I left Cieux in light continuous rain, which became heavier as the morning progressed. Kathy and Tony French, at whose delightful chambres d'hotes, Les Volets Bleus, I stayed, took photos and a video as I departed. I have now clocked up over 1000km on this voyage! I passed the village or Oradour sur Glane, whose inhabitants were massacred in June 1944 (http://www.oradour.info/) and which has been left untouched ever since. I felt I ought to stop and look but, partly because of the rain, and partly because it seemed somehow inappropriate with my odd form of transport, I didn't. I will return.
My route took me by minor roads down to Nexon, where I had a back-up plan to stop overnight if the weather was too bad. Refuelled at a supermarket there, and had the customary conversation with a shopper there about the tractor. From there to St Yrieix sur Perche, which is a large town with a complex road system in which I got lost as usual. The rain came on hard again at about 2pm, which slowed me down and made driving quite unpleasant. Finding my stopping place at Segonzac, a tiny village in the Correze, was hard enough - it is high up in the hills, but my chambres d'hote, the Pre Laminon
http://www.prelaminon.com/was nearly impossible, requiring two or three stops to ask. However, the search was worth it. It is a beautifully converted Correze barn in stunning surroundings, and great place to relax after a pretty unpleasant day. Just before dinner, the rain fell heavier than ever and turned the lanes into rivers. There were two couples also staying at the place; we started the meal with home made aperitifs and our hostess asked us all to guess their origins. The first was made from lilac flowers and I couldn't; but in the second I knew sloe gin when I tasted it so I won a brownie point there. The two French couples were also interested in matters rural, and we talked about global warming and why there are so few swallows this year (I commented that there are plenty in England, though they were late), and about the absence of bees, which they thought was because of pollution.
http://www.prelaminon.com/was nearly impossible, requiring two or three stops to ask. However, the search was worth it. It is a beautifully converted Correze barn in stunning surroundings, and great place to relax after a pretty unpleasant day. Just before dinner, the rain fell heavier than ever and turned the lanes into rivers. There were two couples also staying at the place; we started the meal with home made aperitifs and our hostess asked us all to guess their origins. The first was made from lilac flowers and I couldn't; but in the second I knew sloe gin when I tasted it so I won a brownie point there. The two French couples were also interested in matters rural, and we talked about global warming and why there are so few swallows this year (I commented that there are plenty in England, though they were late), and about the absence of bees, which they thought was because of pollution.
A lovely photograph, absolutely summing up the joy of it. Do you think you are up to Paris Dakar (or where ever it is presently) next? I am very keen. Folk all sound interesting, and it is an essential component of the English, eccentricity; you are an embodiment. x
ReplyDeleteWe used to stay near Riberac - Roy Gray had a place nearby too.
ReplyDeleteOradur is beautiful and, of course, desperately sad. You could have made it since the village, a national monument, is closed off and served from a large car park some distance away.
Duct or duck tape - either will do. It was manufactured by the Nashua Company of NH and the last time we were there we filled our boots with the stuff. Perhaps you have an original roll.
I'm glad you're nearly there.