Venturing into the Lot

Thursday, 8 August

No storm last night fortunately but a rather grey beginning to the day.  Laundry done and hanging indoors in case of rain, although the Meteo says not - clouds say otherwise. 
We drove west today and into the Lot department which is an area I particularly like.  It is a wild kind of place with a very distinctive landscape.  A geographical feature called the Causses dominates, with high rocky plateaus, where there are forests and farmlands, interspersed with deep ravines where rivers flow.  It is of course these rivers which have cut so deeply into the rocks over millions of years.  At this time of year the land looks very productive with fruit trees and freshly mown hay but I can imagine that it is cold and bleak in the winter.  The villages we passed through all look very old - houses here are pale grey stone, not the golden colour of the Dordogne. 
We followed the Dordogne just past Souillac and then crossed over and climbed up out of the river valley - such a nice drive - beautiful countryside.  Once we were out of the valley the change in vegetation and the rocky landscape indicated that we were well and truly into the Causses.  The road took us down into a deep valley which seemed totally untouched by modern life, apart from the bitumen road.  Then it was up and up again to the next plateau with farm fields bordered by ancient stone walls - a lovely sight.
Finally we arrived at l'Hospitalet, a small town at the top of the ravine where the pilgrimage village of Rocamadour tumbles 120 metres down the cliffs.  As one of France's most visited sites, it was no surprise that the town was crowded and the carparks overflowing.  We luckily managed to park in the middle of l'Hospitalet and then it was a twenty minute walk to the belvedere of Rocamadour.  From the road we had great views of the whole village.


Rocamadour

 In order to save time and Maree's achy back we opted for the inclinator to get us down the cliff face to the middle of the village.  This part of Rocamadour is the location of the chapel holding the Black Madonna and the grotto where the remains of St Amadour are said to have been found but it seems the  origins of this place are doubt, lost in the mists of time. Nevertheless Rocamadour is a significant religious site and the remarkable setting of the village also attract droves of visitors. 

Jessica, Rocamadour

We walked down the Pilgrims Steps to the main street of the village, which is still high above the river, and observed a few pilgrims ascending on their knees.  The main street is full of souvenir and local produce shops, some very nice, others a bit tacky, and a few restaurants. 

Rocamdaour, from the main street

We managed to find a place still serving lunch and enjoyed galettes and salad before having a bit of a stroll around.  Rocamadour was pretty crowded and after a while we thought we would head on to our next stop La Foret des Singes.  So it was back up in the inclinator.  Fortunately the rain  held off although the skies were still rather grey.

Looking towards l'Hospitalet and La Foret des Singes

 The Foret des Singes is on the edge of l'Hopitalet town and is a 50 acre reserve that is home to 150 Barbary macaque monkeys who live freely in the forest.  At the entrance we were given a handful of popcorn and instructions about feeding the monkeys.

Jessica at the entrance to L Foret des Singes

 After walking a few hundred metres we came across the first group of monkeys, playing in a lovely grassy field dotted with shrubby trees.  There was a rocky outcrop with a small lake and the whole area was surrounded by the forest.  There were monkeys everywhere, some lolling about lazily, others sitting on benches waiting for popcorn and some playing games of roly-poly.  They all looked very well cared for and in mint condition. 

Mum and baby

It was so much fun to be able to interact with these little monkeys - they take the popcorn so gently from an outstretched hand.  We had ben warned not to get closer than 1 metre from the animals in case of scratches.  There expressions and actions are very human-like and they seem totally un-phased by the presence of so many people.

Popcorn time!

  Further down the track there was another group, this time being fed some kind of seeds by the park attendants.  We stood and watched for ages as the monkeys engaged in all kinds of antics.  I think some of them show off for the visitors!  We took to the path again and encountered another playful group bouncing about on a large rock pile.  There were plenty of young ones from tiny babies to stroppy teenagers -   all of them very lively.


Hurry up with that popcorn!

The return path took us back to the original group of monkeys who were now being fed fruit - apples, avocados, pineapples and they were really enjoying their meal - and squabbling over the offerings.  The babies were very cheeky and very playful  but not as brave as the older monkeys when it came to taking food from the hands of humans.  We finally dragged ourselves away, reluctant to leave this wonderful sight.  The sanctuary is an important research station as well as a wonderful place to see these delightful creatures in a wild setting and being able to mingle with them.

Just waiting for my dinner!

 Driving home, we took a slightly longer route in order to stop off at Martel, a very attractive medieval pile in the Lot countryside.  We strolled through the streets as the now shining sun was getting low and casting a lovely light onto the pale stone buildings. A beautiful dog with one brown eye and one blue eye was the reception committee at a pretty tea salon.

Welcome to Martel!

 Lots of towers and turrets in this town.  There were a few pedestrians around but most of the town was quiet.  A lovely peaceful place with some wonderful medieval architecture that has been very well preserved.  No doubt during the day there is more hustle and bustle in the town.

Martel

From Martel it was a three-quarter hour drive back to the Dordogne and our little house in Cenac-et-St-Julien.