73, is a very engaging person who told us some lovely stories over dinner. Everyone enjoyed their dinner, but we headed back to the Hotel before 10pm as we have our biggest hill and walk to conquer tomorrow.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    And we are off and walking!
    There is a lot of signage that helps with the pilgrims staying on trackSunflowers against a stunning blue skySomeone had mowed the grass like the shellLooking back to Puy Cathedral - it was a steep climbWe ascended further and further away from PuyThere are crosses and other symbols all along the wayA nice flat part of the walk - that's why we are smilingWe encountered a volunteer who tried to convince to walk a different way-Mary was having none of itBronwyn next to a newer signThis is a very old sign - but still effectiveTeam AustraliaEnjoying the walk, Jerome had joined usMemorial for someone who died on the CaminoThe cows here are so big and cute and cleanBell tower at Saint-Christophe-sur-DolaisonVery rich soil that had recently been ploughed - the green we think is a type of food for the cowsAnother funky sign directing the pilgrims

    Hey Pilgram!

    September 26, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Our tour “Food Lover’s French Way of St James” kicked off this morning. Today was the longest and hardest walk, about 18kms with the steepest ascents. We had been lucky with the weather so far and today it looked like it might rain, but turned out to be pretty good. We started at the official start, which has a plaque that states - Grande route du Pèlerinage de St Jacques de Compostelle. There is also a beautiful statute here that is titled “La Jenner Pèlerine”, which was created by Hungarian artist Andràs Lapis in 2018, and represents the pilgrim.

    Our objective today was to walk from Le Puy en Velay to Saugues via some lovely towns and countryside. We first walked to St-Christophe-sur Dolaison (about 8.5 km) and were then transferred in the bus to St-Privat-d’Allier, where we stoped for a picnic lunch. Wonderful spot to have lunch with great views out over the steep gorges below.

    We then begin our afternoon walk from St-Privat-d’Allier with a climb to one of the many, Hundred Years War watch towers which dot the surrounding area. We continued walking across quite rocky and hilly terrain, through beautiful forests, past lovely old villages and plateaus with amazing views. After first going up, we then had a long descent down, much of it over a quite rocky path.

    We ended our walk in a lovely town called Monistrol-d’Allier, where we had a much deserved coffee and met our driver Jerome, who took us to Saugues (where we would normally stay the night), but on this occasion it was just to get our passports stamped, and for a bit of a look around. Following COVID-19, a number of businesses have closed and so we are stayed instead in a hotel in the most picturesque town of Le Malzieu-Ville.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Mary with La bête du GévaudanLovely day for a walk1Short break to take in the surrounds2The tower and bell tower of RochegudeBell tower of Rochegude dates from 1220Local dogs came to greet usLocal chooks scattered1We climbed up stony pathsWe walked through a beautiful pine forestWe descended rocky pathsMonistrol D'Allier below usAutumn colours appearingBridge into Monistrol D'AllierLovely bar where we had a much needed break including coffee and biscuitsEnjoying sitting down!Mary tried the local beer - feedback was positiveTried to get our passport stamped in Saugues near St Medard, but no-one was homeLa bête du GévaudanThey love their mushrooms in Saugues

    More photos of our first day walking

    September 26, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    There were so many wonderful views and interesting outlooks from our wandering around the French countryside.

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Gate into the walled city
    All the buildings are very well keptFountain with MaryAll the buildings are beautifully cared forLocal feline came to say helloLovely door knobThe Clock TowerView from the top of the Clock TowerMore views from the Clock TowerA beautiful square

    Le Malzieu-Ville

    September 26, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Following a lovely drive through the French countryside, we arrived in Le Malzieu-Ville. We checked into our hotel and, before having a much needed shower, we strolled around this beautiful village. It is so well preserved and maintained it is a “Plus Beaux Village de France”.

    We discovered that the old clock tower was still open, so we paid our 2 Euro into the honesty box and climbed the 100+ steps of a narrow spiral staircase to the top. This is not usually a difficult task, but after walking more than 20kms it was a bit of a slog. It was worth the effort, as the views from the top were wonderful.

    The weather had turned a little cooler, which is quite nice after all the warm weather France has been experiencing.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Having a drink with the locals
    Cheers - team AustraliaThe resident cat was very friendly

    Meeting the locals and dinner

    September 26, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We met downstairs in the hotel bar, which is very popular with the locals to have a pre-dinner drink. A group of Australians was quite the curiosity to the locals. I was able to answer their questions in French without making a complete fool of myself. There was a guy at the bar who was very keen to tell us about his encounter helping a young Aussie motocross champion, Jessica Gardiner, with her training. She was the first woman to win the International 6 day endurance race. A number of the locals were very pleased to meet some “real” Australians, and were telling me they find it difficult to comprehend how we can travel so far.

    We enjoyed a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant, accompanied by some fabulous red wine that I chose from St-Emilion.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Stormy and wet start to the day
    Now that's a knifeVarious types of blades etc1My purchases being polishedThe farm where we had the aligotPreparing the aligotThe aligot gets a final stir in front of us before it is servedThe group anicipating lunch4Ian enjoying his aligot - he and Jerome were the only ones to finish their plates!Divine blueberry pieOn our afternoon walk to burn off the aligotSaint Come d'Olt - a lovely townThe convent has been conerted into a hotelThe aligot being preparedThe aligot being served - it was quite the show

    Now, that’s a knife!

    September 27, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    We were very excited about our morning activity today. We were off to Laguiole to see the Laguiole Knife Museum, to learn about their history and see these most beautiful knives being made. Unfortunately, due to COVID, they have lost most of the staff who speak English, so the guy who gave us the history talk couldn’t parler Anglais. The solution was to have myself and Ian, with some help from Mary, interpret! (Ed - Danielle did a fantastic job.) There were a couple of moments where things got lost in translation, but overall I think it was a great team effort. The most amusing part was when he was explaining the use of the “spike”, the third element added to the knives. It was developed to punch cows in the stomach to relieve gas pressure if they had eaten too much green grass. He also seemed to be suggesting a similar use if people had eaten too much. But, in the end we realised it was to punch an extra hole in the belt.

    After the history and a demonstration of how the knives are made, polished etc, and a walk through their museum, we were let loose in the shop. There were so many options, it was quite overwhelming, but we all made a purchase.

    After our close encounter with knives, we hit the road and travelled to Buron de Camejane, a typical dairy farm from the Aubrac region to see Aligot being made and then having it for lunch with a grilled beef saucisson. This dish comprises, potato, Tome and Fourme cheese, butter, cream and S & P. (Ed - more or less a heart attack on a plate.) It was delicious, but virtually impossible to finish. We had a rum punch to start and wine was also available. For the meal we had charcuterie for entree, a cheese course after the Aligot main, and the best blueberry pie I have ever had for dessert. Everything was delicious and I think we will need to walk some way to burn off the Aligot.

    As the weather was quite bad (cold, wet and windy), especially as we were on an escarpment 1,300 metres above sea level, we reviewed the schedule and, instead of walking from Aubrac to Les Cambrassats (which was over 10km), we did a much shorter 3 km walk finishing in the delightful town of Saint Côme d’Olt. Fortunately we had good weather for our walk. We walked around the town and picked up some supplies before arriving at our accommodation for the evening, a Covent that has been converted into a simple hotel. The rooms were basic, but clean and comfortable and we were served meals ‘cafeteria style’. It was a nice experience and the nuns were lovely (not like the horrible nuns I had at school).    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Man on a missionAll rugged up for the weatherOn the march again!French cows are just gorgeousSenergues - our lunch spotInteresting stained glass in this churchThe wild raspberriesWe were all a bit damp and muddy after our trek through heavy rainFrench humourBeautiful crocuses

    Saint-Côme-d’Olt to Conques

    September 28, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    After breakfast, stripping our beds and collecting the picnic lunch provided by the convent, we headed off in the bus for Espeyrac to begin our walk to Conques. The walk is about 10 kms in two stages and should take about 3.5 hours.

    Jerome our driver dropped us off just as the rain started - luckily the showers only passed through and soon we had sunshine, which stayed with us for the first part of our walk. We met many pilgrims on the way, including, Thomas, a German guy from Lake Constance who has been walking for 39 days and hopes to reach Santiago de Compostela in another 2 months. (Ed - All up about 2,500 kms!)

    We stopped for a picnic lunch at the lovely small village of Senergues and then commenced the afternoon walk towards Conques. During the walk we experienced pouring rain, cold winds, mud and, at times, some sunshine. We met Jerome at a lovely little village called St Marcel, located a few kms outside of Conques, as he thought the last bit was too steep and slippery on such a wet day. He drove us the last bit into the village.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsFrance 2022Traveler
    Waiting to get into Conques
    Beer time!Our fabulous hotelStreets of ConquesThe AbbeyThe Last Judgement tympanumAnne has the group captivated with her knowledge and story tellingOutside the cloisters where the SaintFoy treasure is keptLovely red for dinnerEntree - Gravalax and calamari saladGoats cheese pastry & saladRoast pork ribs with roasted veges and aligotBronwyn enjoying her porkGrilled TroutRaspberry bavaroisCreme BrûléeTart TartinBack at the Abbey for the organ show

    Conques

    September 28, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    We arrived in Conques, a beautiful and wonderfully preserved medieval town, to find the road Jerome would normally take to drop us off near the hotel blocked by an automatic gate. Following some intense discussion with the gate guard, we were turned away and instructed to drive around to the other side of Conques to enter. Here we were also faced with a gate blocking the way, with only local cars allowed to enter. Jerome tried calling our hotel but it was closed till 3.30pm - only the French would leave reception unstaffed for 2 hours! He then rang the Tourism office who advised him to take a ticket to open the gate and drive to the hotel and wait for it to reopen.

    Conques is a beautiful city that dates back to before the 9th century, but acquired notoriety in the 9th century when a monk transferred (borrowed) the remains of Sainte Foy from Agen to Conques. Sainte Foy (or Faith) is a saint who is said to have been a young girl of twelve from Agen in Aquitane. The story goes that she was arrested by the Romans for refusing to worship their Roman pagans, and was then executed. First they tried to burn her but legend says she was extinguished by a miraculous rain shower. In the end she was beheaded along with a number of other Christians who refused to renounce their faith.

    As we had 90 minutes to kill, and it was pouring rain, we decided to find a bar and have a coffee and/or a beer. We also used this time to set up a group WhatsApp for L’Equipe d’Australie so that we could share photos, and it seems to be working (as long as I remember to share!)

    Finally, the hotel reopened and we made a dash inside in the pouring rain. Once we had checked into our room, which was very nice indeed, with views of the church, we headed out for a bit of a wander. We found some lovely shops where several purchases were made!

    Then it was time to meet up with our local guide, Anne, who gave us the history of Conques and the Saint Faith Abbey, which is quite an imposing structure. It also has a wonderfully maintained tympanum, it depicts Christ presiding over judgement of the souls of the deceased. Archangel Michael and a demon weigh the souls of the dead on a scale. The righteous go to Christ’s right, while the dammed go to the left where they are eaten by a Leviathan and excreted into Hell. (Ed - Mind you, the right side looked like more fun.) The tortures of Hell are vividly depicted, e.g. a poacher is roasted by the very rabbit he poached. The tympanum also provides an example of cloister wit, e.g. a bishop who governed the area of Conques but was not well liked by the monks is depicted as being caught in one of the nets of Hell. There was so much contained in the tympanum and it was so well preserved.

    We were then taken inside for a tour around the interior - it is quite stark, but the size and scale is grand. The windows are quite modern. They were created by the French artist Pierre Soulages in 1986 - he designed and created 104 windows for the Abbey, using a specially developed glass formed of different pieces melded together. They look white but can take on different colours, depending on the light outside.

    Following the tour of the Abbey we visited Saint-Foy’s treasure. This was a collection housed in the cloister area. The Treasure is one of the five greatest medieval goldsmith’s works of art in Europe, and the only French one to display so many elements from the Middle Ages. All the pieces are very ornate, made of gold or silver and covered in gemstones.

    After the tour we had a bit of free time before meeting up for dinner at Le Charlemagne. Dinner was fabulous, although I ordered the pork and it came with Aligot, which was very nice, but too soon to eat it again as it is very rich. Following dinner, Bronwyn, Ian and I went back to the Abbey to hear one of the monks play a few tunes on the organ. There was quite a crowd there (mainly pilgrims). The acoustics were wonderful and we stayed to hear about four songs.    Read more

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