Our original plan created a few months ago called for an unloaded day ride to Cahors and back (copying the TA and Susan C day from last Oct). However when we got here we realized that our time would best be spent checking out this amazing place and immediate surrounding area.
So that’s what we did.
First things first though …. The best ‘overall’ breakfast of the trip, Maison Lapopie gives you a ‘breakfast menu’ to fill out, and the next morning your selections magically appear in the adjacent breakfast room. Everything we would, or could want, coffee, tea and juice of course, plus croissants, bread, yogurt, eggs (great soft scrambled with cheese), speck, bread, crepes, fruit …. It was great (La Petite Chou still triumphs on the amazing quality of their more limited offering though!)
With this great breakfast in us we set off for the hike down to Bouzies with a return along the historic canal haul path … Chemin la Halage.
Enough verbiage…. A few pics to follow, enough to describe the very good day, but not an overload like yesterday.
We finished off the day with a good, and more traditional dinner, at Le Gourmand Quercynois. This was similar to our two nights in Figeac … one absolute stand out dinner, and another that was good, but won’t be memorable. Damned with faint praise!
Our Garmin GPS watch’s may have some fine tuning issues …. I don’t recall going for a swim in the Lot
There was a jazzy version of this playing at La Chou Rouge a few nights ago … perfectly in synch with that night’s vibe. Fast forwad to tonight, and as K and I are walking up into the small main square of the village on our way to dinner, a beat up old Renault 205 pulls into the square, with this tune playing quite loudly. The passenger door opens, and out pops an older lady … who was at the table beside us at lunch today … and she’s singing and dancing to the tune. What to do … join in of course! A little dance party ensued … then we all laughed … and continued on our way. So here you go … sing and dance along!
I just keep seeing these cool details in the roofs in this village
Saint Cirq Lapopie is surrounded by a number of large car parking lots, as you obviously can’t drive into the village. I’m so glad we are here on a Monday and Tuesday in May! This will be full in July!
Nice walk through the Forest as we made our way back down to Bouzies to walk along La Chemin de Halage ….believe it or not, these lovely little flowers are Death Nettles!
There are a number of riverside art works as you approach Chemin de Halage - an old tow path alongside locks on the Lot - famous for the bas relief carvings of Daniel Monnier done in 1985-89
The carved out halage path went on for a few km’s, only a small 30 m section has the bas relief art work, but all of it is a ‘cool’ walk. We don’t have to be on a bike to say’ Isn’t that cool!”
Lyle McLeodTo ann and steve maher-wearyIt was, thanks!
We seem to be getting lucky with the weather too, only two days where we’ve had to ride in the rain, and although we’ve had some windy days, none have been full on headwinds. This day was more or less perfect for the hike. Looks like you’ve had some wind lately. That makes for long hard days! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Kirsten KaarsooTo Rachael AndersonIt was, we are slowly learning that our ‘bike trips’ don’t only have to be riding. We can stop and ‘smell the roses’ along the way. The bike is just part of how we get from place to place. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
