From the Viaur to Cheval du Roi

The walk was graded difficult in our walking book (walk no. PR34 in L'Aveyron a pied TopoGuides), probably due to an unrelenting climb of 1,200 feet.  It started at the valley bottom by the River Viaur and it was such a beautiful spot we decided to have lunch first.  Sitting with a picnic overlooking the river we saw the unmistakable iridescent blue of kingfishers streaking past.  We thought we knew this river so well, but this stretch was unfamiliar.  

The path followed the road for a bit, gradually climbing away from the river.  Then it was straight up via an old mule track.  We gained height fairly quickly, but even so it was a long slog uphill to reach the Cheval du Roi.  Some of the landmarks were familiar to us from when we took part in the Marche Gourmande at Lescure Jaoul (see blog post from July).  The villages on high looked desolate now with all the holiday homes shut up.  The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, but hard to capture on camera.   

The path circled around the Cheval du Roi before heading back down.  A mistake where we turned left when we should have turned right ended with us being confronted by a couple of loose guard dogs – not a pleasant experience, but at least it forced us to turn back and thereby realise our mistake.  We should have turned right and walked behind an old chapel (Chapelle de Murat), but a parked truck was obscuring the sign (well that’s our excuse!)  There were sounds of work being carried out inside the chapel and Richard, spying someone, stopped to check we were going the right way.  The man invited us in to look at the chapel.  

Plaster was being chipped away inside by a group of volunteers to reveal ancient frescoes.  The volunteers were all from the troisieme age, French, except for an Irishman who joked that he was in charge of the wheelbarrow and just did as he was told.  They were so kind and welcoming even offering us a drink from their cool box.    It was interesting to learn some of the history of the Chapelle de Murat and that of the ruined Chateau de Roumegous, which stood above.  They expect the renovations to be completed next year and we promised to go back and see the finished result.  They posed for a couple of photos before waving us on our way.  It was only 30 minutes back to the car from here, but by now our feet were hurting.  

Chateau de Roumegous

When we got back to our picnic spot we were joined by a couple walking with a donkey.  They were obviously settling down to camp for the night so we left them to enjoy the last of the sun’s rays.  Another great day in and above the Viaur valley, a place we love so much.    

A Close Encounter.............!

The village of La Vinzelle is famous for its very large bell, La Campana Bella, but we were here to walk on the Sentier des Buissieres, which starts by the cemetery.   It is a two hour circular walk wending its way around the village with some short ascents and descents.  The prettiest point was high up when the path led through a carpet of purple heather.   The views up here were breathtaking.  At first the village was above us clinging to the hillside and then, as we gained height, we were satisfied to see it below us.

A little over halfway we heard voices and went to investigate.  It was a group of hunters, clad in bright orange, overlooking a field below the path.   We were surprised to see them as it was a main walking path, a Saturday and lunchtime!  The eldest hunter squinted at us and when we asked if it was dangerous for us to carry on along the path he said we should turn back.    We’ve never been good at going back!   We explained we wanted to continue – he looked a bit unsure and then two more walkers hurried by so he had no choice, but to let us carry on.  One of the hunters had a radio and said he would let the other hunters know we were on the path.  As we left, he wished us “bonne chance,” which was slightly disconcerting! 

I’ve never been fast at going downhill, but the risk of getting shot made my legs move more quickly.  I was pleased I was wearing a bright red top.  We could hear the dogs in the woods above us and then suddenly they were behind us.  Reaching a clearing, where we hoped we would be seen, we stood and watched, being sure to make lots of noise.  The hunting dogs had so much character and were surprisingly agile as they made their way over the rocks.  They were completely disinterested in us.  Their tails wagged enthusiastically as they picked up the scent of their prey, a fox which had rushed passed us in a blur a few minutes earlier.  We knew that the hunters were looking for sanglier (wild boar) not foxes.  Looking up I could see a lone hunter perched on an outcrop of rock like a bright orange sentinel.  As we shouted he spotted us and indicated with a wave of his gun that it was safe for us to continue.  

La Vinzelle

The rest of the walk passed uneventfully, thank goodness.  We arrived back at the village and went up to look at the famous bell.  A sign politely asks visitors to refrain from ringing the bell, although it was very tempting! 

Close by, the Auberge du Peyral (open April to September) was doing a roaring trade and we managed to get the last table.  We sat on the airy terrace tucking into delicious salads and sipping cold rose wine as the River Lot sparkled in the sunlight far below.

Auberge du Peyral

The start of the Sentier du Peyral a short circular walk - we did this too!

Getting away - eventually!

Have we lost the ability to just get up and go?  Now we check the weather forecast endlessly, research places to stay, pack some food – in the past we just went and took our chances and it always turned out well.  So on Friday, after a day of procrastinating when we decided that the Pyrenees were going to be too wet, the coast too busy and Spain too far for a weekend, we opted to stay closer to home.  One thing was certain, we had enjoyed our previous camping trip so much that we fancied another night or two under canvas.  We had, of course(!), done some research on the internet for suitable campsites and narrowed it down to two, both on the banks of the River Lot in the Northern Aveyron.  When we arrived at the first campsite the pitches were tiny and everything looked desolate.  The nearby town didn’t look any better, so we carried on up the valley towards the border with Cantal.  What a beautiful place it is.  The second campsite, Camping La Plaine, close to the pretty village of Saint Parthem, looked perfect.  The Dutch owner, told us to choose our pitch – things are very quiet at this time of year.   He also told us about a fabulous walk, the Sentier des Buissieres, (more on that in my next post).    

We pitched our tent overlooking the river and ate our picnic lunch in the sun.    The River Lot here is so different from the broad deep river we know further downstream.  We definitely had a room with a view and the sound of the river rushing by was soporific.  In the morning a family of wild boar were spotted on the opposite bank, but unfortunately we missed them - in the rush to get away we had forgotten to pack our binoculars!  

The Viaur Valley

The Viaur Valley is a special place.  The river Viaur divides the departments of the Aveyron and the Tarn.  It is our favourite river for swimming and our favourite valley for walking.  There is even a roc escalade (climbing/abseiling area) – we’ll give it a go one of these days.  This time we were heading for the pretty village of Laurelie, which sits nestled in the hills overlooking the valley, opposite the slightly higher village of Bar, which is strung out along a ridge.  We parked the car by Le Moulin de Bar and set out upstream along the road running by the river.  As the road bends, we took a path leading off into the woods.  It is a tranquil path, shady in the summer, with only the sound of the rushing water to accompany you.  After about twenty minutes the path begins its sinuous accent up the hillside.   We were once joined by a ferret on this walk – a first for us!   The creature would bound ahead and wait for us to catch up.  In the end he got bored disappearing into the undergrowth.  It is a fairly gradual climb, but finishes with a short, sharp, steep incline – the view is worth the effort.  The path arrives at Laurelie.  You then have three options, to take the marked footpath to Bar, to take the road to Bar or to walk down the road towards the river.  We took the latter route.  As we sauntered downhill we could see a family of wild boar (sanglier) in the distance.  Even they seemed unhurried on this perfect summer evening.     

Bar

View from the bridge

A Walk With William

We last did this walk in April 2013  - see earlier blog post:-  

http://ninetoednomad.blogspot.fr/2013/04/a-walk-down-aveyron.html.  

Then we were lucky enough to see our first otter in the Aveyron River.  No such luck today, although we did spot a deer in the woods at the start of the walk.  The climb uphill took us 45 minutes – we must be out of condition!  As we got to the top, we joined the GR36 on a broad track, where there is a beautiful view of Najac.  The track becomes a tarmac road as it goes through some houses (Le Bastit).  This is where we picked up William!  We tried to reason with him that we were going on a long walk, but he kept following us!  There are GR red and white flashes to mark the way.  After about 25 minutes you turn left at a junction – again it is signposted the GR36.  After 10 minutes you turn right on the Chemin des Enfants where the trees are festooned with toys.  Now there’s an idea for all those pre-loved toys!  

Continue on the path as it goes downhill over a stream and then through a conifer forest.  Ignore the first right fork uphill and keep going straight.  Take the next right fork still on the GR36.  Eventually you will arrive on the edge of Mergieux holiday village.  Since we did the walk last April Mergieux has closed and now looks rather forlorn.  The path now runs downhill to the river Aveyron.   Turn left (right follows the GR36 towards Laguepie).  

We stopped on our usual rock for our picnic – last April the river was so swollen our rock was submerged.   The rest of the walk was a nice easy one by the river back to Najac, the only obstacle being crossing the railway bridge – we had to improvise and so made the rucksack into a lead for William!   

The walk took us longer than usual (5 hours), probably because we sat and pondered along the way, absorbing the movement and life along the river.  And what about William? Well lucky for us he had a collar with his name and telephone number on so we took him home while we made the call.  Unlucky for us the telephone number didn’t work!  So we ended up driving him back to the spot he had joined us where he was reunited with the man who was looking after him – his owners are away.    We were sad to see him go.

The Aveyron Valley Bowl

Najac stretched along the ridge

This weekend we stayed even closer to home – in fact the walk started from our front door!  We followed the yellow flashes of the local PR path.  It is a circular walk descending deep into the Aveyron valley to the river and then climbing back up over a rocky track to the hamlet of La Loubiere.   The walk is detailed in the Topo Guide – Les plus beaux villages de l’Aveyron a pied.  We chose the 9km circuit (walk no. 20).   It is one of my favourite local walks.   Much of it is along quiet roads.  The route takes you past La Singlarie where our friends run an organic farm.  For the most part, the walk rewards the walker with stunning views of Najac and its castle.  As we descended we spotted a bank of wild strawberries, which we feasted on (okay there weren't that many and they were tiny, but oh so tasty!) The climb back out of the valley gets your heart pumping, but it is worth it for the vast panorama when you reach the top.  Occasionally, on a clear winter’s day, you can see the snow-capped Pyrenees looming on the horizon. 

Lunch!

Wild flowers