Last summer, I was lucky enough to take a long break back home in South of France. 3 weeks of sun, bright blue sky and quality time spent with quality people, including visiting proper gems like this one.
To be honest, the main reason why I insisted to visit it it because someone in London mentioned it to me when I said I was from South West of France. I had to pretend I knew the area well, and immediately added it on the list of things to do during my holidays.
An other reason was that British people kept mentionning the “Lot” area to me as a part of France they love, and it also made me realise how lucky I was to come from a part of France people admire and go on holidays to.
One of the things I LOVE in France are all those small ancient villages that you will find all over the country, and especially in the “Midi Pyrénées” area, where I come from. I could spent hours and hours strolling in the little quiet streets, have a drink by the sunny terraces, get an ice cream and enjoy the simple pleasure of beeing in such a charming and pittoresque place.
Exactly what Saint Cirq Lapopie was about. Except the quietness. When you’re in of the most beautiful French villages (it’s officially part of the ” Plus beaux villages de France”), you have to except people. But that’s ok, because it actually is a pure gem, and once again it made me so proud to come from such a beautiful part of France.
But right before exploring the streets of Saint Cirq Lapopie, we went for a sunny picnic by the Célé Valley.
Blue sky, green trees, proper hot weather as you would except end of July in south of France, a picnic with a view on the river with my favourite people on earth. What else could you possibly ask for?
As we were heading to our final destination, we drove past beautiful villages, as always in the Lot.
Suddenly, here it was. High in the sky, suspended on a cliff, Saint Cirq Lapopie, which reminded me a lot of Cordes sur Ciel and Rocamadour.
The pictures speak for themselves don’t they?
Old architecture, Colombage style, beige brick, typical of the area, every single part was absolutely gorgeous.
Some houses are still from the XIIIth and XVIth centuries which suggests the place has A LOT of secrets to share.
Mandatory ice cream pic.
Built on top of a cliff, 100 meters higher from the river, the village also offers one of the best view of the area.
So small but yet to prestigious.
We make the most of the street even though the 38 degrees are starting to feel really really hot.
Time to go home, but the good news is, this part of France is always pretty wherever you’ll go.
