Visiting a tourist trap
Normally Michel and I avoid going anywhere there might be crowds of people. Neither of us have ever been keen on hectic living or spaces. Since moving to rural France, our shared enjoyment of quieter places has grown. And having dogs who can be reactive, worried, or just not very happy in busier situations enhances our wish to stay away.
But there are many beautiful places around our area of France. Some of which are world renowned and attract millions of visitors every year. I was surprised when I first read that annually, France has the highest number of tourists of any country in the world. But then I thought about it more and it isn’t surprising: France has everything. And a lot of wonderful things are right on our doorstep.
Like Rocamadour. A UNESCO World Heritage Site which welcomes a million visitors a year. We visited the first winter we got our campervan. Just before COVID hit. At the time there was a lot of work going on to improve vehicle access, parking and visitor space. Four years on and we decided it was time to go back. It’s an easy and beautiful drive from home. Easily doable as a day trip, but we decided to make it an overnight in the van. It was lovely seeing the place lit up at night and again as the sun came up. There was nobody around but us.
The history is worth looking up, it really is an incredible place. An important pilgrimage site for many centuries there are numerous, intricately built religious structures built half way up a cliff, with mediaeval streets below. It’s a hefty hike but well worth it. The dogs enjoyed the walks down and up and everything in between, their noses were busy! I would not be saying the same in the heat of summer, but in mid January with most things closed and the weather cold it was perfect for us all to enjoy.
