Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
California Native Plants 1.9.2025
Brittle Leaf Manzanita is native to the Central California coast and distributed mostly in the coastal foothills between the San Francisco Bay Area and south to Santa Barbara. I found this plant growing in the La Honda Creek Open Creek Preserve at the higher elevations of these hills. It’s a beautiful large shrub or small tree – wider that tall and sporting deep red/burgundy peeling bark. Love it!!
Los Gatos Creek Bike Trail 1.8.2025
Today we did a road trip with our grand-dog, Wylie, and ended up exploring the Vascona Lake County Park located in Los Gatos, CA. There is a bike/hike trail that runs through the park called the Los Gatos Creek Trail. The park is a nice slice of green in an area that is quite urban. I was surprised to see some flowering shrubs and trees. Notably, the Island Bush Snapdragon above was growing along the banks of the lake. It is apparently native to the Channel Islands off the coast of California.
Two other flowering plants in the park were non-native, introduced species – Mexican Bush Sage and Silver Wattle.
The park has a small railroad that runs throughout the area and also a carousel! Those two attractions are only open on the weekends in the winter. I might just have to go back on the weekend so I can ride the carousel!! 🙂
La Honda Creek Preserve Day Hike 1.5.2025
These baby redwoods were growing at the base of a large diameter redwood on the trail up to the top of the preserve – and the dark, damp trunk made a nice backdrop for the bright green needles and red stems.
Another Arastradero Tree 1.3.2025
Room to grow…
Windy Hill Sunset 1.2.2025
Windy Hill Sunset – A great place to watch the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean is the summit of Windy Hill Preserve. Love the subtle layers of light and dark defining the rolling foothills between Windy Hill and the coast!
Winter Tree 1.1.2025
WINTER TREE
Gnarled branches reaching
Up towards the horizon
Marking time ’til Spring.
~Lynn Thomas Amber
Le Puy Camino: Lauzerte to Saint-Martin
April 25, 2023
Today marked the first day that we encountered serious mud along the trail! I had heard horror stories about the possibility of mud and thought that it could not possibly be as bad as everyone predicted. We had 17 kilometers to walk to reach our destination in Saint-Martin and it was a damp and, at times, sluggish trek along the GR65.
It was a very rural walk today through orchards and agricultural land along dirt tracks. Our first stop was at the Chapelle St-Sernin. It is an 11th century Romanesque church and the most interesting thing I remember about this church is that there was a rope that hung down from the bell tower and pilgrims were allowed to tug on the rope and “ring” the bell!
After about 10 kilometers of walking, we came upon a welcome sign!
Le Relais Saint-Jacques is a well-known pilgrim stop in the town of Durfont-Lacapelette and it was crowded with pilgrims eager to take a break from the weather and fuel up with hot drinks and food. For about 7 euros we enjoyed a hot drink and some lunch!
Much of our walk today took us through row after row of orchard trees. We passed an interpretive sign at one point that described the agricultural importance of this region.
The sign describes the area we are in as “A Large Orchard” – or Un Grand Verger. This was certainly evident as we passed by many acres of fruit trees and grape vines. The sign states that this region in France ranks 4th in fruit production overall and 1st in the production of apples and plums. Other important crops of the region include melons, cherries, apricots, walnuts, almonds, chestnuts and grapes.
I was particularly impressed with the espaliered apple trees covered in netting – labor intensive!!
The mud today was evident along some of the more narrow dirt trails. It is sticky, wet mud that eventually seeps into even the most waterproof boots! The most alarming aspect of the mud was its ability to stick to and build up on my hiking boots making it difficult to walk. I had to keep stopping to scrap it off the soles and sides of the boots often!
After lunch, we had a shortish 3.5 kilometers to reach our destination in the tiny village of Saint-Martin. We had reservations at the Gîte Saint-Martin. It was a long ranch-style house with several rooms off the back side. Each room had a sliding glass door facing the back yard. We shared a room with a gentleman – yes, often the shared rooms are coed! It was miserable weather so we could not really enjoy the outside patio area.
Upon arrival, we had to discard our muddy boots and our packs in a separate building. We loaded our clothing and toiletries for the night into baskets that we took to the room. It was a well-organized set-up.
The gîte had 5 rooms that could accommodate a total of 14 people and it was completely full for the night. Our cost was 40 euros each for the demi-pension – an average price along the GR65. At dinner, we met a really nice family who were walking a portion of the GR65 during their 2-week school vacation. We would cross paths with them a few more times over the next few days. We learned that one of their daughters was going to be a high school exchange student in the US the following year – in Portland, OR. I was most impressed by their command of the English language and overall good cheer.
The next day would take us to Moissac – a larger town with an impressive historical site – the Moissac Abbey.
Le Puy Camino: Montcuq to Lauzerte
April 24, 2023
Oddly, when reviewing my journal notes for our walk this day, I had written that it was a rainy day! But, when I processed the pictures for this post, the sky seemed mostly sun and clouds. Photographs don’t lie so perhaps the very beginning of the day started with rain! Who knows!
Today’s walk to the medieval hill town of Lauzerte would be around 16 kilometers in distance. The terrain alternated between gravel back roads, dirt roads through agricultural land and dirt trails. It was a pleasant walk with nice moderate temperatures – and no rain despite my journal declaration!
As we walked deeper into the Spring season, more flowers started to show up along the Way.
We enjoyed some sweeping views across the landscape of rolling hills.
Just before entering the small hamlet of Rouillac, there was a very picturesque pond with a small structure on the shoreline.
And, it came complete with a few requisite grazing sheep to complete the picture!
In Rouillac, we took a break and visited the local church – the Église Saint-Pierre de Rouillac. It has a beautiful stone facade – very simple in design – and an interior to match.
We continued on with the walk into the countryside and passed by a small farm stand with goodies for pilgrims.
We eventually came to a spot where the GR65 veers off onto more of a dirt path. There was an informational sign posted here that showed a map of the GR65 as it traverses this region.
Another interpretive sign describes the area we are currently walking through – Le Pay de Serres. The sign indicates that this area is a limestone plateau “cut by parallel, very symmetrical valleys.” Crops of the region include orchards, sunflowers, grape vines and melons. It would be cool to be walking through here when the fields of sunflowers are blooming! The architecture of the region is simple with large stone “block houses” with tile roofs.
Lauzerte is an amazing medieval city that sits atop a hill with a commanding view of the countryside. The name is thought to derive from the Latin word – Lucerna – or lamp. It is thought to be a guiding “light” at the top of the hill. It was a tough, steep uphill climb into the city at the end of the day!
In 1990, Lauzerte was awarded “The Most Beautiful Villages in France” designation. This honor is shared by about 155 villages throughout France. Another village we will be walking through in a couple of days, Auvillar, also holds this distinction.
Lauzerte was an absolute delight to explore with its many unique architectural and artist details. But first, I visited our Gîte L’Abeille Lulu to get settled in and drop my backpack. The lodging is named after the father of our host, Nicole, who was a beekeeper. It was a small place tucked into a hillside and accommodates only up to 9 pilgrims. It was a sweet, comfortable spot. Our host provides tea and snacks upon arrival and breakfast for a fee. We are on our own for dinner out or can make use of the small kitchen.
Where do I begin to describe Lauzerte? I will let my photographs with comments be the avenue for a tour of this special city. I started off by following the GR65 markers to guide me to the village center from our lodging.
My first priority was to visit the Jardin du Pèlerin. This garden is dedicated to all the pilgrims who travel through the town and is a very interesting design. I read that it is laid out in the form of a board game and pilgrims can get a guide that allows them to move through the garden and recounts the pilgrim life. The sign below has a description in English of the above in more detail. I did not have this guide but just enjoyed wandering around the landscaped gardens.
After wandering through the multi-level garden, I headed to the center of town and the Place des Cornières. Considered the community gathering place of the “bastide” back in the day, it is a nice small square with a couple of restaurants and shops. I happily planted myself at on outdoor table and enjoyed a cold glass of beer!
The Eglise Saint-Barthélemy is located in one corner of the plaza and I briefly walked inside to take a look around.
As I wandered around town, I noticed a few interesting characters perched high up on some of the buildings and also wrought iron signs for pubs and public places. Sylvain Soligon, an ironsmith artist, created many of these signs around town and his son and other artists carry on the tradition with new ones.
Street scenes along my tour of the town:
We had dinner at a restaurant near our lodging called AUX SARRAZINES DU FAUBOURG. It was Monday and many restaurants and other establishments close on Mondays but this restaurant was open for lunch until 2pm and re-opened for dinner starting at 7pm. The odd memory I have about the restaurant was that they had lost electricity (which we were told is common) and so they could only offer us a limited fare. We enjoyed an omelet and a salad for dinner – which was delicious and just about perfect since eggs are not a traditional breakfast food in France.
Lauzerte was one of my favorite towns along the Camino in France – so whimsical and fanciful!
Le Puy Camino: Labastide to Montcuq
April 23, 2023
Today’s walk was very rural, quite soggy and long – 22 kilometers. It was a very pretty day, though, through agricultural lands that were bright green with the spring rains.
The day started with a pretty sunrise at our lodging in Lasbastide.
Much of the day the sky was cloud-covered and I rarely shed my rain gear! Along this section, I started to see more open fields of vineyards.
The route today alternated between minor paved roads, dirt roads and narrow dirt trails. Even though I did not see the sun, it was a good walk and very peaceful.
After about 12 kilometers, I entered the small village of Lascabanes. From a distance, the steeple of the Église Saint Georges stood out.
My Miam Miam Dodo listed several options for lunch and I landed on a small market that had made-to-order sandwiches. For a mere 5 euros, I enjoyed a delicious veggie sandwich on fresh French bread. The market – La P’tite Pause – catered to pilgrims and I came across numerous other pilgrims taking a break here.
After resting and satisfying my appetite, I continued on my way. The weather took a turn for the worse and just when I was starting to feel very damp, I came across the Chapelle Saint-Jean le Froid. The small chapel sits right on the GR65 and is a popular rest spot for pilgrims.
The interior was pretty sparse with some benches for sitting and resting. I was not the only pilgrim who was dodging the rain here!! There was a table inside where pilgrims left various items. Legend indicates there is a small spring near the church. The water flowing from this spring supposedly offered relief from rheumatism.
I hung out inside the chapel until the rain subsided and then continued onto a dirt pathway along the edge of some fields.
I was rewarded with some wildflowers blooming along this stretch of the walk! Since it was raining, I did not bring my camera out for these photos and I apologize for the blurry cell phone pictures! It was damp and I snapped the photos in a hurry!
I arrived in Montcuq and was anxious to find my lodging for the night. I needed some dry clothes and a place to warm up! I had trouble finding lodging in this town as all of the places either did not return my email or they were full. We got a line on lodging from someone named David along the way. It was a new place that was not listed in the Miam Miam yet called the Garden Lodge B&B. At 35 euros each for the night, it was a bargain. This was by far one of the most unique places that we stayed during our six week journey!
Our hosts, Jenny and Olivier, were extremely friendly and greeted me upon arrival – showing me the outside cabinet where we could leave our backpacks, wet boots, etc! They had recently renovated the old “wine cellar” into a living space and I believe we were some of the first guests that they welcomed. I loved the attention they paid to detail and some of the unique fixtures.
The only downside to this lodging was that it did not offer an evening meal typical of most gîtes. We were given a normal French-style breakfast but we were on our own to find dinner in town. This was a slight problem as it was Sunday and many places are not open. We wandered around town in search of an evening meal.
We ended up at the one bar that remained open that evening and were able to get a beer and some pizza slices. It was a very local crowd and the guy who had recommended the Garden Lodge to us, David (from England who now lives in Montcuq), was there!
Our evening at the B&B was very comfortable and I totally experienced one of my best night’s sleep here! On our way out the next morning, Jenny and Olivier and Stanley, the dog, wished us well and said good-bye from their upstairs window!
Filoli Historic House and Gardens Holiday Season 12.5.24
Filoli Historic House and Garden is a short drive from my son’s house near Woodside, California. I have visited several times over the past few years. It speaks to my love of public gardens – especially those that were at one time private residences. Last spring when we were visiting the area, I bought an annual membership on the premise that we would be back in the fall and it would be more cost effective.
Little did I realize that, upon our return this November, Filoli had begun their holiday display season and visits during this time were not included with an annual membership! Oh well!! An annual membership does allow for 20% off the daily fee during this season so at least that’s something!
Filoli reminds me of a very miniature Longwood Gardens. I grew up on the grounds of Longwood from birth until just before my teens. It is a place very near and dear to my heart. Perhaps that is why I am drawn to this California estate turned public garden. Of the nearly 654 acres of land, about 16 acres are devoted to the house and gardens. The house is a Georgian revival-style mansion and the mostly formal gardens mimic the English Renaissance era in design and construction.
I wandered through the house first, upon entering the garden, because I was in the mood to be mesmerized by holiday decorations and transported into the upbeat ambiance of the season. The decorations in the mansion reminded me of the effort put into decking out the Pierce-du Pont House at Longwood for the holidays.
After touring the house, I wandered around the outside gardens. Not much blooming this time of year but it was a gorgeous California day to just take a leisurely stroll around the grounds. Filoli does have an evening holiday light display reminiscent of the world famous light display put on by Longwood Gardens each year – although not anywhere near the scale. Maybe I’ll reserve an evening slot at Filoli before the season ends?
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 