October 23, 2022
Bergerac to Marmande
We had to choose a destination today that was half way between Bergerac and Agen, tomorrow's destination, and decided on Marmande. Our rationale was purely practical: we were arriving on a Sunday evening when most everything is closed in rural France, so a larger town was more likely to have a grocery store or a restaurant open. Also, from here we can easily connect to the Garonne canal bike route most of the way to Agen.
We left Bergerac on the old town bridge under overcast skies but it was already a balmy 19 degrees, a warm fall day. From our plotted route we knew that we had a hilly day in store and it didn't disappoint either! Crossing onto the south side of the Dordogne, the landscape is less rugged and the soil must be better for grapevines as, suddenly there are vineyards everywhere. We can see why this area of the Dordogne is loved by cyclists. There's the smooth tarmac, empty roads, lots of climbing, vineyards galore, chateaux on the hill tops, and many designate cycle routes with route verte signs crisscrossing the landscape. However, along with bigger and more prosperous farms, this area also has more modern villages - and way more new developments of small country houses likely used as vacation homes. Quite a contrast to the medieval and crumbling villages on the north bank.
We were hungry for lunch at the reasonable hour of 1pm and decided to climb yet another hill to the hilltop town of Puyguilhem looking for the perfect spot with a table and view. Success. We sat at a stone table and admired the copse of oak trees that had turned lovely shades of yellow, brown and orange as we devoured the lunch we discovered while climbing the Spanish side of the Pyrenees- canned tuna in olive oil. We pass on the butter and mayo and drip the olive oil onto the bread before adding the tuna, then top with cucumbers or watercress. Lots of calories that kept us going in the Pyrenees and we go back to it on days like today for the energy boost!
The afternoon was much harder, not because of the hills but because we were fighting our first strong winds of the trip head on. It was hard work but the upside was that the winds pushed the clouds away and we enjoyed full sunshine and 25 degree temps for the final downhill coast into Marmande. A quick stop at a grocery store before we rode into the city centre where Steve had found us another great B&B - and with a washing machine. Yeah, clean riding clothes in the morning!
| Heart | 4 | Comment | 3 | Link |
Today's ride: 67 km (42 miles)
Total: 1,508 km (936 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 10 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |
1 year ago
1 year ago
We have so enjoyed following along with your adventures and look forward to your next trip. Have you decided on the next destination yet? Safe travels home!
1 year ago