This picturesque area in the South of France is about an hour from the City of Toulouse and is dominated by the valley of the River Lot. The area is steeped in history from the massacre of the Cathars, English domination under Henry II who married Eleanor of Aquitane, the 100 years war and the religious wars of the 15th century.
You will stay in a combination of lovely inns, farmhouses, hotels and a chateau. The accommodations are of a very high standard. All rooms have private bathrooms.
This is a place where the sun shines bright and the days are long. It is a fertile area which produces lavender, sunflowers, sorghum, tobacco, fruit and of course, wine. During this seven night/six day walk, you will explore the history of this ancient area which was conquered by the Romans over 2000 years ago.
You will visit the ancient Roman town of Moissac where you will stop at a typical French cafe for a coffee break. You will walk along a path used by pilgrims centuries ago. Daily walks are between 3.5 and 15 miles. There are vehicle options for those wishing to give their feet a rest. On your last full day, you will visit a market and the most important vineyard in the area. That night, you will stay in a 15th century chateau which has been converted into a luxurious hotel with a commanding view of the river. This is a fitting end to such a full week of fresh air, education, companionship and exercise.
This walk is a chance to see a part of France that is missed by most tourists. It is also a chance to sample the best of French cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables and local wines. This is a trip that your taste buds will not soon forget. But most of all, it is a chance to meet the people of rural France who are warm, friendly and superbly entertaining.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: After meeting the group at Toulouse airport, you will be driven to your first accommodation. En route, you will stop at the pretty pink Hotel les Thermes for a light lunch in the medieval village of St Antonin Noble Val which is seated on the banks of the river Aveyron under the formidable Roc d’Anglars. In the afternoon your guide will tell you more about this extraordinary town that was restored by Violet le Duc in the nineteenth century and described by him as a museum of medieval architecture. You will drive on to the Château Couanac which is now owned by the Count and Countess d’Armagnac de Castenet and was once owned by the Prince Bishops of Cahors. It is a splendidly majestic chateau that greets you after a short drive through the large oaks of the estate. There is time to wind down before dinner with tea and to wander, at leisure, through the grounds with the grazing sheep. You will spend two nights in their simply and beautifully restored gites (shared facilities for two bedrooms) and eat traditional French food cooked by the Countess herself.
Day 2: Your first day of walking will be a good stretch through the surrounding causes that are seeped in ancient history. You will meander between dry stone walls, paths littered with Early Purple Orchids and see interesting gariottes, dolmens and wells which are landmarks of this well grazed causse, before returning to Château Couanac for the first of Diana’s picnics beneath the massive oaks and maples. After lunch, a stroll around the grounds for those keen on walking or you can take it easy, read, paint, swim and just enjoy your surroundings at leisure. Dinner at Couanac. Walk: 7 miles.
Day 3: Accompanied by donkeys, you will leave the majesty of Couanac, and set out on you journey through the causse with its typical stonewall paths and wonderful flowers. You will arrive to an area where you will feel like you are in the middle of nowhere for a lovely al fresco picnic with your hostess in a pasture surrounded by lombardy poplars and cliffs. After lunch you will climb a big hill and soon find yourselves in the medieval cliff hanging village of St Cirq Lapopie. Surrounded by iron red and manganese blue cliffs, you will have an outstanding position over the river Lot. An area cited as being one of the most beautiful villages in France. As you are there during the off season it is truly a magical experience, especially at night when it is beautifully floodlit and quiet. You stay at La Pelissaria where you will spend the next three nights in comfort and with wonderful views. Dinner at L’Oustal in St Cirq Lapopie. Walk: 10 miles.
Day 4: You will cross the river Lot and walk up to the outstanding views of the river valley. Donkeys in tow, you will walk to the sixteenth century Chateau of Cénévières where you will have a picnic lunch on the terrace perched above the river that overlooks Lot valley and across to the hilltop village of Calvagnac. You will have a special visit with the owner, Monsieur de Braquilanges, whose family bought the chateau from the Gordons of Scotland at the time of the Revolution. While you wander back along the river valley, keep an eye out for kingfishers as you return to St Cirq. Dinner L’Atelier, St Cirq (Chef = Hugues). Walk: 11.5 miles with vehicle option.
Day 5: You will be driven to St Sulpice where, with donkeys and kit you will walk the ‘Four Bridges’ along the cliffs and down the Célé valley littered with lofty poplars and checkered with fields where corn can be seen stacked in stooks. Lunch at ‘Chez Pierrette’, in the historic village of Marcillhac, for a delicious local feast on the terrace beneath the cliffs. This is where Pompidou regularly ate when on holiday. Its beautiful Romanesque abbey overlooks the river. A chance to take the afternoon off at St Cirq to relax; paint, read, swim etc. Or, set off in the afternoon towards Sauliac where the last of the stone bridges spans the babbling brook. Drive to St Cirq. Dinner at the Quercy Gourmet. Walk: 4.5 miles + optional 4.5 miles.
Day 6: Walk to Bouziès along the tow path, carved into the cliffs alongside the Lot, where the heavy barges trailed by slow horses slid along these paths and which is a famous part of the equally famous Chemin de St Jacques. You will be met by vehicles and drive along roads chiseled through the cliffs before reaching the hustle and bustle of the market at the ancient city of Cahors. You will have lunch today at the Vieux Cahors restaurant before a drive through the Quercy Blanc landscape. Here you will visit the famous medieval masterpiece of the Pont Valentré and the tiny bastide of Castelfranc before arriving at Le Vert, Mauroux where you will stay for your last two nights. Walk: 3 miles.
Day 7: This morning you will be dropped off for a long walk through the gentleness of the Quercy Blanc passing through pastures full of orchids and other wild flowers. Here you can hope to see some of the local birds such as the golden oriole, hoopoe and nightingales. You will visit a local lavender distillery before arriving at the Château Figeac where you will be welcomed by Diana before a table laden with local produce. The Chateau Figeac is the home of the de Roaldès’ family, a family in the Quercy since the sixteenth century. Later you will take a drive to a charming fourteenth century frescoed church before returning to Le Vert for tea. Walk: 7 miles.
Day 8: You leave in the morning for Toulouse airport.
2008 Dates: May 1-8, May 8-15, May 15-22, August 25-September 5, October 30-November 6.
Meeting Point: Toulouse Airport. Transfers are included at pre-set time.
Difficulty of Walk: About 5-10 miles per day. Fields, paths, villages and river banks. Occasionally steep and rough.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
$3,495 per person, shared.
$395 single supplement.
Price Includes:
- 7 nights farmhouse/hostelry
- Manor house/chateau accommodations
- 5 guided walking days
- All meals
- Most beverages
- Guide
- Luggage transfers
- Transfer to/from Toulouse Airport at pre-set time
- Tax.
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