Sensory Overload - the Trouble with French Villages

Wednesday 10 September

The problem with France is that there are so many villages which are just so lovely - it is hard to know where to stop.  If I seem a bit addicted then it is just because these quaint, charming, gorgeous little places pop up everywhere.  They are very hard to avoid when one travels in the French countryside.
And that is another thing entirely - how can one country have so much scenery!
Today we "did" four more villages, a whole lot of scenery and had a lovely time.   The Aveyron River downstream from St Antonin flows through a very scenic gorge with high white cliffs, dense forests and surprisingly lots of apple orchards.  The road winds along beside the river, a favourite of kayak and canoe enthusiasts, but we were soon through the gorge and turning up a steep hill to our first village destination, the crumbly old town of Penne. The village has the usual narrow winding streets, pretty flowers, old stone houses, medieval church and in this instance an amazingly situated 12th century chateau/fort which must have been a fearsome sight for any enemies approaching from below.

Chateau ruins precariously perched in Penne

 Today, basking in the sunshine it looks rather benign and a little crazy as one approaches the village.  There is currently a restoration project underway and I must say the whole structure does appear to be rather precariously balanced on a rocky outcrop above the village.  We wandered about the town which boasts a tourist office and a cafe as well as lovely views over the valley below.  These villages perched on hilltops and surrounded by deep ravines and forests seem very remote and isolated.  It must have been a hard slog to access many of them in the days before motorised transport and bitumen roads!
Moving on, we drove about 10 kilometres west to another hilltop village, Bruniquel, which also has a large chateau, this one on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Aveyron River.

Bruniquel rises above the forests of he Aveyron Gorges

 The village streets are mostly very steep so with Gerri's knees not being the best this morning we thought we would have a nice cup of coffee at one of the cafes on the lower terrace of the village.  Sadly everything was closed in Bruniquel on this Wednesday morning, so after a brief stroll around the lower streets we set off again - better luck in the next village.

The streets of Bruniquel tumble down the hill

By now we were heading south, this time towards the village of Puycelci - another hill, another village!  As we moved away from the river gorges the landscape changed noticeably, looking less wild and much more cultivated and populated.

Approaching Puycelci

  At the top of the hill, Puycelci was a very pleasant surprise.  Not only are the views spectacular - 360 degree visibility - but there was a distinctly lively atmosphere, with two nice restaurants open for business.

View from Puycelci

  By now it was lunch time and we settled ourselves into a shady table on the terrace of the Jardin de Lys - a nice mix of old stone building and modern interior design.   It was pure bliss to sit and drink in the view of the lovely countryside.  Our meal was pretty good too - the 19.50 euro menu du jour - tomato, green bean and parmesan salad entree, roast chicken and potatoes and finally a wicked chocolate mousse.  Great value!  My glass of wine (2 euros) was particularly good (Chateau Thierry - a wine from Puycelci and sadly I don't think I will get it at Dan Murphys).
After our lovely lunch we strolled around the beautifully preserved village - hmmm that neglected maison de maitre overlooking the valleys is just crying out for someone!

My renovation dream  - Puycelci

  Actually most of the houses looked very well tended and there were a number undergoing restoration.  The church is 9th century and overlooks a little town square.  There are also a number of little shops in Puycelci, all closed for lunch during our visit.   This is certainly one of my favourite villages although some might say it is a bit too gentrified.  Like Bruniquel and Castelnau de Montmiral, the next village we visited today, Puycelci belongs to the Plus Beaux Villages de France Association.

Puycelci - so pretty

A little further along our route is Castelnau de Montmiral, again high on a hilltop with stupendous views.  The village is a little more like a bastide with a central square lined with an arcade and many half-timbered houses.

Castelnau-de-Montmiral

 We enjoyed walking the streets and then, because it was very hot, and not because we were hungry, we sat on the terrace of a small cafe and ate delicious salted butter caramel icecream - perhaps the best I have tasted.  More views to feast the eyes on!

More lovely countryside - view from Castelnau-de- Montmiral

So, another day of villages but with such hot sunny weather we appreciated the leisurely pace, the tranquility of the countryside and the peaceful beauty of each place we visited.  Although the villages have much in common, each has its own distinct character which makes it unique and a pleasure to visit.

Coming back to our little stone cottage was a pleasure today - so nice and cool inside.  We did little this evening except read and watch some UK TV - very relaxing.  We met the owners of Maison Feuri, Steve and Sue, who called in to give us news of the missing washing machine - still being repaired.  Things move slowly in the French countryside - c'est la vie (shrug)!