What heaven - the weather forecast has changed dramatically and we appear to be in for a spell of fine, sunny weather in our future.  Today was  the first installment - mild, mostly sunny, exceedingly pleasant.  

After a funny attempt to have breakfast at our one star hotel/tavern (we got only coffee), we went out to a cafe for a chocolate croissant and more coffee and then cycled out of town along the Cele - another bike route wonderful beyond words.  The Cele is a much smaller river, but its character is much like this stretch of the Lot - more pretty villages, houses and chateaus built into cliffsides; and a sheep drive down the middle of the road.

We arrived in Bouziès about 1; and after checking in to our hotel began a hike back up river to the cave at Peche Merle.  The hike, about 14 km round trip, rose up and then followed a ridge on the far side of the river.  It was pretty and quiet, but generally without viewpoints or drama.

Peche Merle was very satisfying though.  The cave is quite interesting, and I enjoyed seeing in person the cave paintings I remembered seeing slides of in my Art History class over 3 years earlier.  Our tour was somewhat marred by a couple and their toddler, who wailed intermittently in the dark cave.  It’s hard to imagine how any parent would have expected that to work.

Dinner at our hotel was excellent, on a balcony opening out onto the high, white cliffs across the Lot.  I had magret, Cabécou salad, a bottle of Cahors (half of which was saved for tomorrow night’s meal), and a rhubarb tart.

After dinner we walked back to the bridge over the Lot to enjoy the myriad stars and admire the floodlit cliffs and the curious English Defile wedged into them.  The bridge is a very narrow, long single lane suspension affair.  In total darkness, it was unnerving when a car passed over it while we pressed ourselves against the railing.

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