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Hausfrau's Berner Oberland - Rhone - Dordogne - Massif Central - Picardie Trip Report

Hausfrau's Berner Oberland - Rhone - Dordogne - Massif Central - Picardie Trip Report

Old Mar 29th, 2007, 12:06 PM
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Hausfrau's Berner Oberland - Rhone - Dordogne - Massif Central - Picardie Trip Report

Because elliottp asked me to (little did he know what he was asking), I am going to list my itinerary from my late October Switzerland/France trip with DH and DP (that's Dear Parents) below. If you want to hear more, let me know! (You know I'll post it, it just might take a while. ;-))

1 – Stuttgart to Kandersteg, Switzerland (Hotel Adler)
2 – Hike around Oeschinensee, night in Kandersteg
3 – Train from Interlochen to Kleine Scheidegg, night in Kandersteg
4 – Kandersteg to Rhone Valley (La Treille Muscate, Cliousclat)
5 – Tour Rhone Valley, night in Cliousclat
6 – Rhone Valley to Domme, Dordogne Valley (L’Esplanade)
7 – Dordogne (La Roque Gageac, Castlenaud) night in Domme
8 – Dordogne (Jardins de Marqueyssac, Beynac) night in Domme
9 – Dordogne (Sarlat, Les Cabanes de Breuil) night in Domme
10 – Dordogne to Massif Central (Ma Cachette, Arlanc)
11 – Le Puy en Velay, night in Arlanc
12 – Arlanc to Clermont Ferrand to Puy de Dome to St. Nectaire (Hotel Mercure)
13 – Massif Central, night in St. Nectaire
14 – Massif Central to Picardie (stay with friends in Amiens)
15 – with friends, night in Amiens
16 – Bay of the Somme, night in Amiens
17 – Home to Stuttgart
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Old Mar 29th, 2007, 12:28 PM
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You are the one regular that inserts names in their own posts. Just names of the places may be okay you know!
 
Old Mar 29th, 2007, 12:48 PM
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Ummmmm...sorry if I've committed some sort of faux pas, but I've seen many people inlude their name in the title of trip reports. This is only my second report, and I've only done it so that people who have helped me out (or asked for the report, in this case) might actually see it in the deluge of posts.
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Old Mar 29th, 2007, 12:54 PM
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hi, Hausfrau,

take no notice of the OP- s/he's just being picky.

Because of previous contacts, i am always pleased to see a post/new thread from you, and look forward very much to reading more, particularly the swiss bit as though we've been skiing there, we've never done any walking.

regards, ann

regards, ann
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Old Mar 29th, 2007, 03:06 PM
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hausfrau, Similar sentiments as Annhig. Please post.

 
Old Mar 30th, 2007, 01:09 AM
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The participants: me, my husband (DH), my mom (DM), and my dad (DD). DH and I live in Stuttgart; DM & DD were visiting from the States
The transport: our own car, with Susie, our navigation unit
The agenda: scenic walks, gorgeous vistas, medieval villages, all manner of castles, and really good food & wine!

DAY 1: TO SWITERZLAND!
By the time we actually got the car loaded up and underway it was 12:30 pm, but fortunately it was only about a four-hour drive from Stuttgart to our destination: Kandersteg, Switzerland. I drove for a nice long unlimited-speed stretch on the A81 and then turned the wheel over to DH. It was a beautiful, clear fall day and we drove through gorgeous rolling countryside and forested hills just beginning to show autumn colors. Once we we got into Switzerland there was lots of traffic, no scenery, and interminably low speed limits as we skirted Zürich and Bern. Finally we left the city behind and headed up into the mountains. I began to recognize the lush green slopes, postcard perfect chalets, and rocky crags of the Bernese Oberland, which I hadn’t seen in over fifteen years.

We arrived in Kandersteg (population 1,200, elevation 1,200 meters, located at the end of a narrow valley southeast of Bern) in the early evening and drove down the main street until we found the Hotel Adler, a classic Swiss chalet. Our friends found this hotel years ago when they lived in Germany, and my family stayed there on my first trip to Europe in 1990. I remembered its intricately carved wood façade and simple, comfortable rooms, along with the view out the back windows over the train station to the horn-shaped mountain in the distance. DM and DD went for a walk before dinner and reported that the locals still walk their milk cows down the main street in the evening on the way home from their pastures.

We had dinner in the Adler’s dining room, which has been significantly expanded and renovated since we were here last. DH and I had a delicious venison dish accompanied by red cabbage, roasted chestnuts, stuffed pears, and spätzli. DM had another venison dish and DD had a three-course menu consisting of a dried beef plattter, fondue, and a funny meringue dessert. His fondue was to die for so I vowed to try it if we ate at the restaurant again.

Next: Hiking around Oeschinensee
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 01:34 AM
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DAY 2: ASTOUNDING OESCHINENSEE
Our first day in Switzerland dawned bright and balmy – perfect hiking weather. We had a simple breakfast of cold cuts, cheese, and breads at the hotel and then set off. One of Kandersteg’s biggest attractions is its proximity to a gorgeous glacial lake called Oeschinensee, which can be reached by hiking up a steep gravel road or, more sensibly, by taking a 10-minute Sesselbahn (chairlift) ride up the side of the mountain. It took about fifteen minutes to walk from our hotel to the chairlift, where we bought roundtrip tickets (19 CHF pp, and the hotel gave us a discount card). The double chairlift is unique because the chairs hang sideways, so you get to look at the valley spilling out beneath your feet. The lift operators offer you a heavy wool blanket to lie over your lap if you think you will get cold. We all stood at the top for a few minutes and enjoyed the clear view across the valley. The mountains across from us sparkled in gray, gold, and green under brilliant blue skies with just a few wisps of cloud, while Kandersteg was still hidden in shadow far below.

It’s a twenty-minute walk across a broad alpine pasture and through a bit of forest to the small cluster of restaurants and hotels at the lakeshore. The opaque turquoise waters of Oeschinensee came into view between the evergreen boughs and I knew we were in for a great day. I purchased a bottle of water at the restaurant and then all four of us set off on the hiking trail that skirts the left side of the lake. I had set my sights on hiking to a Hütte on the far side of the lake – maybe about 2 miles away. Swiss hiking is very civilized in that many popular hiking routes have as their destination (in addition to some remarkable scenic vista) a well-appointed “hut,” usually consisting of a simple restaurant offering drinks and comfort food, toilet facilities, and sometimes a rustic hostel-style lodge where you can spend the night.

The trail followed the lakeshore at first, then began climbing up along a broken rock face that cascades in a series of shelves and terraces down to the lake. Along the way we enjoyed the views of snow-capped peaks, hanging glaciers, a little waterfalls all around us. Eventually DM and DD turned back to return to the lakeshore for lunch. DH and I forged on ahead, determined to make it to the Hütte. As we approached the far end of the lake the trail flattened out a little, traversing a wooden footbridge over a gurgling stream that tumbled down a boulder-strewn hillside above us. We looked straight up at jagged gray cliffs, interspersed with patches of orange-gold grass, all quite dramatic against a perfect blue sky. A few cottony clouds rolled in and bumped up against the cliffs high above us. We encountered only a handful of people on the trail today; I remembered reading that the chairlift was scheduled to close the next day, presumably not to reopen until the skiing season begins in December.

Finally we arrived at the Hütte, where the friendly blonde proprietress was sitting in the sun reading a book. She greeted us and immediately offered us her table, which had the best view. It was warm enough for a T-shirt but cool enough to enjoy a bowl of hearty barley soup and sausage. We had fun talking to the waitress, who spoke Swiss German (a little hard to follow, but we got the general idea). It was hard to leave our comfortable spot on the deck, but we wanted to explore a bit more above the hut before heading back. We hiked past an abandoned cabin and stopped on a grassy shelf of rock that ended in a sheer wall dropping away to the lake far below. Amazingly, we could see that the trail continued along the cliff face by virtue of a chain strung between metal poles, but we weren’t up for that sort of adventure today. We sat in the grass for a while, taking in the view, before returning back the way we had come.

This is a great day trip for anyone who wants to do some light hiking. For heartier souls, you can hike up a very steep, rocky slope to the Freundenhütte (sp??) perched high on a ridge on the opposite side of the lake.

Back down on the valley floor, the afternoon light, billowing clouds, gold-tinged trees, and pastoral scene of cows, rustic fences, and barns made for some memorable photographs. We passed by a beautiful stone church and took a stroll through town, stopping to buy some wine and pastries at a little market before heading back to the hotel.

We decided to try the Café Schweizerhof just down the street for dinner. (Some places were closed – the whole town was pretty quiet since this is the low season between summer hiking and winter skiing.) The menu looked interesting but when we walked in, the entire waitstaff was hanging out at a back table smoking, and they all looked up at us as if we had interrupted their good time. We felt really awkward but I figured that any other place might be just as dead, so we settled in at a table. A couple of other parties did eventually come in, but it was by no means a busy Saturday night in Kandersteg. I asked our friendly waitress right at the start if they took credit cards; she said no, so I had to run out and visit an ATM machine down the street since we hadn’t gotten any Swiss Francs yet. DD and I had steak with delicious “fried” mushroom ravioli, DM had veal with a creamy morel sauce, and DH had a huge portion of venison and rösti (a traditional Swiss dish of shredded, fried potatoes topped with bacon, cheese, and onions)…I can’t say that Swiss food is very healthy, but it sure is delicious!
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 01:46 AM
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DAY 3: A NEAR-CATASTROPHE & KLEINE SCHEIDEGG
We planned to spend our second full day in Switzerland driving to Lauterbrunnen (that should read Lauterbrunnen, not Interlochen, in my original itinerary post) and taking the cog train up to Kleine Scheidegg. We got going quickly enough after breakfast and were probably about twenty miles down the valley from Kandersteg when our car’s tire pressure warning sounded. We pulled over at a gas station, which was closed, it being Sunday, but fortunately one of those nifty portable tire pressure canisters that they have in Europe was just sitting out next to the pumps. DH checked the pressure in all of the tires and found the one that was low…then we found the giant screw that had driven itself into the right rear tire. Just our luck, to get a flat tire on the second day of a two-week road trip. We had no idea when it had happened, so we didn’t know if we had a slow leak or if it was going to go flat in the next mile. DH pumped up the tire and we decided to drive towards Lauterbrunnen and hope for an open gas station. Fortunately we came to a BP station in short order, but it did not have any sort of maintenance facility attached to it. DH and I went inside and DH told the lady behind the counter that we had a nail in our tire, and was there someone we could call to get help. She procured a binder from under the counter, looked up the name of a roadside assistance service, and pointed out the number to us. Then, after looking us over for a moment, she reconsidered and asked if we’d like her to call for us. She did, and we went out to the car to wait.

After about 20 minutes the Pannendienst (“break-down service”) showed up in the form of a bright yellow Land Cruiser. The mechanic was a grizzled but spry older man in a spiffy blue-and-gray jumpsuit who spoke German with a thick Swiss accent. DH showed him the offending screwhead and the mechanic set to work pulling it out and repairing the tire with a rubber plug. Partway into this process, a woman with a couple of kids in tow showed up, obviously acquainted with the mechanic, and he proceeded to have a ten-minute conversation with her while we were standing there trying not to look impatient. Finally he finished the job, explained his fee system, and wrote out a receipt for us. It cost 85 Swiss Francs (about $50). With this near-catastrophe averted and only about an hour of our day lost, we proceeded on to Lauterbrunnen without further incident. All I can say is that those tire pressure indicators are worth it.

Lauterbrunnen is another mountain resort town, about twice the size of Kandersteg, and a major stop on the cog train route up to the high mountain hamlet of Kleine Scheidegg. As we drove into Lauterbrunnen, I distinctly remembered the lovely waterfall cascading several hundred feet down the white cliff face above town. The cliffs, waterfalls, and lush greenery of the Lauterbrunnen valley are said to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Rivendell, home of the Elves.

We found the parking garage for the train station and went inside to purchase our tickets for the Wengernalpbahn – the world’s longest continous cogwheel railway (about 20 kilometers). A train was leaving in two minutes and the next one would not come for nearly an hour, so one of the workers waved us across the tracks and we boarded the train for the 45-minute ride up the mountain. The weather was once again spectacular – blue sky and wispy clouds framing an astonishing panorama of lush forested slopes tinged here and there with autumn gold, quaint chalets and ancient farmsteads, the occasional doe-eyed Swiss cow grazing placidly in an emerald green pasture, and of course the jagged snow-capped peaks of the Bernese Alps. The train stopped briefly in the traffic-free village of Wengen, then continued slowly up the mountainside. As we approached Kleine Scheidegg, the string of three famous peaks slowly came into view: Mönch, Jungfrau, and Eiger. The last time I was here, the mountaintops were completely shrouded in clouds and we could only see halfway up the famous “Wall” of the Eiger, so it was simply stunning to see them revealed in full sun. We disembarked at Kleine Scheidegg, which is a cluster of hotels and restaurants, a hiking base in the summer and a small ski area in the winter. From Kleine Scheidegg you can take a train that tunnels through the Eiger and the Mönch nine kilometers to the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe, perched at 3,454 meters on an icy saddle of rock just below the Jungfrau.

It was so warm that we ate lunch outside with an awesome view of the mountains and the Grindelwald valley sprawling out before us. We saw hardcore mountain bikers trundling up the trail below us, watched cog trains making their way up from Grindelwald and disappearing into the tunnel through the Eiger, and spotted a huge St. Bernard relaxing in the shade next to a nearby house. DH, DM and DD had variations on rösti and I had a sort of meatloaf with onion sauce. After lunch DM stayed at our lunch spot to read a book, DD took a short stroll, and DH and I went for a short but strenuous hike on a faint rocky trail up above Kleine Scheidegg. The landscape consisted of sparse grass turned golden brown, lichen-covered rocks, weather-beaten low-growing conifers, and some hardy sedums. We stopped at a lonely trail signpost and sat in the sun absorbing the view for a while. The train ride back down was equally spectacular, with the snow-covered slopes glowing bluish-white as the sun dropped low in the sky.

We headed back to Kandersteg and were just in time to see some of the cows being brought in for their evening milking. Swiss cows wear these wonderful large brass bells around their necks (just like you’ve seen in the pictures), and they make a beautiful, vaguely mournful cling-clong sound as the cows amble along. The sound of those bells easily takes you back in time, and you realize that in some ways, life here has not changed much for the past few centuries.

We ate at the Hotel Adler again – DD had a salad with smoked salmon and DM, DH and I had salads, the dried beef plattter, and fondue, which was so good (assisted by a generous dose of white wine), I think I might have just died and gone to heaven right there.
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 01:55 AM
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Whoops, I pressed post too soon.

That was it for our brief but spectacular foray in Switzerland.

Next up: The Rhône Valley, France
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 08:13 AM
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bookmarking for future reading!
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 08:33 AM
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Hausfrau- we stayed (for our 2nd time) in Kandersteg (Victoria Ritter) last summer, and did the hike around the lake. It was so nice to re-live the visit through your wonderful descriptions. Thanks.
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 09:18 AM
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Enjoying your trip report and looking forward to reading more!
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 10:24 AM
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I am in the middle of reading your report but wanted to say how much I am enjoying it! You visited two places high on my list of "must visits", the Dordogne and the Berner Oberland!

And I'm not sure what that post was about. I'm a regular and I've put my screen name in every one of my trip report titles. I've seen many others do it as well.

Tracy
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 10:53 AM
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DAY 4: TO THE RHÔNE VALLEY
Before leaving Kandersteg, DH and I took a stroll through town while DD shopped for a watch. We saw an ancient wooden chalet with the year “1556” carved under its eaves; it had just been outfitted with a new roof, the brilliant blond wood of which stood out in stark contrast to the time-darkened beams below. Just about every traditional Swiss house or hotel sports some sort of message carved in an ornate script. They often tell who built the house, in what year, with a brief blessing asking for God’s protection. Even most of the new houses we saw were built in the traditional style and had these lovely carvings. We also came across an ancient wooden water wheel that presumably powered a mill at one time. On our way out of the valley we saw some authentic Swiss cows. I have no idea what breed of cow they are, but they have a certain mousey color to them, with large, velvety ears and round, doleful eyes. They’re the sweetest cows I’ve ever seen. I made DH pull over so I could jump out and take some pictures. As soon as I walked over to the fence, all of the cows in the field turned slowly to look at me with a sort of languid curiosity, and a couple of them actually started walking towards me. I felt so guilty, having nothing to offer them, so I snapped my pictures and hurried back to the car.

Today’s agenda was to drive out of the Swiss Alps, enter France, skirt Lyon, and head south into the Rhône Valley. En route, we passed into the French portion of Switzerland, distinguished only by a sudden change of the road signs from German to French. Slowly the landscape transformed from alpine to Mediterranean – dark conifer forests, rugged mountains, and wooden chalets giving way to rolling hills dotted with chaparral-type vegetation and stone houses with terra cotta tiled roofs. We were well-stocked with a cooler full of crackers, cheese, salami, and fruit, so we ate lunch on the move.

Our destination was a charming hotel called La Treille Muscate in the tiny village of Cliousclat, known for its pottery. The hotel is an ancient ivy-covered stone house with twelve rooms and a highly praised restaurant. I had read rave reviews about it on the Fodor’s board, and my Fodor’s France book describes it as the best place to stay between Lyon and Avignon. It is truly a diamond in the rough – Cliousclat is no more than a single narrow street of stone houses and shops about 15 miles south of Valence, nestled into a hillside with awesome views of the Rhône Valley (including a rather prominent nuclear power plant with four huge cooling towers). We managed to negotiate our car into the hotel’s private parking lot and were welcomed graciously by a lovely woman whom we believe is the Madame referred to in Fodor’s – at least she seemed to match the description of “the friendly owner, who speaks English fluently but politely refrains from doing so until you have exhausted your French.” She showed us to our charming rooms, each uniquely decorated with clay tile floors, colorful curtains, ethnic rugs, and plush, comfortable furnishings. DH and I chose the second-story room with a brown velvet-covered bed, rattan and leather furniture, a storybook balcony with valley view, and a rustic tiled bathroom, while DM and DD took the “basement” room with an attached sitting room and cozy garden patio.

A storm was clearly brewing as we settled in – the wind was whipping across the valley in mighty gusts, and dark clouds were churning above. The hotel’s restaurant is closed on Mondays, so they had made a reservation for us at Chez Margot in the nearby town of Mirmande. We were among the first guests – it was a homey place with a very friendly waiter who amiably explained some of the menu items in English for us. We all ordered off the 26 Euro menu and were uniformly pleased. I had leek quiche with a green salad, followed by the lamb shank with potato gratin and sautéed cabbage and carrot, then coffee mousse with pralines for dessert. DM had a lovely chicken liver “gâteau”, the lamb shank, and a light dessert involving orange and grapefruit (we learned that “agrubes” refers to a mix of citrus). DD had ravioli in garlic sauce, pintade (a small gamebird) stuffed with olives, and he didn’t remember his dessert when I was recording our meal, so I guess it was not so memorable. DH had a brioche filled with egg, cheese and ham followed by a Mediterranean-inspired pastilla – phyllo pastry filled with lamb, eggplant, and zucchini with a spiced honey sauce, finishing a pear poached in wine. We all had the cheese course too, which was a disappointingly mild chèvre and a nice St. Marcellan. We returned to the hotel and settled in for the night with the wind howling in the trees.

Next: A Drive Through the Rhône Valley & Shopping for Pottery
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 12:44 PM
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hi, hausfrau,

great report- I've always wondered what the swiss alps are like in the summer, and now I know!

One of my frustrations is the the only way I can get spaetzle in england is to make them myself - never quite the same, somehow.

and I love your description of switzdeuscht - i always thinkit's like german spoken with a strong welsh accent!

keep it coming,

regards, ann
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 12:52 PM
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Hausfrau:

Chasch jetzt au a kli Schwiizerdüütsch? Isch gar nüd e so schwiirig, meinsch nüd au?

Merci für d'super Reklame für d'Schwiiz. E schöne Tag!
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 12:56 PM
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What a wonderful description of your hike at one of my favorite places, Oeschinensee. For those who would like to see photos, navigate around the "Nature" and "Activities" areas of this website:

www.oeschinensee.ch

Click on either the English of German words ("Blue, Clear Wonderful") to get the menu.
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Old Mar 30th, 2007, 01:36 PM
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waiting for more.
 
Old Mar 30th, 2007, 06:20 PM
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Agreeing with everyone above (including schuler's comment!!). Fantastic report. You have a flair for travel writing. I loved the general descriptions and references such as: "at least she seemed to match the description of “the friendly owner, who speaks English fluently but politely refrains from doing so until you have exhausted your French.”"!!

Consider submitting it to some travel magazine for publication Or put a website up.
 
Old Mar 31st, 2007, 05:08 AM
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Thanks everyone for the votes of confidence so far! I know these are long but that's how I write 'em!

Annhig, we adore Switzerland (DH loved it because he could use his German) and definitely recommend it for all outdoors-lovers! I agree about spaetzle - haven't tried it to make it myself yet!

Tracy, the Dordogne and Berner Oberland are not to be missed. Two of my favorite places in the world!

Schuler, if I squint and think about the sounds, I can understand you fine, just don't ask me to write anything!

Hope you enjoy...

DAY 5: A SCENIC DRIVE & SHOPPING FOR POTTERY
It had poured overnight but amazingly we awoke to blue skies and sunshine. Breakfast was very nice – in addition to the traditional bread and croissants we had our choice of cold cuts and cheese, yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs. (It’s welcoming to see that the French are beginning to expand their ideas about breakfast to include some protein.)

On today’s agenda was an abbreviated tour du Rhône – a convoluted loop along the west side of the valley through the towns of Annonay and Tournon. First we crossed the river and headed north on the two-lane highway paralleling the west bank while I mapped out a scenic drive towards Annonay. En route we stopped to admire an ancient single-arched stone bridge over a small Rhône tributary, then climbed up to a high plateau above the river. We drove through Annonay but it didn’t seem all that charming, so we continued back to Tournon, where we thought we would check out the substantial 15th-century Château Tournon. Unfortunately we arrived during the lunch break, so we wandered around for a half-hour waiting for it to reopen. We were apparently the first visitors of the afternoon, because the man walked us across the huge, empty stone courtyard to a massive wooden door and unlocked it with a large metal key, closing it and locking it behind us! Apparently we’d be exiting somewhere else. The castle was largely unfurnished but had some interesting artwork and medieval artifacts relaying the local history, as well as a prison with about ten locks on the door and some medieval “grafitti,” but the feature attraction was the lovely view of the river from the garden terrace next to the chapel. From there we had a glorious view of the old town below, the surrounding granite hills, the famous Hermitage vineyards, and a hazy purple panorama of mountains off in the distance – we could see all the way back to the Alps in one direction, and thought we could make out the fuzzy outline of Mont Ventoux to the south.

We had a picnic lunch in the sun along the banks of the river. Fodor’s mentioned a scenic drive out of Tournon, so we proceeded to Place Jean-Jaurès and looked for the signs for the Route Panoramique. It was a bit of a wild goose chase as we saw one sign, went up a dubious-looking narrow road, and lost our way. I pointed out a road that seemed to head up and out of town, and suddenly we were back on track again. We then followed another set of signs along an equally dubious-looking two-track out to a spectacular lookout, where we confirmed our sighting of Mont Ventoux. Supposedly we could also see Mont Blanc to the east, although we could not quite pick it out against the haze. We continued along the narrow, twisting road through rolling countryside, through the village of St-Romain-de-Lerps, and then descended back to the valley floor alongside the ruins of the 12th-century Château de Crussol.

We had enough time in the afternoon when we got back to Cliousclat to do some pottery shopping. There were three or four galleries open; the one called Poterie du Fer Rouge was our favorite and features the work of Christophe Josserand, whose home and studio are attached to the gallery in an ancient yellow stone building. I purchased a lovely vase from him. The other shop we liked was a large place on the edge of town near our hotel, with massive quantities of reasonably-priced, everyday earthenware in shades of gold, green, rust, and blue. After browsing for a while it became clear to us that something was very wrong – people kept coming into the store who obviously knew the proprietress and they all looked incredibly sad; several were obviously crying. We had a few questions about the pottery and a young woman who had wandered in (a friend of the woman running the shop) offered to help us, even though she didn’t work there. She spoke some English and was very friendly. Finally when DM and I had made our selections, she told us what was going on. A woman from the village had been out collecting mushrooms that afternoon and was accidentally shot and killed by a man (another local, I think) hunting for wild boar. The woman left behind two young children, and the tragedy had obviously rocked this small village, which I’m sure is like an extended family. We felt terrible – we thanked the woman for telling us what had happened, purchased our pottery and left quickly, just as an old man arrived in tears to be comforted by friends and family.

That night we ate dinner in the hotel dining room, and despite the local tragedy, the atmosphere was not noticeably subdued, as most of the guests were likely from out of town. We all ordered off the 28 Euro menu and we gave the place high marks all around. The “taste of the chef” was a tiny cup of delicious cauliflower soup sprinkled with nutmeg. I had foie gras with dried fruit chutney and pine nuts, beef pavé with mushroom cream sauce, mushroom flan, and mashed potatoes (I love mushrooms so this went over very well), and an imaginative dessert of chocolate fondant with baked banana and a spiced cookie crust. DH had the foie gras, magret de canette (duck) with cauliflower purée, and pear gratin with sabayon (custard sauce). DM also had the foie gras (do you sense a trend?), the duck, and the chocolate fondant. DD had ris de veau (veal sweetbreads), lamb with a carrot tart spiced with cumin, and tiramisu with fresh fruit.

Next: Westward to the Dordogne
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