Blog 2.10 - Towards Central France

Saturday 20th May 2023

A cool and grey start, but no rain, so all good.

We set the alarm fairly early intending to get away sharpish, but then it didn't seem quite so urgent when it came to it.

The intention was to try and find a parking spot in Sarlat le Canéda, which has a reputation as a bit of a tourist magnet, and it being a Saturday, that reputation was duly proven correct. It was absolutely rammed, and there wasn't a space to be had - and trust me, we went round in circles trying. The best we managed was to get into the huge E. LeClerc supermarket's car park (and that was a ridiculous squeeze vertically with the height barriers!) for a bit of lunch shopping.

Given we'd already done over 100 miles on some rather tricky slow-going (but extremely scenic) roads I didn't fancy going too much further, so we stopped for lunch and consulted the apps.

One Camping-Car Park site sort of jumped out, as being a) not too far away, and b) nearly empty.

So we offed to Saint-Crépin-et-Carlucet, and it very quickly became apparent why it was virtually empty - there's nothing there! It's really not even a village.

The aire itself is recently established, and has taken the place of the rather grandly titled Stade Municipal football pitch.

There's a tiny grandstand, all locked up, and six surprisingly decent looking floodlight pylons, but the pitch area has been partially gravelled and compartmentalized for vans. All very sad really.

Le Grandstand et le 'pitch'

We'll be off early tomorrow!

Sunday

Mizzly and grey about sums it up. Oh well, we weren't hanging around.

Admin had selected an aire at a little place called Saint-Ybard (easy for you to say) about 50 miles north (and east a bit), so we set off on the rural twisties - very twisty - in the general direction of Brive-le-Gaillarde, and were most of the way to that town when, boing, there's an audible warning and a dash lamp illuminates.

I quickly deciphered that it was the Ad-Blue Low warning, which was slightly annoying as it didn't feel that long since I'd bunged a container-full in. So, it was a case of first trying to find a pull-in so I could check the level gauge - which duly reported half-full! Trouble is, you don't want to risk it running out. It wouldn't cause any damage, but it would put the motor in limp-home, which is not good at all.⁹

As I'd run out of supplies, and it was Sunday in France... it's another moment of anxiety. Still, we plodded on to just south of Brive where we spied a filling station - which just happened to have a self-service Ad-Blue pump (I don't, for the life of me, know why I was surprised). We decided to kill two birds, and topped up with expensive diesel, and the other stuff - except that the other stuff, rather its delivery pump, didn't want to play nicely. I pulled the trigger, and, click, the flow shut off after delivering one cent's worth of expensive urea-based product. So I tried again, and again, and again, with exactly the same result.

The upshot was that to get one litre of the magic brew, I had to pull and release the trigger about a hundred times... You can imagine how (ad) blue the air was after getting seven litres into the reservoir (between myself and M) probably fifteen minutes and two sore wrists later.

Grr.

And no, there weren't any staff at this self-service filling station. It was Sunday. In France...

I'll get some more tomorrow if I can, in plastic sacs this time!

Anyway, it really wasn't going to get worse after this, was it?

Well... yes.

We picked up the A20 Motorway at Brive for the final 30 or so kilometres to Saint-Ybard, and almost immediately came to a grinding halt. It seemed there had been a smash some way ahead, and Madame le-Google informed us there would be a nine minute delay to our journey.

Weeell, 45, 50 minutes? At a guess anyway. Madame le-Google's pantaloons are, as they say, on fire, and considering that the rain was absolutely pelting down for most of that time, Madame le-Google must have awfully grande pantaloons.

The things you see on a motorway. Truck, on truck, on truck!

We eventually arrived in Saint-Ybard. And it was still black as yer hat and lashing down, but, it's a lovely little place. So well kept and spick and span. We've parked in some car park aires that are just that, and would make your toes curl. This one, however, is spotless, beautifully planted, and manicured to within an inch of its life.

There are also decent bins, fresh water, and emptying for grey and black waste - and all free. Got to thank the village Mairie for this one. Highly recommended.

There's even a delightful view from the van over open countryside and the large fish-pond below. Wonderful.

View from a Windscreen. Reminds me a bit of Frankton - but bigger carp!

We took a turn around the village after a spot of lunch and after the rain had receded somewhat,

and the rest of it definitely lives up to the standards of the aire.

I haven't seen a spot of litter.

Monday

What a difference a day makes. Today started beautifully sunny and warm. I saw to a few van chores while M nipped down to the boulangerie for bread and a couple of swirly pastries.

She'd spotted a reference to a local waterfall, or Cascades de Bialet, and being a huge fan of falling water that was the day, or a chunk of it mapped out.

It's a fair step from the aire, down into the valley, and then back up out of it (repeat several times) until we finally reached it afer a three mile tab. And... it's OK. I wouldn't suggest you should walk it from the village to be honest, but I didn't fancy it in the van, and Admin wanted to walk, so walk it we did.

Elf & Safety would have a fit in the UK.

M did well too. I was slightly concerned that some of the gradients might be a little steep - and some are steep - given her asthma, but she was fine. It was good to get some exercise after a few days without much to be honest.

The picnic of fresh bread, brie, Comté, tomatoes, and lemon Free Damm 0% went down well, and set us up for the long walk by a different route, mostly uphill, back.

And then it rained. Not much to be fair, and it held off until we got back to the aire, which was rapidly filling up, including three other Brit vehicles; the most I've seen together since leaving the boat in March.

Night night St Ybard

Tuesday

Dull and grey, but warm and dry. Good enough.

Van chores complete, the next job was to manouvre out of our space past a tree branch that was lower that our roof, and past a large A Class that was parked a little too close and so far back in his space it made it extremely difficult to extricate ourselves.

Still, with a bit of back and forwards we managed by the thickness of a few coats of paint (with ours - and his - still intact).

The gormless owner just stood between the two vans during the entire process. I was sorely tempted to run over his dozy Dutch toes...

Back onto the A20 motorway north, thankfully sans-incident this time, we headed north, then struck out on minor roads to Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, which proved to be decked out with more flowers (biodegradeable plastic, mostly) than I've ever seen. Very pretty, but no idea as yet why. We'll find out soon enough.

Our berth is on yet another free car park aire, with a view, and free facilities. It might not be as pretty and kempt as the last one, but it's not that far off. I'm very happy with Admin's choice once again. She's getting good at this.

So much better than Madame le Google, which conducted us on a grand tour of the town with a series of more and more bizarre instructions. When you pass the same roundabout and odd looking 'lady' at least three times you begin to doubt your own sanity.

The town centre, just a few metres from the aire, turned out to be exceptionally attractive in a mediaeval French fashion.

It too was thoroughly decked-out in flowers, and after Admin had consulted a slightly less reticent Madame le-Google we learned why.

It seems we have just missed a major pilgrimage event, which happens every seven years, when relics normally kept in the church in their caskets are paraded around the town for the edification of around 600 pilgrims and probably many more townsfolk.

Sadly it happened on the day it absolutely batted it down with pleut.

Maybe someone is trying to tell someone something?

Anyhow, we took lunch at Le Deux Tours right in the town centre, and I haven't enjoyed lunch out so much in years - and it was fantastic value too.

There's no menu: you get a choice of cheese (begrudgingly) or steak (enthusiastically) with your chips, salad, bread, and some cheeses on the side...

Let's just say that they know how to do a very very good steak here.

Wednesday

A pleasant enough morning to sort the van ready for another move - this time to M's cousin Rob's house, west of Confolens and close to Champagne Mouton.

We spent a night here last year, and it was so peaceful and secluded we had to return.

First, though, I just had to take a small detour to visit a place I've long wanted to see; Oradour-sur-Glane.

The Remembered

We passed close by last year, but the timing was off, and the weather poor, so this time, in beautiful sunshine, I couldn't pass it up.

The mid-twentieth century history of this place is one of utter horror.

I won't go into it too much here, as the whole awful story is very comprehensively covered elsewhere.

Suffice to say that the photo galleries of the victims at the entrance to the razed village is surely enough to moisten the eye of the hardest soul.

So many women and so many small children were butchered that day. It's indescribable and utterly heartbreaking to imagine just what they went through

It's not to be missed though.

From the tragic, to the utterly mundane; we then needed to call in at Confolens, one of our favourite places in France. Firstly to pick up supplies from Lidl, followed by a stop at a campsite (that we also know and love) there to book three nights from this Saturday, and then, unplanned, to top up the Ad-blue at the big Intermarché on the outskirts. We saw it, noticed the Ad-blue pump, and decided to pop in. It took just over five litres, so I guess it's taken just over 12 litres since the warning lamp appeared the other day. Must check the capacity so I have some idea what's left the next time it happens. I just don't trust that gauge!

Madame le-Google played her usual tricks, sending us down a dead-end about a mile from Rob's.

Every bluddy time!

We eventually made it though, and nattered and supped tea, before decamping for Rob's favourite bar/restaurant in Champagne. A cracking place it is too, full of friendly French and English folk. We're now booked in for a meal on Friday too, so we're looking forward to that, as Rob describes it as rather special.

Thursday

Just another day relaxing - initially in bright weather, which grew increasingly breezy and slightly showery, although rather changeable.

We did venture out on the velos though, making it as far as Champagne before deciding it was just not warm/dry/calm enough to go any further. We did however pick up a couple of pastries at the boulanger, and the crossed the road for a drink at Le Café de la Paix.

A visit to Pierre, the old boy over the road, preceded a curry cooked by Rob. Excellent it was too.

Day done!

Friday

A ride out to Nantueil-en-Vallée was suggested, as apparently it's a very pretty place - and I have to concur.

It's a rather beautiful village, and has gone on the list to revisit in the future (that's a growing list).

It was helped by some of the best weather we've had for some time, but even in the rain it would be lovely, I'm sure.

We returned 'home' mid-afternoon for a very light late lunch, necessarily light due to the dire warnings of the portion sizes we could expect tonight at Café de la Paix.

Can't wait!

The Mill Canal, Nanteuil. Dragonfly Central!

Rob was not wrong about the portions. The Côte de Bouef that M and I both had was huge, and partially cooked over the smokey open wood fire in the bar, imparting an incredible flavour, before being finished in Yannick's kitchen. The accompanying chips and salad were excellent too, along with the company.

If you're passing near Champagne Mouton, I'd definitely recommend calling in at de la Paix, even if it's just for a café or a biere or vin

Thanks Rob. Like I said, the next one is definitely on us.

Saturday

Another gloriously warm day beckons.

Moving day though, as we are having three nights at the riverside campsite that we stayed a couple of nights at last September - and on exactly the same pitch right on the Vienne's bank.

Standard bread and cheese lunch made even better by the view and the weather.

Fish and Chips from the local chip-oil tonight too!

To be continued in the next one...

The route so far

Mileage so far: 2672