Date: 13th July 2023
Travelled: 80 kms from Saint-Cyprien to Vézac
Visited: Pays-de-Belvès
Stayed: Vézac Aire CC, €13, N44.82450, E01.16950
Budget: 52 days @ €87 per day
Last night we shared the aire in Cyprien with Kathleen and Frazer from Blighty. We chatted about this and that as they outlined their plans to return home and we talked about continuing our tour of France.
Saint-Cyprien is not a tourist Mecca but its a pleasant walk in the evening, although the pictures below all look very quiet there’s lots of preparation going on. Apparently there’s a market tonight and then a street party for Bastille Day tomorrow evening.
Cannot say it was our best nights sleep as some lager lads mixed up the dates and started the celebrations about 3 am.
Having done what needed to be done, we say goodbye to our neighbours, setting the GPS for Pays-de-Belvés, it’s almost an hours drive on the backroads and a little out of our way, but it looks interesting and we won’t pass this way again.
Arriving in Pays-de-Belvés we find a convenient street parking spot rather than drive through the old town to a designated car-park.
From our guide book the Most Beautiful Villages in France you’ll find Pays-de-Belvés on page 170. Belvés is situated in the Dordogne, its hilltop position overlooks the River Nauze providing views across the Périgord Noir. Our guide book tells us Belvés strategic position led to it being regularly sacked by the English during the Hundred Years’ War. Hence its somewhat surprising that much of its gothic construction from the Middle Ages survived.
It’s the village of seven bell towers so we head off looking for towers…
So we continue to wander looking for towers, walking up tiny laneways and peering into shops and houses as we do. The views across the valley and the adjoining farmland all make for a beautiful walk.
I doubt we found seven bell towers but we did spend a good deal of time trying. Belvés is probably the largest of the villages we’ve explored so far this trip.
The day is getting on as we set the GPS for an aire in nearby Vézac. As it’s the Bastille Day long weekend here in France we plan on spending a few nights in our next stop. The aire adjoins a campsite which not surprising we find, is fully booked, but we get a spot in the aire. It’s half the price of the campsite but we can use the pool.
Vézac stands on the River Dordogne, pictured below. As the sunsets hot air balloons rise from somewhere further up the valley giving us something to watch until dusk, see the cover photo.
Michael + Pam
