The next couple of days are another deviation from our original plan. At our first meet up with Susan in Paris, she strongly suggested that we visit Lascaux after leaving Rocamadour …. It was something not to be missed.
Since our days after Rocamadour until we got to San Sebastián were more or less ‘throw away’ travel days in our grand plan, we rerouted north to Lascaux and added in another train to get us back to the coast on the Bay of Biscay and keep ourselves on schedule.
So that’s today, a ‘travel day’ to Montignac-Lascaux where tomorrow we’ll visit the Lascaux caves … and we have an English tour booked!
It was a mixed day of cycling with some of our beloved deserted D roads to start followed by quite a bit of heavier-traffic riding along the D43 to Souillac, and then a rail trail from there to Sarlat where we turned north (into the wind) for our final 25 km’s of hilly deserted D road’s into Montignac.
Overall, a good ride, but more of a B-side filler than the ‘Greatest Hits’ rides we’ve had for most of our days. This was the theme of our discussion as we were riding along the flat and mostly viewless rail trail. Nice, easy, lots of other folks out riding and enjoying themselves, but it was Barry Manilow tune compared with James Brown or Bob Marley.
I’m not trying to offend Barry Manilow fans, and I’m sure they still exist, nor folks who love riding rail trails, but this was just a nice means of getting somewhere rather than a focal point in and of itself.
The ride got a lot more interesting once we hit Sarlat. This has a wonderful medieval centre. Jacquie G has a great overview in her French Fling. She was here in early May 2019 when it was obviously not a long weekend. For us, we saw how nice it could be, but it was almost as crowded as Rocamadour! Difficult to maneuver a loaded touring bike through … but a place we’d like to come back to explore.
We hit some short, but very steep hills (+20% according to Garmin and RWGPS … and our legs!) coming out of Sarlat and this did require some pushing, and then it was a fun roller coaster ride into Lascaux.
We had a great dinner at Aux Berges de la Vezere, a place we tried to book the night before but K was told ‘Just show up between 7 and 7:30 and there will be room for you’. Having been truly spooked by the long weekend crowds, we were there at 6:45, walked in at 6:50, the second group to arrive, and by 7:15 the place was full! Great atmosphere, super friendly service and good food. It was mostly full of French families, and their dogs and it was just what we were looking for. No Foie, no cream sauces, no puréed veggies … in fact K and I split a great thin crispy crust pizza as a starter!
Great night and we’re looking forward to visiting Lascaux, one of the most important archeological and human cultural places in the world, tomorrow.
Glenna JefferiesWe enjoyed our week long stay and cycling in this region last year. Best crepes ever were in Proissans. Reply to this comment 10 months ago
SOTD - Natural Mystic cover by ASA. Not the original, which would make a ‘greatest hits’ album, but a great cover from a Bob Marley tribute album. We’re travelling to another ‘Mystic’ place from the (almost) natural world ….. Lascaux, the site of the some of the oldest known human art. It’s a version that I really love, classic B side stuff that most people haven’t heard, and wouldn’t if their friend didn’t insist on playing it! Listen up and enjoy (and there’s no way Barry was going to make it on SOTD)
Start of the day pic …. Look happy, it’s a wonderful morning! I did make K ride back for this pic as she had already set off!
very cool … both temp and the vegetation as we went through several trench’s that rail trails are famous for. Consistent 2% grade though for gaining elevation
Kirsten KaarsooTo Karin KaarsooI find a lot of rail trails are like this. We went through stuff like this yesterday while on the ‘rails’! Ie train Reply to this comment 11 months ago
Jacquie G has a much nicer pic of this, and of other sculptures around Sarlat … there were to many people around to be able to compose a really good shot.
Looking back towards the entrance to the Sarlat market, down the street on the left. Again Jacquie has a great description of it, but is was packed solid when we went by. This is as close as I could get to have room to try to take a picture
10 months ago