8(5) - Rocamadour Loop

Thursday 29 September / Cool overcast day - excellent cycling weather
Distance Log:  Geno 34 for 252, Lisa 15 for 195
Map for Day 4 and 5
My Favorite Photo of the Day

(Remember the menu to the left has albums of photos)

Started off the day with a light breakfast and hot bath to get the muscles warmed up, it was a bit on the cool side first thing in the morning.  Asked Steve to add some air to the tires and we blew the front tube.  After a quick change (Steve is good) I was ready to go.  And today, John was going to join us for the ride while Steve took the van.

We cycled to Alvignac where we stopped for a pee.  Now washrooms are nonexistent in France (or the UK as I would later find out).  They are called toilets.  If you ask where the washroom is, you get a strange don't know what you are talking about look.  Anyway, this town had a public washroom near the center of the town.  Every town has a center, many roads always lead to the center.  And the town center is usually a square or a round with a fountain etc.  I digress, the toilets, pretty funny, as we walked over to them, the stalls for both men and women had full doors (as they do in most places over here); but, the urinals were just lined up at the back of the building.  So if you were standing there doing your thing, behind you was a common (grassy field) - no walls, no doors.  Zip up and walk 20 paces backwards and you're on the field. 

We left town, had a large descent - which means that eventually you have to pay for it - yup a very big climb.  About 15 km into our ride we stopped in La Goufre de Padirac, home of some underground caves with fresh water rivers and stalagmites (from the ground up) and stalactites.  Very impressive.  We actual took a gondola type ride down one of the rivers.  No camera allowed, I snuck a few non-flash photos but they didn't pan out.  But being there, looking up 40 meters or so in one of the rooms to see the ceiling - awesome. 

After the caves we went across the street to a nice little park for our picnic.  What John and Steve did for our picnics was to always provide us with breads and cheeses and meats etc that were native not only to France but to the area that we were cycling/eating in.  Nice touch.  Today there was more foie gras de goose this time I think - magnificent!  There was also great sausage and coke light.

After lunch, I went it alone.  Thought I'd pick a route and ride back towards the Inn.  Mapped out my route with John and Steve's help, advised them where I'd be and was off.  Well, I chose for myself a steep windy climb.  Pretty tough after a belly full of foie gras of any kind.  Nearing the top I came upon a farm tracker riding up the hill - I passed him - I was impressed.  But after expending that kind of energy I noticed minutes later that if I didn't get moving he was going to pass me back.  That brought out the rarely seen competitive spirit in me and I stood on the pedals and flew like the wind.  Atop the hill I was rewarded with a rollercoaster ride down and up through beautiful country on the best paved road I cycled in France.  Wow, what a blast.  I got my speedometer up to 62.5 km / hour which is fast in unknown land on skinny tires. 

I came into Alvignac again but via a different route.  I left town the same way we came in the morning, recognized the roads and enjoyed the ride.  At the top of the last hill I thought I was going to climb, I noticed a tour bus and the driver sitting there relaxing - big bus, narrow road - the norm in France.  I then turned right onto a small road (which was the short cut we took in the morning).  Still everything seemed familiar.  After a couple of kms I came upon a field of goats.  One of them was away from the pack and I noticed why, its head was caught in the fence.  Normally shy me would just keep going; but, it is an animal (yes not a dog) and I am in France, I should try and create my own adventure.  So I turned around, went up the long farm road to the house where I was met in the yard by 4 parking dogs (luckily in a pen).  They were barking up a storm.  I figured this would bring someone out, I'd try to explain the situation - I practice my French on the way up the road.  My French is a combination of English, French, hand signals, grunts and even some Croatian.  No one came out.  I got off the bike and rang the doorbell - no one answered.  I thought we'd talk, rescue the goat, and then sit down for a glass of wine - not to be.  Oh well.  So off I went towards the Inn.

However, now the road started losing its look of familiarity.  I knew that eventually it would hit the highway, and I would go straight across it and up the road to the inn.  Well I hit the highway, but it was a T intersection.  So much for my "I never forget a place once I've been there" or "I can draw an aerial view of anyplace I've been once".  I was lost.  So I figured I was on the right road but came out onto it at the wrong spot.  So do I go left or right?  My guess was left.  A half a km up the road I noticed a sign saying gas station in the town ahead.  Hmm.  I saw that this morning on the way to Alvignac.  So, a quick 180 turn was needed.  Soon thereafter I come to a small hill and at the top was this tour bus with the driver relaxing (and this time smiling) in his seat.  Ha, I did a full circle.   This time instead of taking the shortcut, I looked down the road, saw the round about a mere km away where I would turn right and eventually come across the road to the Inn on the left.  Now that I think about it, I can't remember if the goat was a goat or a sheep.  Hmm. 

Got off the bike, no one was back yet, so I headed for a bath and a nap figuring everyone would be back soon.  Nope.  Steve in the van and his occupants which he picked up a town or two after the picnic was a bit lost himself.  Ha. 

Dinner this evening was in a very classy restaurant.  Thanks again to John I got my salad my way.  They don't seem to understand nor want to add the water, but hey, my recipe was slowly spreading throughout the Dordorgne.  I had the beef - duck day off.  Lisa and I order beef for 2.  Really, it was beef for 6 or 8.  And it was good.  My appetizer was canard.  ;-)