day 15 travel map France

Etang de la Roche

Etang de la Roche general view

Etang de la Roche

The lake at the back of the aire 

Etang de la Roche toilet block

Toilet block Etang de la Roche

Etang de la Roche toilet block

Toilet block Etang de la Roche

Etang de la Roche toilet block

Toilet block Etang de la Roche

Vieillevie to Etang de la Roche


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Day 15

We wake early (about 6.30am), so have coffee and get up for an early breakfast. The eerie mist is still wrapped around the valley but there is no rain.

The air is full of hundreds of swallows (over the river) and martins (high above us). We decide they are gathering for their migration to North Africa, but we enjoy their marvellous show of acrobatics.

We get on our wayabout 9.30am, taking the D341 upwards over the mountain top, via several hairpin bends to Monsalvy. The road is steep and narrow, but we meet very little and the view down into the Lot valley (full of mist) is spectacular. There are sweet chestnut trees laden with large spiney shells, on the trees and hundreds on the ground. Also, ripe figs and walnut trees We drop down into the next valley and onto D920, a much better single carriageway road to Aurillac.

Aurillac is a moderate sized town and we follow the ring road around the town and onto the D1120 north towards Tulle. We cross the Dordogne river at Argentat and stopped for lunch at a small Aire near Forgés. We are amused by a large Dethleff motorhome that arrives, out of which comes a French couple who set up the picnic table with tablecloth, wine and glasses, plates a large pan of something for lunch and sit down for a 5*lunch.

We eat our cheese and bread and drink large mugs of coffee (to keep us going) no wine for us!

Back on the D1120 to Tulle. North of Tulle we take the A20 for 140 km (about 90 mls), past Limoges (where the traffic is heavy) to J.15 at Tendu. This is an excellent dual carriageway road where we maintain 90kph, despite up and down large hills. At J.15 we take the D14, a small D-road towards La Pérouille and stop at a small Aire on a large triangle of grass next to Etang de la Roche, next to the children’s playground. The toilets are open and working, there is a seat on the WC, quite unusual in France. We wonder whether the French have seats on the toilets in their homes or just sit on the bare pot, or do the seats from public toilets get stolen. It's one of life's mysteries !

There is nothing much here (just the large triangle of grass) but there is a toilet and waste disposal. There are four of us here overnight, it must be a well-known location for such an isolated stop, so near the A20.

 

 

 

 

Summary of motorhome journey

Total
miles
mpg average
speed
mph
hours
driven
195.4 32.3 37 5:15

Totals for this journey

1381.8 29.9 31 43:43