France 76 - a perfect day, a perfect castle, a perfect sunset and a perfect campsite

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Sometimes a place feels right and Beynac felt just like that . A perfect place , the perfect castle perched atop the hill, the perfect view from Suzy's windows and the perfect weather. In fact the perfect day.

After breakfast of croissants and orange juice we set off for the village of Beynac and its magical castle. The weather was set fair. We not in a hurrying mood as we had all day to do nothing in. We were not going anywhere until tomorrow.

The campsite has direct access onto a woodland complete with pond. This provides an easy 15 minute walk to Beynac. The woodland provided shade from the hot sun and as I walked I imagined what the wood might have looked full of Bluebells that archetypal English woodland Spring flower with its heady scent. This wood didnt have any.

We came out onto a stoney path along which ran a tiny brook. The houses were to die for. I felt like the programme Who lives in a house like this? They were all fantastically pretty with mellow stonework, large grassy gardens and planted with Easter white lilies. One house in particular had a stream running alongside it and in that stream were the pretty cobalt blue dragonflies. Skimming over the water they looked like dancing jewels.

After 15 minutes we did indeed end up in Beynac. It has one main road running through it. Cafes and restuarants line the river side and on the water are the barges which take day trippers up and down the Dordogne. Plenty of opportunities to stop off and relax with a drink.

The road to the castle is at the top end of Beynac depending which way you are coming. On the tiny square are souvenir shops and more cafes. And that climb to the castle. Pretty houses line the way up and it is a climb but time passes quickly as you watch the scenery unfold beneath you. I can see why balloon trips are popular in this part of the world. The houses all have pretty gardens with roses climbing every possible wall.

We set ourselves a challenge to see how many people we could pass on the way up. Two pensioners taking on younger walkers and we managed to pass quite a few.

At the top we stopped awhile and people watched. Glenn had been in the castle before so we give it a miss and walked back down again. In conversation on the way back with some American tourists. One thing we have noticed here is that we have seen a lot more of the Brits on tour. We have seen few on our travels so far but they are here in force.

At the bottom of the hill we returned to our little path back to the campsite. We sat outside in the sun just doing nothing. Another book read this time a Quick Read. One produced to be read in a lunchbreak or over a couple of tea breaks at work. The story was of a woman in a car parked on the ice on a lake who quite clearly was not going to make it. A psychic - well a phoney one at that - heard about the missing woman and wanted to cash in on the families grief by offering her services. She called on the grieving husband who had actually put his wife in her car in the middle of lake to get rid of the evidence and told him she could help if he paid her. He listened to her story. His wife was cold - well she would be given she was dead at the bottom of a frozen lake . The husband guessed she had seen him putting the car onto the lake and went into the kitchen to get a scarf to throttle the psychic. On return he attempted to strangle her but she found a knitting needle which she plunged into him and killed him. Twist in the tale - daughter turns up and admits she actually killed her mother. Music on too. Eddie Stobarts Trucking Songs - sing along loud music which we enjoy . Queen, Meatloaf, Albert Hammond and Starship we sang along to all of them.

The evening came and we enjoyed yet another fabulous sunset over the castle .

We are still heading home - Meng Zi said that "Along the path one must turn back in order to seek oneself". We are now turning back and home is coming closer by the day.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

France
A great view

[JenGog]

a grat view
Yes sometimes the view from your back window can be stunning