On Thursday 24 February we walked 12 kilometres from La Guerche, up the killer hill from the Creuse River, through the forest and back down again.
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Wild boar have been ploughing up the earth around these trees to the extent that the trees look rather precarious.
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The forest here is a very interesting and uncommon mix of oak (Fr. chêne) and beech (Fr. hêtre). It is logged a bit, but my impression, looking at the felled timber, is that the quality of the wood is not high.
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Other parts of the forest are dominated by birch (Fr. bouleau) .
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Birch trunk with a pair of old Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus (Fr. Polypore du bouleau) attached. This species is one of two that the 'Iceman' Otzi was carrying, perhaps for medicinal purposes.
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The ruins of the Chapelle de Notre-Dame de Prélong in the forest. There are a number of romantic legends associated with the 15th century building, which may have been constructed on the orders of Charles VII.
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The well over the spring known as the Fontaine de Prélong, constructed of chunks of flint, no doubt found nearby. The site is considered sacred and it is clear that people still make offerings here.
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This clearing was surrounded by an electric fence and there was a lot of strange white stuff hung on the undergrowth. My first impression was toilet paper (!) but closer inspection makes me think it must be goat hair. No actual goats were seen though.
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Weather over the Creuse Valley.
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The medieval Chateau de la Guerche, on the banks of the Creuse River.
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2 comments:
A good place to get lost and a bit spooky is Le Rond du Chêne. Nearly always deserted when we came through...other than if there was a hunt in progress.
Colin and Elizabeth: I've never felt like it was spooky, but there is usually someone else there when I've been ie my own walking group, the family who live in the house there and have the pack of beagles, often cyclists...It certainly would be easy to go down the wrong forest trail and get lost though.
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