La rentrée brings the start of my favourite time of the year – Autumn! The sun is still shining although we’ve had some much needed rain and it’s a lovely time to visit the region. Here are six things to do around Pensol in Autumn.
- Walk walk walk
As the chestnut trees turn golden and the huge marrons plummet to earth in their spiney hedgehog cases, the trails of the PNR Perigord Limousin beckon. Walk from your cosy gite straight onto the Sentier Du Bandiat circular walk or explore further afield on the famous GR4 trail. From here you could walk all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain on one of the Camino routes. The hills are gentle and the trails wind in and out of woods and fields studded with brown-eyed Limousine cattle. Buzzards wheel overhead and the local rivers – the Bandiat and the Dronne – criss-cross the paths. The spectacular summer butterflies are starting to give way to the winter fungi as the focus for attention and photographs. With our dog friendly accommodation you can even take your best friend with you. - Visit the Donkey Festival at Séreilhac
The first Sunday in October is the fete de l’ane at Séreilhac. Donkey displays, breeds, equipment, donkey rides and a large vide grenier (carboot sale) make this a great autumn day out. Food available. - Go for a late season swim at a swimming lake
Pensol is blessed with two swimming lakes nearby. The etang de St Saud-Lacoussiere is only 8 minutes away and the grand etang de St Estephe only a few miles further away. Both have artificial beaches with lovely white sand and shallow swimming areas. The water is warm at this time of year after a summer of sunshine beating down upon it – perfect for wild swimmers and triathletes who need some practice moving from the chlorinated pool to outdoor swimming. St Estephe has more cafés and restaurants around it, with St Saud being more natural – although it does have a little snack cabin and the newly re-opened La Paillote restaurant. - Visit the Chestnut Festival at Dournazac
On Sunday 26th October you can enjoy what amounts to a day of worship of the humble chestnut and all things autumn. Each year this festival gets a little bigger and now it has grown to take over the pretty village of Dournazac (just south of Chalus where Richard the Lionheart was killed – also worth a visit). Stalls sell roast chestnuts, chestnut flour, apple juice, hot spiced wine, roasted nuts and apple doughnuts. There are woodland crafts demonstrations and someone usually constructs a Feuillard – the unpromising but beautiful looking hut built for shelter by workers of the chestnut woods that gives the area its name “land of Les Feuillardiers”. - Go to the autumn market at Piégut-Pluviers
The crowds that make the summer markets a little claustrophobic for my liking have dispersed now, but the excellent Piégut market is open all year round. Stalls selling cheeses, sausages, ceps (some stolen from our woods but we don’t mind), figs and sugar coated nuts line the high street and you can sit and enjoy a coffee from one of the increasing number of cafes and eateries in this thriving little market town. Don’t forget to walk up the tower, for an excellent view over the Dordogne. - Go on a fungal foray
The fungi are incredible at this time of year. Colourful waxcaps grow in the fields making it look like the fairy folk have moved in. Graceful parosol species dance along the tops of mossy logs, pale pink russula sp and fly agaric grow in the woods – the classic toadstools. You may even see the creepy-looking devil’s fingers. We have ceps and chanterelles (girolle) in our woods if you are absolutely sure of your identification. Honestly, I never eat mushrooms i have found myself as despite having done my dissertation on fungi at University, I don’t trust my identification skills. Besides my favourite mushroom to eat is the common-or-garden Paris mushroom from the lady at Piégut market. You don’t need to pick or eat everything you find and fungi make the most perfect photographic subjects.
