We were all up early this morning, and by 8am we were on the road. The weather looked cloudy and dull with an ominous sky! We were soon (after one diversion!) onto the Autopista and heading towards the French border. The traffic was busier than I was expecting with a lot of lorries going north. Some of the mountains we saw from the motorway looked enormous and I was just glad we weren't driving over them!
Once in France we stopped for coffee and pastries and sat in the car eating them. There were a lot of bleary people about, just like us!
We followed the autoroute up to Narbonne, and then turned left towards Toulouse, passing Carcassone on the way. We stayed in this area back in 2009 and had a lovely holiday exploring the gorgeous countryside. The weather was lovely and sunny, and as we drove further north, the trees started to change colour, providing a beautiful display of Autumnal hues. Toulouse was busy, but we followed Trish's directions and we were soon through. We stopped a couple of times to use the aires and to top up with petrol, and by about 1.30pm we were turning off the autoroute and following signs for Rocamadour.
The road became narrower and steeper, and very rural, with just the odd village tucked away. At one point we saw a group of people having a picnic in a lovely field just outside a village. I was quickly falling in love with this area, called the Lot, as it was beautiful, wooded and very hilly. We were getting nearer to Rocamadour and soon the road started descending. As we rounded a bend we could see the town in front of us, seemingly suspended against a rockface above a tributary of the river Dordogne. It was stunning!
 |
| View from L'Hospitalet |
Rocamadour has its origins in the 12th century when there was a first mention of worshipping the Virgin Mary, and the town has been welcoming pilgrims ever since.
We could see people eating in restaurants, and all of us yearned for something to eat as it had been a long time since the pastries early this morning! The road going past Rocamadour was quite scary, winding up and up, and through a dark tunnel. Once past the town, we came to L'Hospitalet, where there had once been a reception centre for pilgrims who were treated for any injuries or illness in a hospital. This was a lovely place, full of shops selling local produce, and restaurants and cafés.
We drove through, out of the village and down a narrow track to the middle of nowhere! The hotel Le Troubadour was reached via a gravelled track and consisted of the main building, and several outbuildings/stables/barns that had been converted into accommodation. It was surrounded by fields and woods and looked utterly peaceful.
There was no one about and we did suspect we were a bit early, but we went into the main building which was empty of any staff. We wandered about and rang the bell, and eventually, a man appeared. He looked astonished to see us and said that reception wasn't open until 3.30pm. We explained we'd driven from Spain and he softened a little, asking us to come back later and perhaps visit Rocamadour until we were able to check-in.
We drove back out and decided to visit the cité, as it was known. We drove back down the hairpin bends but there was very limited parking and the only place we could find was right at the bottom of the gorge, which meant there would have been a steep climb up (unbeknown to us there's a lift).
We drove back up to L'Hospitalet and managed to find a car park on the outskirts of the village. We walked in, desperate for a drink and something to eat as it was now about 2.30pm but most of the restaurants had stopped serving at 2pm... only in France!
Luckily, we found a delightful little café called Petites Faims where the owner prepared us toasted croissants filled with ham and cheese, served with a cold beer and a dessert. We sat outside in the gorgeous sunshine (the weather had improved drastically) and relaxed for half an hour chatting and people-watching. We were hoping that we could eat in the hotel restaurant this evening, but if not there were plenty of places available in L'Hospitalet.
 |
| Enjoying the sun |
After we'd eaten we strolled around the pretty village, visiting the church and some of the shops, where I bought a booklet all about Rocamadour.
The big thing here is the walnut. It's put into cakes and, more importantly, used as an ingredient for a liqueur, which was for sale everywhere. Foie gras and duck were other foods also widely available.
It was lovely to stroll around in the sunshine, but at about 4pm we headed back to the hotel to check-in. Mathieu was very welcoming and showed us to our two-bedroom apartment in a converted stable block. We had a small kitchen, living room, spacious bathroom, two double bedrooms and a lovely outside terrace overlooking the surrounding farmland. It was a haven of peace and tranquillity!
I spent an exceedingly pleasant couple of hours sitting on the terrace, enjoying the peace, and listening to birdsong and the sound of the breeze through the trees. It was a wonderful place and a highlight of my holiday!
After showering and changing, we ventured back to L'Hospitalet. Mathieu had told us the hotel restaurant was only open for breakfast so we had various options to choose from. I didn't fancy driving back down to the cité so we parked in the centre of L'Hospitalet and went to look at menus.
Unfortunately, the first two restaurants were full. One of them had fantastic views over to Rocamadour, but they were expecting a large party. The restaurant opposite was also full, so we began to get a bit worried!
Thankfully, Au Panorama had a table and we were soon seated and looking at another place-mat menu. Sophie and I enjoyed the beef carpaccio, while Keith chose the house terrine. For our main courses, Sophie pushed the boat out and opted for the Tournedos Rossini, while Keith and I had two different cuts of steak. Mine came with a delicious shallot sauce. There was no chicken on the menu at all, but a lot of beef and duck!
I chose a moderate Bergerac red to go with the meal, but it wasn't the best wine we've ever tasted! The restaurant was busy and the young male waiter was a real character! He was determined to practise his English with us, even though I did order in French!
By about 9.30pm the restaurant had emptied out, so we paid the bill and returned to the hotel. There was only French television available so it was an early night. Tomorrow, we're off to the Loire!
No comments:
Post a Comment