Looking at the Michelin map, Espédaillac is not even a dust spec. Our Garmin GPS knew where it was but the first road sign we spotted indicated: Espédaillac, 6km. At one point in history, the village must have been a central stopping place for military and other travelers. One of the main buildings, situated next […]
Vivienne insisted we check out the monument to the Rosetta Stone, a tribute to Figeac’s most famous citizen, Jean-Francois Champollion, born in December 1790. If you didn’t know before, he was an outstanding Orientalist whose brilliance enabled Egyptology to make great strides. By the time he was 14 he spoke Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldean […]
The medieval town of Figeac is located on the Célé in the Lot District of France. Its prestigious past as a commercial center is evidenced by its tall sandstone town houses. It is now famous for its Saturday markets. We were excited when our friend Vivienne invited us to tag along. The market sprawls over […]
Monika had always wanted to visit the famous prehistoric Lascaux caves but they have been closed to visitors for years and during the Summer holidays, the reconstructed caves are very popular so she jumped on the idea to visit the actual prehistoric caves of Pech Merle near Cabrerets in the Lot Department of the Midi-Pyrénée. […]
On our way to Sorges the day before, we had passed a very majestic castle called Château Jumilhac-le-Grand above the Isle river gorge. Gary wanted to return to visit what he thought was the most impressive Medieval castle he had ever seen. It was worth our trip. The castle was first a 12th century feudal […]
The Temple of the Black Truffle Our Garmin GPS sent us in a southwesterly direction on beautiful, sometimes narrow secondary roads towards our next destination we had spotted in the Lonely Planet Guide: Sorges en Périgord, the Capital of the Black Truffles. The Truffle, a subterranean fungi, thrives on the roots of oak trees. This […]
Google Map Getting a late start from St. Pardoux & Souvigny, we had intended on driving until evening. About 4PM, we came upon the town of Aubusson on the confluence of the rivers Creuse and Beauze. The town is apparently world famous for its tapestry and carpets since the 14th century, the kind one might […]
Bart Schiks had been following our adventures for years and had been inviting us for over a year to stop at his home in St. Pardoux on our way through France in route to Spain and Portugal. He and his partner, Nathalie, were delightful people. An Overland traveler and an avid four-wheel drive enthusiast, he […]
Leaving German speaking Erlach, we briefly stopped at French speaking Le Landeron, another cute medieval walled town. They are only 5 km (3 miles) apart but lay in different Cantons (States) where they speak a different language. Next stop, France.
With most of the country on vacation, the chance of finding a campground with any vacancies on one of the biggest holidays in the country was slim and none. In fact, most Swiss campgrounds are not really open for one or two nighters. They are full of small and medium size travel trailers that have […]
