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Kate BoydKate Boyd
SatellitRediger rute
har rejst i 8 lande Læs mere England, United Kingdom
  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 14

    Jazz in Figeac

    20. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We had explored the town yesterday. The tourist office told us there would be jazz in the market in the morning so we had to go and take in both. And what a great morning we had. The market was the best we have seen in France. Lots of local produce, chickens roasting with tantalising smells, and then the jazz band arrived. They were great fun, dancing and weaving through the streets. Everyone was smiling and dancing along. We both agreed it was depressing that the UK chose to separate itself from this kind of joy....
    We had a coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice and soaked up the fun.
    Then off we went on a ride to a nearby hilltop town Capdenac. Great spot overlooking the Lot river. Perfect for picnic lunch. The village is Gallo/ Roman and closely tied to the knights templar and the pilgrim routes to Rocamadour and Santiago de Compostela. Lots of pilgrims about including one young man lugging a big cross on his shoulder.
    A great spin down afterwards back to the campsite through isolated wooded valleys.
    Great day all round. We have decided to join the European movement...    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 13

    Medieval meanderings

    19. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Packing up from the banks of the Dordogne we saw our first canoeists powering by. Looks like it's going to be a busy weekend on the river...
    We had a short journey to Figeac. A place that gets a few mentions in the guidebooks. So we snuck into the campsite before lunch. Our pitch is like a meadow with wild flowers and mint growing in the grass. We had a bacon sandwich and cycled into town. Tourist office showed us a guided walking tour so we set off. 2 hours later still discovering this splendid town. We have never seen so many perfectly preserved medieval buildings in one place before.
    Also, it's the birthplace of Jean- Francois Champollion. The chap who deciphered the rosetta stone in Egypt...
    Pedalled back to the site for curry and wine. Listening to a battle for auditory supremacy between a cuckoo and a cockerel .    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 12

    Steaming along the Dordogne valley

    18. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Waking up to a Baltic but clear morning that needed the heat on in the van to get us up out of bed. Lunch packed we pedalled off to a nearby medieval town Martel 6 miles away up a long hill. Part of the draw was a scenic steam train ride running today. Our route to the town was along quiet, empty country lanes. We hadn't booked a ticket expecting it to be quiet.... but we didn't factor in another national holiday (Ascension Day). When we got there it was heaving, with families (schools all shut), motorcycling groups, cyclists. You name it. We did get a ticket, but there must have been 200 on the train ride, steaming through tunnels in the rocks and past majestic viewpoints from the cliffs. Not sure how any asthmatics would have survived the return journey with the train in front...the smoke in the tunnels was choking!
    Then we pedalled on into the medieval centre and were seduced into a menu du jour at a nice little restaurant that seemed to have attracted all the cyclists too. Very tasty . We had a nice glass of local wine and sat in the sun. Picnic tea instead tonight.
    Lovely return journey down wooded lanes and through wild flower meadows.
    Campsite busier than its been all week. Think its a french " long weekend"
    We will leave them to play in the Dordogne. Moving on tomorrow.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 11

    Up the cliff to another Bellevue

    17. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Slept in today, not sure why. Woken up by barking dogs. Set off a little later than planned on a hike the campsite owner had recommended.
    Out along the river, then scrambling up under the limestone cliffs , and up onto the plateau at the top for a picnic and a splendid panorama .
    The route down had some health and safety elements, so much so that we googled the French emergency number! (112)
    But we made it down safely. Walking poles probably responsible for saving us, not least from several aggressive dogs who tried to ambush us on the route.
    Back to the van and spent the evening watching our camping neighbour fly fishing beside us as the sun set.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 10

    14 stations of Rocamadour

    16. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Yesterday was a moving on day. Not far, and still hugging the Dordogne, but it gave us a chance to catch up with shopping, planning and washing . We don't do it often, but spent the afternoon chilling beside the van and reading. We have a lovely pitch on the edge of the river and facing west so we get the evening sun. The campsite is great. Run by 2 young men who also cook in the snack bar, which seems to attract all the local cyclists, always a good sign. They cook up meals and deliver them to people's tents and vans!
    Today up and away on the bikes to Rocamadour. We rode quiet lanes for 10 miles or so and then burst out into tourist central, the viewpoint over the village, Bellevue. We parked the bikes and hiked down from the top on a serpentine path with one of the 14 stations of the cross at each bend in the trail. The tourbus folk took the elevator....
    Half way down is the church with the black Madonna. Pilgrims climb up the many steps from the village on their knees to show devotion. The jury is out as to whether the madonna is black from centuries of church candle smoke, or it's meant to depict the fact that Africa is the mother of all humanity. Anyway she seems to attract a lot of interest. Saw our first walking pilgrims of the trip here with shells on their backpacks.
    We went all the way to the bottom of the hill to eat our picnic lunch watching vintage cars snake up the road opposite.
    Suprised ourselves by the speed of our ascent back up the steps and the hillside.
    Glad to get back on the bikes and away to the lanes with their carpets of wild flowers .
    Then sat watching the sun go down over the river back at the van.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 8

    Dordogne doddling

    14. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Weather finally on the up. Set off on the bikes after breakfast with a dual mission today. A chateau and some gardens, about 10 miles away. Both involved a stiff climb to even get to the ticket office which maybe explains the welcome lack of loud Americans who seemed to have taken over Sarlat. The chateau was at Castlenaud , and was brilliantly restored with lots of information everywhere. We did a lot of climbing up and down keeps and towers and it is was a wee bit " health and safety" in places, but well worth the slog up from the river.
    The gardens at Marquaysacc were only a couple of miles away from the chateau , but also a stiff climb up from the river. The whole area is filled with topiary box hedges, hand clipped by the gardeners. We thought they must get a bit bored....
    Some very flashy peacocks showing off, and also scavenging at the cafe tables which was novel.
    There was a 2k walk to a marvelous viewpoint overlooking the Dordogne, with canoes and boats serenely drifting by, and the village of la Roque-Gageac far below ( another of those "most beautiful villages in France" )
    A slow and slightly weary pedal home past drifts of meadow sage and glorious red poppies in the roadside verges.
    Beers in the sun by the van perked us up again.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 7

    Sarlat-Eyrignac loop

    13. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Off we set on the bikes to Sarlat for the Saturday market. Last time here 30 years ago when Erin was 4 weeks old and the boys both had chickenpox. Don't remember much from then, but the market today was HUGE. It took over the whole medieval centre but was busting at the seams with Americans. We had pencilled in lunch but downgraded to a coffee, with lunch purchased from a nice Frenchman in a bakery who persuaded us into a quiche and a prune tarte.
    Uphill all the way to the gardens, and trying not to use power assist in case we needed it later so progress was slow, but we got there in the end. Picnic lunch on a bench overlooking the valley we had just climbed up from. Then we toured the splendid gardens, which we agreed were well worth a visit. Top topiary skills.
    After a coffee, spin back down country lanes through lovely villages to the bike path and home. Great day out (apart from the noisy Americans)    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 6

    Lascaux cave paintings

    12. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Off pitch early as we had a timed entry to the Lascaux cave paintings. Just as well Ian booked as there were no spaces left when we got there and they were turning folk away. Very modern, so very French. Excellent guide, headphones , tablets with translations, mock up of caves, movies, the lot. The cave paintings date back 20,000 years, and were discovered in 1940 by a dog called Hobo...
    Go Hobo.
    Then a drive down through Sarlat to our next stop, and our first stop by the Dordogne this trip. Lapped the campsite a few times trying to choose a pitch that we wouldnt get stuck on like before, but not confident....and its raining again...    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 5

    Perigeaux-go

    11. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    With one eye on the threatening sky we gamely pedalled off to Perigeaux, via one of the many voie vert bike routes. The heavens opened after a bit and we took shelter for half an hour under the trees by the River Isle. We made it eventually, the sun came out, we explored the old streets and had lunch in a park by the cathedral. Mainly to skip an impending thunderstorm we found our way to a Roman museum, the Vesunna. After an initial slight 'lost in translation' interaction, the staff helpfully tucked the bikes behind the counter. We jostled with French teens for some of the exhibits, but it was suprisingly good. Vesunna is the ancient Gallo-Roman Perigeaux, and the museum is located over an excavated urban dwelling or domus, with intact walls, gardens, underflooor heating, baths and mosaics and friezes. Astounding stuff.
    Then we raced home on a bit of a nasty main road just ahead of the next cloudburst.
    Bromptons standing up to the challenge .    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeReturn to France 2023
    Dag 4

    Recovery day at the Bastard Chateau

    10. maj 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Yesterday was best forgotten. We tried to set off southbound but it had rained so much we were stuck in a quagmire on our pitch and in a wheelspinning mess. The campsite boss tried to pull us off the pitch and our tow hook sheared off and took a bit of the bumper with it.... could have been worse I suppose. Ian had nightmares about the hook flying off and hitting me, so at least that didn't happen... then we drove 250k through fierce rainstorms. Horrible journey. I did a swerve on the motorway, startled by a fast slip road entry and frightened the pants off Ian. We didn't talk much after that...
    But arrived safely at a really nice site by a river near Perigeaux and slept like two people who had had a day to forget
    Woke up to sunshine and croissants popped on the van seat while we were at the bathroom. Drove to a magnificent Chateau at Hautefort, renovated by the Bastard family, but the site dating back to a Roman fort . Smashing place, beautifully restored, great information everywhere, lovely gardens, formal and wooded. Quite restored us to normal service.    Læs mere

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