Sarlat-la-Canéda

Elizabeth is feeling under the weather, so she took the day to rest. We’ve been going nonstop and a little time to relax sounded great to her. I don’t know how to slow down!

I noticed a brocante in the square and decided to browse for a while. Lots of antiques, vintage, and flea market items. I guess it’s done only one day a year in Sarlat. Lucky me, I bought a set of silver spoons designed by a well known silversmith, Henri Soufflot. They are from 1900 and a Fench nouveau design. They use smaller spoons for tea and coffee, and these will be perfect.

This afternoon Elizabeth sent me on my way while she continued to take it easy. I drove to Rocamadour in the Lot Region. The drive took a little over an hour on some very winding, switchback country roads through no man’s land! It followed the Dordogne River for a while and was quite beautiful. In over an hour I never passed a gas station…few and far between. Very few cars or towns, too. It’s funny but as I drive through the villages I wonder where all the people are! The trip home, alone at night was a little challenging for me, and I was glad to have no problems.

Rocamadour (pop 600) is on a a very high rocky plateau in the Alzou Gorge. The village is a single street that rises abruptly at the base of the rocky cliff. Then, the chapel, churches and towers rise above the village, and finally at the very top of the cliff is the chateau. Rocamadour was very famous in the 12th century as a pilgrimage site where miracles were reported to have happened. A statue of the Black Madonna is believed to have healing powers. The Stations of Christ is a very steep medieval path that leads from the sanctuary to the Jerusalem Cross at the top of the hill and shows an event in the final days of Christ. People have traveled it since the 12th century. I would have done it if I had had the time. Thank heavens there is now a lift that travels from the top to the bottom. I did a quick walk through all three levels today, and then I decided to stay until dusk to see Rocamadour all lit up from across the gorge. What an incredible floodlit spectacle!Read more