October 17, 2022
Turenne, Collanges-la-Rouge and Curemonte
We've re-discovered cycle touring "sans panniers" these last two days here in the Dordogne area of France. It has been a delightful meander through country lanes unencumbered and also feeling at ease with locking the bikes while wandering through the towns and villages.
This morning we had three more "Most beautiful villages of France" loaded into our RideswGPS. We cycled away from Vayrac and for 15km only one car passed us; Dutch travellers in a Volvo enjoying the back roads too. It was already warm when we finally got going at 11am and the riding was serene in the sunshine. At first the farms were hardscrabble, with owners eking out a living from the thin layer of top soil. Gradually the pastures became more verdent, the houses fancier and the walnut groves larger. Besides being on the Route des Noix, we noticed painted arrows on the pavement giving routing directions for cycle touring groups, confirming what we had already thought; with long stretches of open rolling countryside, this is ideal cycling territory.
We arrived at the first of three villages, Turenne, after a steep climb. It is positioned on top of a cliff, giving 360 degrees of unobstructed views. We ate our picnic lunch just beneath the castle walls, enjoying the stunning vistas of the villages, rolling hills and wooded valleys. Digging a bit, we learned that there are 160 villages in France that can use the appellation of "most beautiful". How this gets determined and what are the cut off criteria are still a mystery.
Fortified, we tackled the hills and it wasn't long before we cruised into Collonges-la-Rouge, a gorgeous village with blazing red buildings, built with sandstone rich in iron oxide. Even though there was rain in the forecast we had tempted fate and not brought any rain gear. As the heavens opened we were grateful to find that Collonge had other visitors and therefore open restaurants and cafes. We ordered coffees and when we couldn't decide between the nut or cheese cake, our kind waitress brought us a half slice of each. Twenty minutes later the sun came out and we strolled along the narrow alleyways between striking medieval buildings, draped with grape vines and wisteria. Collonges is so different from the grey stone buildings we've seen so far in the Dordogne, that we were utterly taken by its architectural treasures. Not only does Collonges proudly proclaim the status as one of "The Most Beautiful Villages in France" but a longtime mayor of the town was also the founder of the association.
The next leg of the route was quintessential French countryside. After another serious slow climb we were on top of a ridge overlooking the valleys of Sourdoire and Maumont. We could see farms, châteaux and after at least a week, vineyards appeared again.
Coming around a bend on the ridge, our last stop of the day appeared, the medieval village of Curemonte. It's known as the "Village of Three" with its three churches, three castles and three fountains. We took a few pictures but it was now 5pm, time to be heading home. It was only 8km, so we chose the D15 but had scouted out another route if it was busy. Fortunately, it was quiet so we sailed off the ridge and were home in no time.
We haven't said much about Vayrac, our chosen town for this three night stay. It is a more "normal" town with locals going about their lives. It has been the perfect spot to launch from, to see a few of France's "most beautiful villages" set in the middle of this ideal cycling terrain. But here's a nugget about this unassuming town and hardworking townsfolk. "During the Second World War, a number of works of the Louvre Museum were hidden in a barn in Vayrac. On a particularly hot and dry summer day, a fire broke out. The farm workers abandoned their fields to come and form a water-bucket chain and saved the national treasures.”
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Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 1,262 km (784 miles)
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2 years ago
Glad you have enjoyed following our trip. We do love the life on tour in Europe. And yes, we have come to really like flying without luggage. Storage cost vary, but we are probably getting smarter as we go along, and as we speak French, it has been somewhat easier to investigate and negotiate here in France.
Costs
In Lisbon we paid 45€ per month in an an industrial park that was a 10Euro taxi to the metro.
In Barcelona we paid 88€ per month, a convenient 10 minute walk to Sants train station. We were gone only 3 months.
We have just booked a place in Toulouse, that is 39 € per month and seems to be easily accessible by metro.
MOST place do not put prices on their websites. Telephoning places in Toulouse, we were quoted 89€ , 55€ and took the 39€ at Homebox.
Hope this helps.
2 years ago