Location

Located in the Lot Region of France, midway between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers, Soulomes a quaint mediaeval village approximately 0,5kms away. Labastide Murat 3kms the nearest town and has all the conveniences such as well stocked Shopi supermarket, boulangerie, newspaper and bookshop, hotel, restaurant and tennis club with swimming pool. Cahors 34kms is the nearest major town. This beautiful ancient Roman town famous for its Pont Volontre bridge across the Lot has a Carrefour, Intermarche, and Leclerck and is famous for its Wednesday and Saturday morning markets and Summer music festivals. The region is famous for its many ancient villages and towns and the unspoilt World Heritage site of Les Causses region which is a controlled development area, the well known caves of Peche Melle, the foods of the region which include foie-gras, truffles, Cantal and cabecou cheeses.

Soulomes is the nearest village approximately ½ km distant. It is a quaint mediæval village with a 12th Century chapel and roof typical of the period of the Cathars and Crusades. Inside the walls are covered in painted murals depicting scenes from the crusades some dating back to that time. Other historic villages within 5kms include St Sauveur La Vallee, St Martin de Vers  etc.

Labastide Murat is the nearest town approximately 3 ½ kms distant, an easy bicycle ride. It has a well stocked supermarket called “Shopi” open from 9am to 7pm, good artisan boulangerie, papeterie, charcuterie, flower seller, cafē/bar, restaurant,  good hotel  with a great pub. The towns and villages typically have a central square and this is no exception with its boulle pitches and cropped plain trees. Labastide Murat has a twice weekly local produce market which sells supremely delicious local farm cheeses such as cantal, chevre, cabecou and huge varieties of breads, vegetables, meat, olive oil, wine, eau de vie, Armagnac, truffles, foie gras, forest mushrooms, patēs, sausages and smoked meats ... possibly some of the greatest delicacies of France!

Cahors is the nearest large town/city and is approximately half an hours drive from Camphinie and there are at least 4 different ways to get there, the most attractive being down the Vers Valley and along the Lot River. You will find all the provisions that you need at Cahors and the large mass supermarkets allow you to shop on the cheap. Built in the ox-bow of the Lot River, Cahors is a beautiful old town that dates back to Roman times. The Pont Valontrē is a spectacular landmark 12th Century fortified bridge that spans the river. For us an important attraction is the Cahors Market on Wednesday and Friday mornings in the town square. This is a colourful event attended by local farmers, and all the inhabitants of the town seem to congregate here.

The town hosts several jazz concerts in Summer, other attractions include La Musee de la Resistance, organ recitals at the ancient gothic cathedral, the old quarter etc

The Region
The Department Lot is part of the Midi-Pyrenēes. The Lot River, like the Dordogne flows into the Garonne and into the Atlantic. The region is between the Massif-Centrale of Central France and the Pyrenees and is characteristically forested in scrub-oak type bush and hilly but not mountainous. As already indicated Camphinie is in the centre of the World Heritage site known as Les Causses du Haut Quercy which stretches between the Dordogne in the north and the Lot River in the south. This is a controlled reqion where no development, construction or alterations can take place to buildings without strict approval, and where every effort is made to preserve the indigenous fauna and flora and cultural history of the region. It is famous for its food, known as Quercy Produce and best known delicacies originating here include truffles, foie-gras, and cabecous (a delicious goats cheese patty), walnut based oils, Almagnac, several herbs, and not least the deep red Carhors wine, one of the earliest wines of France. The history of this region is visible in all the towns and villages and recalls the Roman settlement, Crusades, Cathars, Templars, Hospitaliers, 100 years war, French Revolution, the 2 World Wars and most importantly because it is so recent in the history of families in the area, La Rēsistance of the 2nd WW.