epresentative in Figeac epresentative in Figeac for more than four centuries. Gradually expanded to take in adjoining buildings, this unique hotel just off Place Champollion overlooks tranquil courtyard gardens and an outdoor pool, combining ancient stones with modern interiors that reflect Champollion’s work on Egyptian hieroglyphs. Figeac market from the Museum terrace © Loïc BEL ‘Je tiens l’affaire !’ (I’ve got it!) he declared in September 1822 on realising that the system of Egyptian hierogylphs is in fact a complicated mix of sounds, words and ideas. It had taken 10 years of painstaking study, but Champollion now understood that the Rosetta Stone was inscribed with a royal decree. The discovery enabled him to identify many temples during an expedition to Egypt; pass his skills on to other keen Egyptologists; and become conservator at The Louvre in Paris, but in 1832, Champollion died suddenly of a stroke, aged just 41. the historic centre. Palais Balène, for instance, largest medieval house in Figeac. The Abbey church of St Saviour, begun in the 11 th Century. Renaissance town houses and the 17 th Century town hall. And to fully experience that medieval atmosphere, book a room at the Mercure Figeac Viguier du Roy, home to the King’s As evening falls, the café terraces are buzzing when I head out for dinner at Le Safran, a spacious restaurant in a vaulted stone dining room. Specialising in seasonal fish, ‘The Saffron’ takes its name from the spice grown here in the Quercy region since the Middle Ages and the word for the rudder of a fishing boat. Next day, I head out into the surrounding countryside. Figeac is a scenic 2.5-hour train ride from Toulouse, but travellers who arrive by car can pootle along the delightful Célé Valley that wriggles its way westward from Figeac through a succession of sleepy villages to join the Lot close to St Cirq-Lapopie. I stop first at Espagnac-sur-Célé, relaxing over coffee in the courtyard of the ancient priory beneath a turreted bell tower, a landmark for View over rooftops of Figeac, © Lot Tourisme - Teddy Verneuil Priory of Espaganc Saint Eulalie © Suzanne Alibert, Lot Tourisme.jpg pilgrims on the GR65 route to Compostela as well as for local hikers and bikers. A few meanders further on, I stop again to explore the bijou community of Marcilhac-sur-Célé, a tranquil spot to chill out on a riverside bench or wander amongst the ruins of the ancient abbey. Today, the square in front of his family home is named in his honour and his birthplace transformed into the fascinating Champollion Museum, that showcases not only his own discoveries but also the history of written communication across the world. From the upper storey, the museum balcony looks out over the rooftops of medieval Figeac; behind it, accessed down a narrow alley, lies Place des Ecritures. The neighbouring squares of Place Champollion and Place Carnot have been the centre of local life since medieval times. From Carnot, head to the Tourist Office in Place Vival to pick up a free annotated map highlighting 30 key heritage buildings around Courtyard of the Viguier du Roy hotel, Figeac And I’ve been recommended to take the broad path up to a viewpoint above the nearby village of Sauilac-sur-Célé. In the 19 th century, this track led to a clutch of properties nestled beneath the sheer limestone cliff, but today the only reminders of the original village are ruined masonry and a period photo beside the trail, the inhabitants having long since relocated to the flat land below. 32 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 33
