Weeks
proposed: 2Oth April - 15th June
KEY
POINTS OF THE WEEK
This week takes you to some of the most beautiful 'bastides'
of South West France. We will lunch in the central squares
of two of them. Monpazier and Monflanquin.
The
square at Monpazier
French
gastronomy is of world renown and you will be eating very
well on this walk. Although you will be missing the traditional
homeliness of the slow cooking of the south west, this week
is for those who enjoy the finer side of French food.
There
will be three picnics for sampling delicious wines, cheeses
and other delicacies that are the bones to the fame of French
gastronomy.
Lavender
field in the Quercy
You
will be walking through landscape where many of the great
'chevauchées' of the Hundred Years War took place and
we will be touching on this subject and talking a little of
what happened during this romantic period of historical interest
(see notes on The Hundred Years War).
Walking
through pasture
Accommodation
is centred round auberges of 'charme' and great character.
Moulin de Labique has a beautiful garden that attracts a wonderful
cacophony of bird song in the morning.
The
longer walks are accompanied by pack animals. The bags on
the donkeys will carry chilled Pineau and water and Diana's
home-made biscuits and lemon juice. Also the donkeys will
be carrying any bags etc. you should wish to take with you.
Segos
heights
You
will be covering not more than eighteen kilometres in the
day but generally speaking you will average about twelve kilometres
daily. If you ever feel tired there will be an opportunity
to take an afternoon off after lunch and relax at your hotel
to read or paint or shop … or just sleep.
Tobacco
drying
You
visit two châteaux of distinction: Bonaguil, a magnificent
castle so fondly referred to by T. E. Lawrence in his diaries,
and Château Biron, a vast fortified château thick
with layers of centuries of architecture built by the Gontault
Biron family.
Chateau
Bonaguil
We
finish the week in the medieval city of Cahors at a restaurant
('Le Balandre') with an international reputation for its 'south
west' cuisine.
Click
here for the full itinerary