A tale of two river walks

Both walks involved a river, but they couldn’t have been more different.

The first walk was flat.  The second walk was hilly.

Lunch for the first walk was a pint in a pub.  For the second walk lunch was a picnic overlooking a beautiful view of the valley.

On the first walk we saw lots of people.  On the second walk we didn’t see a soul.

On the first walk the banks of the river were a carpet of yellow daffodils.  On the second walk it was pale lilac wild flowers that provided the colour. 

The first walk was last week along the Thames path from Marlow to Hambleden.  The walk took about 5 hours including breaks.  It was a perfect spring day.  The walk is a circular one crossing over the weir at Hambleden lock.   The path takes you through the Culham Estate and beneath the impressive façade of Culham House.  There is a great pub about half-way – The Flower Pot, a traditional unpretentious place with local beer.  We happened to arrive there at lunchtime – perfect. 

Culham House

We chose yesterday, for our second walk.  It turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far in our region of France.   The walk, rated medium difficulty is three and a half hours, 13 kms in length and was another one taken from Le Lot apied.  We parked in the hamlet of Sauliac-sur-Cele.  This tiny hamlet used to boast two impressive schools, both closed in the 1970s, just like the one we live in.  The fields surrounding the hamlet  must have been very different then, full of agricultural workers.  Now the fields were empty.   

It was a gentle ascent up on to the causse, through a wood of moss draped trees.  On the way up there were views across the Cele valley to Sauliac-sur-Cele.  A circular walk, it eventually came back down to the river where we followed a narrow path through the trees.

Both walks ended in a shopping trip, the first a trip to Waitrose the second a trip to Leclerc!