To Puy l’Eveque

June 11, 2008 to June 12, 2008

Another two day entry. If you’ve only got a few photos and a few memories, you might as well batch them up.

The first day, a climb up and across the Causse de Limogne, I remember as one of my favorite cycling experiences of the trip. We’ve only ridden the causses - the high limestone plateaus of south central France -a few times, but it is fantastic terrain - open, unspoiled backcountry full of surprises, only lightly touched by the modern world. Thinking of the causses always reminds me of one of my favorite books from the past: The Lost Upland, by the American poet W.S. Merwin. Comprised of three short stories, it’s a semi autobiographical reminiscence from his time living in the region.

On the Causse de Limogne: the Mas-de-la-Bosse windmill, near Promhilanes. Built in 1828, it was a functioning flour mill until the First World War. After falling into disrepair, it was restored to working order forty years later.

We dropped off the plateau and down to the Lot River near Carjac, and for the next day and a half followed it downriver, staying the first night in beautiful but quite touristy Saint-Cirque-Lapopie and the second at little Puy-l'Évêque.

The Lot is by now a famous cycling river - especially the stunning stretch between Cahors and Carjac. This was our second time through here. In 2000 we spent two nights in Bouzies, riding a nearly perfect day ride on our layover day: the loop between Bouzies and Carjac that follows the Lot in one direction and the Cele in the other. If you come here, you should ride that loop; and you should definitely make time to walk or bike the barge tow path carved out of the limestone cliffs between Bouzies and Saint-Cirque-Lapopie - it’s one of my clearest memories from our travels in France.

Looking down on the Lot from above Calvinac.

A scene from our tour in 2000 from Claremont-Ferrand to Biarritz: the towpath on the Lot between Bouzies and Saint-Cirque-Lapopie.

We just passed through Cahors, instead of staying overnight there as we did in 2000; but we were there long enough to experience one of the big disappointments of the tour - we couldn’t find the cookie market that Rachael still fondly remembers, with its bins offering a great variety of tiny cookies that you could select from.

And then, on to pretty Puy l’Eveque. And, damn it all - here’s yet another reminder of how feeble my memory is and how much was lost by not bothering to keep a journal of this tour. Looking at these photos again now, it was obviously here, not St-Antonin-Noble-Val, where we raced a hailstorm into town.

In Cahors. Very nice, but they’re not cookies.

Pont Valentré, the 14th century fortified bridge spanning the Lot at Cahors.

Approaching Puy-l'Évêque. I stopped for this photo while Rachael raced ahead into town. I was almost too late.

Safe and dry, in Puy l’Eveque. One of the best photos we have of the Cannondales we rode in those years.

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Ride stats (2 days): 92 miles, 3,200’; for the tour: 1,089 miles, 42,900’

Today's ride: 92 miles (148 km)
Total: 1,016 miles (1,635 km)

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Rich FrasierI can’t believe you referenced that W.S. Mersin book! It’s one of my all time favorite books and I thought I was the only person who had ever read it!
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2 years ago

Rich FrasierTo Rich FrasierSorry Merwin not Mersin. Fat fingers or diabolical spell checker:)
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierSuch a wonderful book. It was recommended to me by a friend at work long ago. He was an English teacher turned programmer, and said Blackbird’s Summer was one of his favorite works of literature. I should load it onto the kindle and reread it on one of these rainy days.

I have misspellings in my comments all the time, FYI. I just dele them and repost them corrected.
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2 years ago