Days 8 to 10 / 19 to 21 Jun

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We drove from Duras to Crayssacs near Cahors. It rained all day and the chosen campsite had about 4 occupants and felt desolate. We had a cycle between showers. It was very pretty and very hilly. We left early morning in the rain for a 4 hour journey to our next destination, Florac.

Now our Tom Tom sat nav has been fine, and although our trip to Florac was Midi Pyrenees we hadn’t given it much thought. The usual D roads were fine, and two and half hours in the weather had brightened up. We were aware we had entered the National Parc area by the mountainous scenes, very Austrian even. And the roads climbed quite gradually and the views were wonderful. Then it started getting tricky. You’ve seen those hairpin bends in the Italian Job, well, we got stuck on a pretty narrow one! As the gradient got steeper and we were going uphill the front wheels wouldn’t grip, they just spun. The smell of burning rubber was as sickening as the feeling of being stuck and not knowing how we would get out of it. After some minute manouvers from that skilful van driver we call Derek, we got up that particular bend, and then negotiated the next five kilometres of hairpins in first gear! I’m sure the views were spectacular, but when all you can think about is how the hell are we going to make this, you just can’t appreciate them! At the point where the road levelled and we arrived at a junction our lovely sat nav lady wanted to go straight across – a road that was very specifically signed no caravans and no lorries. Feeling that our campervan just couldn’t take any more we ignored her, much to her “turn around when possible” and decided we might abandon our original Florac choice. Studying our good old fashioned printed map we headed for major roads, and bizarrely, two hours later than our satnav had predicted we managed to find our campsite. It was the best campsite ever! Not just in light of our near death experience (exaggeration I know) but it was in a tranquil spot on a lovely river. Run out of internet time to upload pics of Derek taking a morning swim in river. Stayed two days to recover!

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Photos

From Duras to Cahors
Pretty Scenery

The Tricky Stuff
Views after from the top

On the way to Florac
After the scary bit

The Florac camp site
Tranquil river side camping spot