October 5, 2019
Cahors
A fog covered landscape, cool, damp air and a drizzle welcomed me this morning as I headed out from Puy-l'Évêque. The plan was to continue on the Lot River Cycle route to Cahors. For the first 15-20 miles, both the river and the route looped north and south in a sinusoidal pattern. Similar to yesterday, the road surface, landscape, and terrain varied, though the number of vineyards steadily increased as I neared Cahors. Gradually, the fog lifted and the sun was shining when I reached Albas at midday.
Albas, perched above the Lot River on a rocky outcrop, was definitely the highlight of the day. I approached the village with a little trepidation as it required crossing a suspension bridge - not my favorite. However, this one-lane bridge was auto-safe with a solid roadbed and high side walls. I crossed without worry. The route took me up, through, and out of town, but I backtracked to the Saint-Etienne church – not only to see the church but also to take advantage of the clear skies and views they afforded over the scenic Lot River valley. There was a small garden below the church where a bench basking in the sunshine was beckoning. The church bells had just chimed the noon hour, so I reckoned it was time for lunch! I answered the call, and enjoyed 30 minutes of sunny bliss along with my bread, cheese and Agen prunes.
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After Albas, the route skirted a little south of the river before reaching the narrow neck at Luzech where it was possible to short-cut the route. However, I continued to loop through the vineyards where harvesting was in full swing. Not the hand-picked group effort I’d seen in Saint-Emilion, but rather done by machines that also remind me of Star Wars.
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I stopped briefly in Doane where they were having some type of celebration, and soon was riding through the outskirts of Cahors, site of a new subdivision. I successfully navigated the many roundabouts heading into Cahors, with only one or two wrong turns that were quickly rectified. I stopped briefly at the Valentré Bridge, bridge, but didn’t linger.
I was a bit weary, and not very interested in exploring Cahors. A sudden craving for a hamburger, something I rarely eat, had me searching for the best burger place in Cahors. Alas, they were fully booked. I landed at my second option. a bistro visited mostly by locals out on a Saturday night. The burger was huge, at least six inches high with bun, and not so juicy. But they did give me some ketchup for the fries! It was one of those meals where you leave full, but not satisfied. Sort of like my sense of Cahors.
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Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km)
Total: 811 miles (1,305 km)
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