“Time, in the historical sense, is such a boggling concept. Prehistoric artworks to truly ancient geological formations create such a mind-numbing sensation, I often feel my thoughts hunker away from the concepts of eras.” – Old Sean
Awake and Late
After our final night in Toulouse, Thor and I planned on getting an early start the next day to purchase tickets for Pech Merle, a famous series of caverns to the north of us.
However, the last couple of weeks of travel have been tough. We ended up oversleeping somewhat drastically. So instead of a slow morning of putting our gear together and heading out, Thor and I were forced to shove everything into backpacks and sprint downstairs. I ran to the train station for a breakfast of chumpions, purchasing sandwiches and pastries for the first part of our lest leg of our European road trip.
We drove north as quickly as traffic would allow, soon veering through the countryside. Our goal was to visit the natural protection area known as Parc naturel régional et Géoparc mondial Unesco des Causses du Quercy.
Once we turned off the highway to the protected region of Causses du Quercy, the beauty became captivating. The entire zone is characterized by expansive limestone plateaus known as “causses.” These plateaus are interspersed with deep river valleys, such as those carved by the Lot, Célé, and Dordogne rivers, creating dramatic landscapes. Tall cliffs rise in all directions. Deep valleys are filled with dense, moss-draped woodlands. Broad lowlands were carved out by flooding rivers for centuries. Fog clung to corners and fine flecks of mist constantly drifted down from the sky. On the higher terrain, the area is dotted with dry grasslands, rocky outcrops, and unique formations shaped by karst processes, including caves, sinkholes, and underground streams. Traditional French houses and cottages dot much of the area.
Pech Merle
The reason Thor and I drove so quickly was in order to join the English speaking tour for Pech Merle, one of the ancient preserved wonders of France. Pech Merle is famed for its prehistoric art and enduring geology. The cave features Ice Age paintings, including the famous “Spotted Horses” panel, estimated to be around 24,600 years old. These paintings skillfully incorporate natural rock features, with pigments like manganese oxide and charcoal used to create vivid images of animals and human handprints. Other artwork includes mammoths, aurochs and other fantastic creatures.
As expected, photographs aren’t really allowed within. There are also all sorts of other rules when viewing the caverns. For example, the number of visitors needs to be limited for body heat reasons. Too much ambient body heat within could potentially cause fungal growth or erode other temperature-sensitive features. As a result, groups need to be limited and the pace is set at a calculated rate through the caverns. Lights are turned off after each section of the cavern is departed in order to further lower ambient heat output.
Going through the caverns is a magical experience, with our French-accented tour guide giving us a full rundown of the cave’s most beloved and compelling features. While photos aren’t allowed within, it’s worth going online and looking at the bold lines of the artwork.
The cave art located in the deeper areas of the cave was originally discovered in 1922 by a youth named Marthe David at the age of thirteen along with her brother, André David age sixteen, and their friend Henri Dutetre at age fifteen.
The walls of seven of the chambers at Pech Merle have incredible lifelike images of mammoths, spotted equids, single-colored equids, ancient bovids, reindeer, and humanoid figures. Also unique are the famed human-stenciled handprints. There are also footprints within, embedded in the clay, indicating the cave was once open at a specific entrance in ancient times before sealing back over until its rediscovery.
The most famed image in the cave is known as the Dappled Horses of Pech Merle, which was done in charcoal capable of being carbon-dated. Archaeologists have debated whether the artists were painting real horses they’d observed or if the spotting design had some symbolic meaning. However, a 2011 study using the DNA of ancient horses found that the leopard complex genetic. This gene, which is involved in leopard spotting, was present in the equine genome as well, Currently, the most popular theory concludes that the cave painters most likely did see real spotted horses.
While the human designs are the main draw, the geological features of the cave are quite interesting too. There is something called a pearling pool, which is an incredibly unique cave feature. Water streams in from above through cracks, breaking off chips of stones and rolling them endlessly on a ridge pool The stone spins around under the water stream until becoming smooth. Pech Merle is especially unique for having a top-shaped pearling stone, a virtually unheard-of geological occurrence. It was wild to observe.
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
After finishing the tour and exiting the cave, Thor and I walked around the quiet woodlands. Spiderwebs hung dense in trees and cool air whispered around us. I took the next driving shift, veering south through the countryside towards Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. This is a famed medieval village perched on a cliff above the Lot River. The village features narrow cobblestone streets, charming stone houses with tiled roofs, and excellent panoramic views of the Lot Valley.
However, parking is somewhat crammed. Thor and I stopped for the overlooks and impressive views but ultimately didn’t attempt the long hike into town. Instead, we took our photos and continued our drive.
Rocamadour
Our next stop was far to the north. It took a substantial amount of driving through the countryside, following curvy roads and often enduring narrow paths. But eventually, we passed through a series of villages and tunnels to reach the town and pilgrimage site of Rocamadour.
Buildings stood out from cliff faces, stretching improbably into the sky. Narrow streets were lined with traditional shops snaking downwards into the valley while stone stairs strode upwards. Rocamadour is striking medieval village in southwestern France built into the cliffs overlooking the Alzou River.
As one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Europe, it is home to the revered Black Madonna statue within the Basilica of St. Sauveur, which has drawn believers seeking miracles since the Middle Ages.
The site has a long and complex history. Rocamadour and its many caves initially housed people in the Paleolithic period, as evidenced by the cave drawings of the Grotte des Merveilles. Additionally, the Grotte de Linars cave and its porch served as an underground necropolis and a habitat in the Bronze Age.
it gained prominence during the Middle Ages as an important Christian pilgrimage site. Its significance grew due to the relics of Saint Amadour and the revered Black Madonna statue housed in the Basilica of St. Sauveur, drawing pilgrims from across Europe, including royalty. The village thrived until it was damaged during the Hundred Years’ War and later fell into decline. Revived in the 19th century through restoration efforts, it regained its status as a spiritual and cultural landmark.
Thor and I parked in the lower part of the valley, striding up steep stairs to visit the main shopping and accommodation avenue of the town. Afterwards, we seriously debated if we had the energy to follow the pilgrimage path higher.
Ultimately, curiosity won out. Thor and I followed the winding trail past the pilgrimage markers, slowly making our way through a wooded path. We eventually reached new overlooks, mountain cross sites, and the church kept at the top of the mountain. The entire valley stretched below us spectacularly. It was the final major point on our road trip to Paris.
The Rest of the Route
Once Thor and I returned to the car, we drove for the rest of the day directly towards Paris. We stopped once in a while for gas and paid some rather daunting toll fees to finish up the trip. Occasionally, we stopped for food, including some surprisingly delicious chip options.
Finally, in the cranky hours of the night, Thor and I arrived in Paris. It took a long, long time to find a parking space. But eventually, we made it to an incredibly sketchy-looking underground parking garage filled with bits of garbage, tight corners, and all the desolation of a Call of Duty post-battle map.
Finally, we’re in Paris. Our road trip has been a long stretch of many hours, hopping from Seville to Granada to Valencia to Barcelona to Andorra to Toulouse to Albi to Carcassonne. Now, it’s time to appreciate Europe without the burden of parking a vehicle daily.
So until the next post,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written October 20th, 2024
Old Sean
