Day 4 • Cabrerets to Saint-Cirq 10.5 km

After our visit to La Grotte du Peche Merle, it was time to continue on our way. It was 11.30 and already quite hot. We were happy that we didn't have far to walk. The first hour was a peaceful but uneventful walk through 'the bush', mostly on rocky dirt paths - with a bit of up and down. We were grateful for any shade.

After about 5 kms we emerged to open air and fields, not far from the small town of Bouzies. But we didn't head there. Our destination for today was the hilltop village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. While not on the Camino. this 'impossibly beautiful' village is such a treat that most walkers will take this diversion, if they have not visited before or even if they have. We were not going to miss it.

As if Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was not highlight enough, walkers get to enjoy the fabulous 'chemin de halage', walking along an old towpath beside the river, under overhanging rock that creates a low ceiling. That's not a good description by me. The photos and video below will hopefully give a better idea. But I found this on the origins of the towpath:

'Located in the Lot Valley, the towpath was carved between 1843 and 1847. For 30 years, horses and humans used the path to pull flat-bottomed commercial barges, called gabarres, up the river toward Bordeaux, at least until the railroad came to town and commercial shipping on the river was halted.'

But there was yet another highlight - before the chemin de halage. Our guidebook told us that, if we were up for a bit of adventure, we could veer off the usual path, and scramble up to the old railway bridge - and cross the Lot River that way. There was no question - yes we were up for that. It was an interlude of only a few minutes in our day, but we thoroughly enjoyed it, and the views - and reflections - from the bridge were fabulous.

The scramble up down was short but steep. I needed a hand from The French towards the top. And again on the way down the other side, which was more difficult - but, thankfully, short-lived. After surviving the scramble down, we were once again on the path and coming up to the chemin de halage. More to come. ❤️Read more