Pétanque & Pastis

Canoeing on the Dordogne River

We picked up our pique-nique supplies in Sarlat, and got an early start on our canoeing trip this morning, heading out onto the Dordogne River before 10:00am. We rented our canoes from La Roque-Gageac (tél: 05.53.29.58.50) in the beautiful town of the same name. We weren't sure how the weather was going to hold up, and, apparently, others had the same concern because, as we found out later, we were the only ones who rented canoes today, so we had the whole river to ourselves for the three-hour journey. It wasn't until we had our two canoes in the water that Carol & Dean mentioned that they had never been canoeing before. Fortunately, they figured it out quickly, and without mishap, so we were on our way to explore the beautiful scenery, under the charming bridges, past the ochre-colored buildings, and amazing castles.

Château de Beynac

Since we were headed in the direction of the current, which is always the case here, it didn't take much effort to paddle the canoes. The main effort required is when you want to pull the canoe over to the bank of the river to stop. The current was much less forceful today than the first time Dave and I canoed here, so it was much easier to navigate our canoes than what we remembered. And it only took us one try this time to stop exactly where we intended to stop for our pique-nique with a view. Our pique-nique spot was a sandy shoal just on the other side of the river from Château Beynac.

Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

It wasn't until after we had reached the end of our canoe trip at St. Vincent de Cosse, and we were sitting in the van that came to take us back to our starting point, that the rain started coming down. So, we got back to our car and drove up to Château de Beynac in La Roque-Gageac and decided that it was a good time to tour the 13^th-century French feudal fortress. The Dordogne River was the border which separated the French from the English in the 13^th century. The north bank of the river held the French châteaux while the English châteaux were situated on the south bank of the Dordogne. The most notable of the English châteaux on the south bank was Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, which was the chief rival of the French Château de Beynac. Ownership of the châteaux volleyed back and forth between the French and the English until around the end of the Hundred Years' War in the middle of the 15^th century, when the English finally left France, and the châteaux all reverted back to French rule.

Château de Beynac

Atop Château de Beynac

The Dordogne Valley from Château de Beynac

Château de Fénelon & Sarlat

We headed to Sarlat this morning to meet up with our friends, Carol & Dean Reed, from Santa Cruz, California, who are, once again, vacationing in France for a few weeks. On our way, we happened across The Château de Fénelon, which got our attention because we had just learned about the apéritif of the same name from our friends in St-Martin-de-Vers. Classified as an Historical Monument, this fortress, dating from the 14^th to the 17^th centuries, offers a good example of integrating the war spirit of the middle ages along with the refinement of the Renaissance, as described in the Guide Touristique that we picked up from the Tourist Office. The Château tour was definitely worth an hour of our time, especially since we were able to purchase a bottle of the eponymous apéritif in the gift shop.

The Terrace of La Lanterne in Sarlat

We made it to Sarlat and got settled into our home for the next three nights, a Chambre d'Hôte called La Lanterne, situated perfectly in the old town of Sarlat. We were able to stash our Fénelon into the refrigerator in the kitchen of the hotel before heading out to wander along the cobbled streets in the old town of Sarlat-la-Canéda. Thanks to the Malraux Law enacted in 1962 by the then Minister of Cultural Affairs, Sarlat's historical center with its monuments and buildings have been protected and preserved as they existed in their medieval, Renaissance, and 17th-century pasts. Wandering around this beautiful medieval village of approximately 9700 inhabitants is like being in an outdoor museum, with history in everything you see.

We met up with Carol & Dean on the terrace of our Chambre d'Hôte, where we enjoyed a chilled glass of Fénelon before walking over to Le Quatre Saisons (2 Côte Toulouse; tél: 05.53.29.48.59) for dinner, where we enjoyed some of our favorite local specialties: Duck ~ Foie Gras ~ Pécharmant Wine.

St-Cirq-Lapopie

The Auberge du Sombral (tél: 05.65.31.26.08) on the main square of the perched village of St-Cirq-Lapopie is our base for two nights, while we visit our friends, Diana & Allan Colby, who live in the picturesque village of St-Martin-de-Vers, a short, scenic drive not too far down the road. Le Gourmet Quercynois was great for our first dinner last night in this region of true gourmands. The first course offerings included:  Escalope de Foie Gras, Duo de Foie Gras, Assiette aux Quatre Foies Gras, and a Salade Gourmet with Terrine de Foie Gras. What's not to like ! This was definitely our type of restaurant.

Running Along the River Lot

Sitting on the edge of a cliff approximately 100 meters up above the River Lot, the medieval village of St-Cirq-Lapopie is truly a sight to behold. The fact that it sits in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy was an unexpected bonus which made it a perfect place for our morning run. At the suggestion of our friend, Allan, we started our run down below the village, where we ran all along the river, running along beautiful towpaths cut out from the cliffs, past picturesque locks and bridges, and past people walking their dogs and gathering walnuts along the riverbanks. The beautiful setting almost made us forget the misery of having to endure 30 minutes of running - almost.

A Towpath Along the River Lot

Le Viaduc De Millau

It wasn't too long after we departed Arles in the beautiful sunshine that we reached the pouring rain that would stay with us for the remainder of our road trip today. It wasn't the best time, but it was the only time we had, to stop and admire the amazing le Viaduc de Millau, the highest bridge in Europe, which, even in the downpour was quite spectacular to see. The top of the pylons of the cable-stayed bridge reach the highest point of 343 meters, with only seven stream-lined piers touching down into the Vallée du Tarn in the 12^th Département d'Aveyron. We stopped in at the Service Area to get a good view of the bridge, and to find out more information about the construction of this exceptional work of art. One thing that struck us was the test phase of the bridge when approximately 300 semi-trucks drove onto the bridge at the same time and just sat in the middle of it to see how much give there was. Fortunately, the test was successful – no casualties in the group of brave souls who participated in this risky test. The Viaduc de Millau, which is not only the highest bridge in Europe, but also the highest bridge in the world, is part of the E11-A75 Autoroute, which claims the shortest distance between Paris and the Mediterranean. Wouldn't it be amazing to be driving along the autoroute, when all of a sudden you come across this unexpected masterpiece ?