A Glorious Day of Climbing, Descending, and Conversation.

 A few rides back we were cruising the cliffside town of La Roque nestled between the cliff and Dordogne river. It is a very popular tourist destination as the crowds and cars reflect. Part way through town I passed an outside cafe patio with two viper red Trek Domane bikes leaning against the wall. Since they are of a similar vintage as our bikes I stopped to admire them and casually blurted out "nice bikes" in English. To my surprise the dining couple responded in British English so a conversation was born. My interest started with whether they were familiar with the local rides but evolved into the fact that they divide their time between Bristol, England and the hilltop village of Domme, a few kilometers up river. 

After a few minutes of conversing across the garden wall Kim caught up and pulled out our map to get some cycling suggestions. We exchanged some of our "origin stories" and contact information and an invite to see their house nestled into the ramparts of this ancient fortress. Domme started life as a strategic fortress and castle dating back to the crusades then evolved into a quaint French village when the locals dismantled the castle and repurposed the stones into houses, shops, and compulsory houses of worship (aka churches).

Our new friends Ali (short for Alison) and Rob (short for Rob) suggested that we come by for a house tour and local lunch on Thursday since they were returning to England on Saturday. We decided to combine a ride terminating with a long climb up to Domme. For those who follow "The Amazing Race" the esplanade overlooking the valley referred to as the "Panorama" was a pit stop on a recent season. 

This banner caught our eye which was at the entrance to a camping area call the frog something.

We decided that on this return visit we would stop for our coffee and pastry before tackling the up and over route over the intervening hill climb (or as Ali refers to them as lumpy sections). 

Kim could not resist a photo of this purple mail box...

and similarly colored flower. 

Ali also mentioned that we should make a quick stop to look at this ancient stone church.

The road "up and over" acknowledged as a biking route did not mention the steep grades (14%+), rugged pavement, moss covered sections, and brake gripping downhills. Once on the other side the pavement was more civilized although still quiet, tree lined, and mostly devoid of cars. The worst was behind us...

So on to the climb to Domme which was 8% for the first half and a measly 5% to the top.

Kim was first to reach the summit and through the remnants of the fortress gates. 

A quick turn past the rampart and we arrived at the Jones getaway. 

Ali has been visiting this area since childhood staying in Castelnaud. When they decided on a Dordogne retreat they insisted on a view, and what a view it is. The house is old but the pool and surrounding gardens are their creations. 

A selfie captured the group...

and photo of Ali showing off the view. 

Lunch was at a favorite restaurant "around the corner" with some of our favorite French delights. Rob had a beer or two but we stuck with mineral water knowing that we still has more than five miles back home. 

This is the oldest building in the remade town (much nicer than the medieval castle). Besides the surviving fortress walls are the dungeon where the "nights templar" (see The Da Vinci Code for more details) were imprisoned upon their return from the crusades.

Out the gates, down the hill, and an easy ride home.

This sign in their house reflects our sentiments. What a great day with our new found friends! Already planning our return visit next year, but maybe on our new e-bikes. 

A Great Day For A Ride - Finally

Finally we were blessed with a bright sunny, but a bit chilly day. On the bikes at 9 with all our clothes but knew that the big climbs were in the first half of the ride. Although only 27.7 miles an a bit under 2300 feet of climbing with several short double digit grades to conquer. 

Our first challenge was past the hill top castle of Beynac. This was a long and often steep climb that taxed our climbing legs. Did someone say "e-bike" - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day soon. 

Like most of these medieval fortresses the are as high up as possible and close to a precipice to minimize enemy attacks. Good for fighting but not so good for grocery shopping.  

Like many European towns getting there is a steady uphill grind, and this street was no exception. 

Contrary to popular belief black swans do exist but sometimes hard to find.

Just as a reminder of rides past the route planning does not always plot a rideable path. This is the universal sign for "dead end" so a quick recalculation got us around the obstacle and on our way with little wasted climbing effort. 

No, that is not a sascwatch but Kim doing what she does best when the urge arrives; find a corn field and squat.  

This decommissioned rail line is now a "rails to trail" velo route with the roadway underpass still operational.  

Once on the other side we were on our way to a much needed coffee and snack stop. 

The coffee was essential but with no pastry to be had we settled for some scraps of bread and some holdover chocolates hiding in my pack.

Another cliff side town between the river and cliff which is one of touristy stops along the way.

The sunny day brought out the tourists who crowded the street and river in canoes and kayaks. 

Tourist shops lines the main street and this toy shop was no exception. 

This stepped path went up somewhere but nowhere we wanted to go so we just walkded on by. 

Kim snagged this last baguette which she stuffed into my pack for the final miles back home. 

 

A Break In The Weather

 It was disappointing to have another wash out. We were not deterred and decided that even a short ride was better than no ride. So we waited until the rain let up and the road began to dry and headed out for a "short one".

A field of wilting sunflowers is still worth stopping for. 

There is nothing more glorious as the flowers in full bloom, but hard to find this late in the season. They leave the fields until the plants are barely standing. Not sure how they harvest the plants, but guess they are able to cut them down, haul them away, and somehow extract the oil in the process. 

Kim is around here somewhere, just not sure where. I know she will come back for her bike since walking is less favorable than riding home. 

Ah, there she is. Guess it is warm and dry enough to shed some clothes. Pants off, jackets off.

We opted for a converted railroad bed over the road. No cars but lots of mud and gravel which is not our favorite. Better luck next time. 

Saint Pompon, where a fresh baguette is always a sure bet. 

Having lived in California we are very familiar with "San" this and "Santa" that but are amazed by how many saints there were that we have never heard of. The exact number exceeds 10,000 with more coming every day. Does the Catholic world really need all these saints? 

No cheating. That is our dinner bread. 

This was a first. A hitching post for "fido". Guess a random post is not good enough. 

Back home. So glad we beat the weather and got a few miles under our belts. 

We may not have earned a full pastry, but surely we rode enough to work off half.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Friday, September 6, 2024

After a lovely ride yesterday gloom and doom has set in, in the form of dense fog and intermittent rain. Our friend Chris Everson confirmed that this has been an unusually damp year here in the Dordogne valley - lucky us. 

On the brighter side is that our apartment is just a short walk down the hill to the Boulangerie, and the fresh croissants, pastries, and breads of our dreams. 

With the weather looking quite iffy we opted to drive to the hill top town of Pays-De-Belves. It got us out on the road to scout a potential bike route to assess the quality of the roads and steepness of the climbs. So, if the weather ever clears we will retrace our drive along this scenic path. 

The town or village (hard to know when one becomes the other) was very typical. An intown hospital is unusual as the sign reveals. There was some historical photos from the 20th century but didn't try to decipher the significance.  

The  narrow archway led to the inner center.

Centre Ville had a covered market space but since it was not market day just an empty space.

Since it was lunch time it was hard to pass up the local gyro place with Shawarmas on the menu. Not typical French cuisine but one of our favorites, and don't forget the Frites which go with anything.

Dinner was out with our new friends Tony and Natasha who met us at a restaurant a hop and skip from our front door. No food photos this time.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Today we headed down to Daglan which is 10 KM (~6 Miles) from Castelnaud. We met Darlene and Shaun last year through their YouTube video channel where they documented their relocation from their native Brisbane, Australia almost two years ago. 

Here is the writeup from last year's blog:

In planning for this trip to France I perused YouTube extensively for videos about France, in particular, travelogues to the areas we plan to visit. There is a channel I followed posted by Darlene Lavett about her relocation from Brisbane, Australia to the Dordogne region of France. Darlene and Shaun decided that they needed to write the next chapter in their young lives (50 and 57 respectively) which we can personally relate (the start of our African adventures). They purchased a property in Daglan with extensive main and out buildings on an expansive plot of land walking distance to Centre Ville. This is a passionate labor of love which we can also relate to in our younger years. Although the house and furnishings were livable they decided to make it their own creation. Not something we would consider at our stage in life but what we might have done back in our fifties. Along with their physical commitment to making it their future home they are also committed to learning the language and assimilating into this rural French community. I have viewed many similar stories of "ex pats" pursuing a new life in France. There are pockets of them throughout rural France and within the major cities, but they are predominately English speaking islands within the sea of native born French. 

I contacted Darlene and asked if we could visit them and tour their property, and in the French style we brought two bottles of Champagne to lubricate our friendship. Their story is amazing. Having left their home half a world away to pursue their "new beginning". We had more things to talk about than time would permit but hopefully this will be the "start of a beautiful friendship" (Humphrey Bogart to Claude Raines in the last scene in the movie Casablanca). 

Alan, Kim, Darlene & Shaun

END OF 2023 BLOG ENTRY

We wanted to tour Darlene's and Shaun's house again and inspect the renovations since we first met last year. The place looked great (especially the kitchen) but still an ongoing work in progress. They have the energy and passion needed for their ambitious project, something we might have considered in our earlier life having built two house and renovated a third long before we hit our 50's. In our 70's changing a light bulb requires extensive planning, a lot of energy, and a substantial nap. 

Darlene and Shaun introduced us to a casual restaurant near our place for a late lunch. Nothing out of the ordinary but did I mention the frites? 

After driving back to Daglan Darlene wanted to show off her new art gallery in a rented room in the church. She is very talented and can showcase her artwork for sale to the endless flow of tourists who pass this way.

Darlene, Kim and pooch in front of some of her pieces. Her painting of the town scape now graces the postcard below. 

Sunday, September 8, 2024

This was a busy day for us capping a weekend of socializing with our local friends. We started the day with coffee and pastries with Tony and Natasha at their new place up the hill from where we are staying. 

We connected with them through a YouTube video (detect a pattern?) where they were interviewed by a French based relocation company that assist expat "want to be's" who want to relocate from their country of origin to France. Since we have no interest in making France our home I watch them to gather ideas on what to see and do while we are in country. Ironically Tony and Natasha purchased a property a few kilometers from our AirBNB and their web site mentions places to see and eat at in the area, which is a great find. 

Their expansive property incorporated a partially finished stone house (basically the exterior shell) and guest cottage which they rent as an AirBNB while they undertake the mammoth task of completing the interior into a palatial retreat with eight bedrooms and spacious living area. Once completed it will be a grandiose getaway. Since we already had a lunch commitment we cut our visit short but plan to get together again for lunch or dinner before leaving the Dordogne. 

On to our lunch with Su and Chris Everson which was only a short drive away.   

Another intriguing backstory dating to our time in Africa in 2007. Scott Pelley is a principle correspondent on the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes". We met him and his wife Jane on our first African safari in Tanzania in 1993 and maintained our close friendship for the past thirty plus years. In 2007 Scott was celebrating his 50th birthday with Jane planning the festivities outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Since we were in the neighborhood we reworked our volunteering calendar to join Scott, Jane, et. al. in the wine region of Franschhoek outside Cape Town. 

Turns out that Chris and Su are both native South Africans and at the time lived and operated a wine farm in the local area. Chris' day job is a videographer for CBS and he linked up with Scott for 60 Minute's coverage in Iraq. Ever since their first engagement Chris has been filming all of Scott's international stories (and many famous segments with the other correspondents) in places too numerous to list. Through twists of fate Chris and Su eventually sold the farm and permanently relocated to the Dordogne area of France.   

Even though our first meeting was brief we have corresponded with them over the years and planned to get reacquainted when visiting the Dordogne. Last year was a near miss due to a 60 Minutes assignment  but we were determined to make our visit a reality this year. 

A casual lunch was the ideal gathering at their house only a short drive from our AirBNB. Midday meals are the best way to avoid night driving on the narrow, windy roads and opportunity to indulge in a glass or two of bubbly.

Catching up on the seventeen intervening years and hearing Chris' amazing stories of life on the road made for a long and enjoyable afternoon in the typical French tradition. Before our stay here is over we hope to continue our conversations over another leisurely lunch or dinner. 

We love France and especially the Dordogne valley, but the greatest reward is making new friends and visiting with old ones while visiting the area.