We have got a trip planned to the Pech Merle caves just outside Cabarets this morning so we have a slow start at the camp. The caves are on the GR651 so we dont have to head off route too much and waste walking effort. It’s a bit of a burst however up the hill from Cabrerets, beads of sweat were flowing early today.
Pech Merle is a large underground cave system containing Cro Magnon cave art from 30 to 50 thousand years ago so it’s something we couldn’t miss. Kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity and a worldschooling win. No photos unfortunately as they are not allowed but it was incredible down there. 40m below ground there is a massive cave complex filled with huge stalagmites and stalactites interspersed with careful drawings of mammoths, aurochs, horses and bisons. Handprints and some fossilized footprint in the mud. It was bizarre and so ancient and we were lucky enough to see them. A rare day.
From Pech Merle it’s about 5 kms to Bouzies and the end of the GR651 so an ice cream seemed like a good idea. Then a side trip to St Cirq Lepopie is decided as it’s an incredibly pretty cliff top town that has buildings from the 13th century on.
Just down the road from St Cirq we find a campground with restaurant and dig in for the night, it’s a bit fancier than the usual and has a ton of playground equipment for the boys to run ragged on. I’m happy just to be sitting down.
Next | Camino day 23 – St Cirq le Popie to Vers – Cele Valley
Previous | Camino day 21 – Marcilhac sur Cele to Cabrerets – Cele Valley