{"id":33613,"date":"2023-07-21T04:47:20","date_gmt":"2023-07-20T18:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=33613"},"modified":"2024-01-01T06:49:32","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T19:49:32","slug":"conques-france-%f0%9f%87%ab%f0%9f%87%b7-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=33613","title":{"rendered":"Conques, France \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Date: 19th July 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travelled: 70 kms from Cabrerets to Conques  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visited: Capdenac-le-Haut and Conques-en-Rouergue  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stayed: Camping le Temps, \u20ac22, N44.59890, E02.39280  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Budget: 57 days @ \u20ac85 per day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We escape Cabrerets via the D41 which follows the River C\u00e9l\u00e9 upstream away from its confluence with the Lot. This is canoe country and we follow a small truck towing a trailer with a dozen or more canoes which no doubt will be back at Cabrerets later today sometime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve told your before the French love a day drifting along in a plastic canoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a long slow drive to Capdenac, the road is narrow, old tunnels and single lane bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From our guide book the Most Beautiful Villages of France you\u2019ll find Capdenac-le-Haut<\/a> on page 179. Capdenac stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the River Lot as it meanders its way through the valley below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a historic perspective everyone from Julius Caesar to Hitler has called Capdenac home at one point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capdenac has a motorhome parking area close to the old city gate so that\u2019s a good start to our exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overlooking the Lot, that\u2019s the new town Capdenac Gare on the other side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The 13th century Keep, once part of thr city walls and ramparts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Cute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c9glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking up the Nave to the Altar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Having wandered Capdenac for 45 minutes the village is done. The keep has a museum but it doesn\u2019t open until 2pm so we\u2019ll not see that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We make our way back to the Hymer setting the GPS for Conques. We do a little Google Maps check and find a slightly longer but much faster route road. How can we tell, it has a broken white line down the middle !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From our guide book the Most Beautiful Villages of France you\u2019ll find Conques-en-Rouergue<\/strong> on page 188. Conques stands just above the confluence of the Rivers Ouche and Dourdou. Its abbey church the Abbatiale Saint-Foy, is an important way-point for pilgrims or just walkers doing the French Comino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day is getting away by the time we arrive so we pop into the campsite located on the Dourdou getting a spot for the Hymer in the shade. It was a beautiful spot, plenty of shade and a big roomy site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Despite our best intentions to walk up to Conques at 5pm we weaken and decide a drink would be a better option. So we enjoy our evening in situ watching the waters of the Dourdou go past with the odd canoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next morning after coffee and fruit we start the long walk up the hill to Conques<\/a>. It\u2019s actually only a kilometre although steep, we make it easily in the cool morning air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That\u2019s the twin spires of Abbatiale Saint-Foy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Half timber houses <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Abbatiale Saint-Foy is magnificent, cathedral like in its statue. The original 8th century church was deconstructed to be rebuilt in the 11th century. In the late 11th century five additional chapels were added radiating behind the altar . The addition of relics added to its importance and it became part of the pilgrims journey to Saint de Compostela in Spain..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The portal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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