Day 1  You arrive in the afternoon at Toulouse airport to be met by James.  We drive to the pretty village of Concots for an ice cold beer or tea in the tiny bar-cum-bakery before carrying on to the beautiful cliff- hanging village of Saint Cirq Lapopie.  You will be staying here for your three nights in the charm and comfort of La Pelissaria, surrounded by cliffs and the river Lot below.  It is indeed a very pretty medieval village and an ideal way to sit back, relax and enjoy the weekend!

Saint Cirq Lapopie

Day 2  After a breakfast of meltingly delicious croissants we set off for a walk down the famous ‘Chemin d’Halage’, the old nineteenth century tow path hewn into the limestone cliffs beside the river Lot, and we continue to the tiny riverside port of Bouziès.  From here we drive into Cahors for the hustle and bustle of the wonderful market held under the towering façade of the Romanesque cathedral.  No better welcome to France than this!  After the market a delicious lunch in a favourite restaurant of James and Diana’s before driving to the extraordinary pre-historic cave of Pech-Merle.  This cave houses some wonderful masterpieces of speleological naturalness and drawings of the Solutrean and Magdalenian periods.  Afterwards we walk a little in the Célé valley finishing with a drink in the village of Cabrerets before returning to Saint Cirq Lapopie for dinner and well-earned bed.  Walk 5 kms

Cliffs and poppies

Day 3  Again the same tempting ‘croissants aux beurre’ and strong black coffee before a short drive to one of the most beautiful parts of the Célé valley.  We will meet Daniel and the donkeys and walk along the river towards the ancient village of Marcilhac.  A wonderful ruin of Romanesque abbey, crumbling on the banks of the meandering river, greets us as we cross the second stone bridge that spans the babbling brook.  Lunch ‘Chez Pierette’.  This has always been one of the favourites of our Haut Quercy walk and it is where Pompidou used to eat when on holiday.  Pierrette busily serves us with deliciously fresh salads and succulently tender meats and will not let us go until everything has been eaten!  A walk then in the afternoon to the village of Monteils and on to the village of Sauliac where the cars will be waiting for us.  From here we drive back to Saint Cirq for dinner and once again; well-earned bed.  Walk 7kms morning  8kms afternoon

Pastoral eglantine

Day 4  A relaxing morning in the beauty of Saint Cirq before a short drive to the simple Causse village of Beauregard.  We will start the walk in the pretty square and walk past various intriguing dolmens and gariottes (ancient drystone shepherd’s huts) before finishing in the majesty of Château Couanac: a turreted Renaissance château that sits in its wonderful parkland of large-girthed oaks and maples.  Here the Countess d’Armagnac de Castanet will receive us for a picnic lunch in the grounds before we drive to Toulouse to catch the flight home.  Walk 6kms

   
Pasture picnic