Today I set off with Scott and Rachael for a loop ride in the Causse de Gramat to Rocamadour. It was a day full of highlights, ranging from cycling on another section of this year’s Tour de France route to the slow reveal of the cliffside village Rocamadour as we wound our way down the Alzou Gorges.
I’ve been overwhelmed by Rocamadour, unable to sift through the scores of photos and adjectives that might capture the astounding setting of a city that slopes 60° down a cliff and hangs 150 meters above the Alzou valley; unable to convey the perspective of being within a religious sanctuary built into a canyon wall, one that has attracted pilgrims and supplicants since the 12th century. My paralysis has gone on too long and I am getting too far behind in the journal. So I'll tell my version in pictures only. I’ve tried to provide some information in the captions, but for a more thorough report, I direct you to Scott and Rachael’s posting for an excellent write up and video of our day.
A near frontal view of the village, whose three tiers date from the middle ages and reflect the order of society at the time – knights on the top; religion in the middle; common folk and workers on the bottom near the river
The final section of the grand staircase access to the Sanctuary. In contrast to the pilgrims who ascended on their knees as a path of penance, we ascended on foot, carrying our bicycles.
Arriving at the sanctuary on the second level, one can only crane your head in a slow circle of astonishment at the surrounding chapels, some of which are built into the canyon wall.
Gazing across the causse and at the valley below. The road we descended on the opposite side of the gorge is visible to the right of Rachael's right arm
