It was nice to wake by the river. Nowhere nearby to buy food this morning but due to our fabulous advance planning we were able to enjoy a breakfast of a short banana each and a shared Twix that had melted in the sun and re-solidified overnight several times over.
Set off for an easy start on cycle track of old railway line and some very tiny roads. After 9 miles stopped in the town of Souillac to use the loo in a huge supermarket. Then on into the middle of town where we found a boulangerie/café where we sat indoors and shared a small mushroom quiche and a small chicken curry quiche. I’d been fancying a Flan Parisienne for some time and finally got my chance. It’s basically a big thick square slab of set custard and it was superb.
Stopped again only 5 miles further on. The day was very hot, in excess of 30 degrees, and this was proving very tiring. We knew that in such hot sun we’d have to stop frequently to rest in the shade. We came across a lovely roadside bar/restaurant/épicerie and bought some snacks. There were some tables and chairs outside but those in the shade were all occupied. We sat under a tree and I enjoyed a peach, an apricot and a can of chocolate milk. Jackie decided I needed filling with more carbohydrates for the huge climb that lay ahead and she’s usually right about these things. She went inside to order a portion of chips. On seeing me outside snoozing against the tree trunk, Roadside Café Woman™️ (we meet so many superheroes on this trip!) carried a table across to me. She told me to stay where I was and fetched two chairs. Roadside Café Assistant™️ came out and cleaned the table. The two of them made a fuss of me and were very kind. We all laughed a lot. Jackie and I shared the chips which were particularly good.
After a long rest we set off for the difficult part of the journey. A few short sharp climbs followed by one of 300 metres over about 8 miles. Normally that would be ok but in this heat it was a daunting prospect. We stopped frequently in whatever shade we could find and while riding we poured water over our heads to keep cool. There was a brief section that was so steep we could barely even walk it! The scenic road weaved its way up the hillside and was full of people driving on it just for fun: large groups of motorcyclists and some classic car owners passed us on their way up and again as they drove back down soon after.
I was genuinely surprised to finally make it to the top. At times it really felt like I wouldn’t. And what rewards there were! Rocamadour is stunning. A 12th century church built into the cliff-face with the remains of a castle above and a hillside village below. As we were so pooped we decided it was finally time to take a day off so we left exploring until the morning. We’d been cycling every day for 15 days!
Meanwhile there was a one-day cheese festival in full swing in a nearby field. What lucky timing! (Or had Jackie contrived the entire trip around this event?) There was a stage with some sort of traditional music and dancing that involved plenty of serious clomping. A couple struck up a conversation with us about our journey. And there was more cheese than even Jackie needed. We headed back through the town only to find a vintage lorry event taking place. It’s all go in Rocamadour!
We’d decided to stay in a hotel for maximum recuperation. Not surprisingly the price we’d seen online was a headline-grabber and it turned out that it only applied to a twin room. If we wanted a double bed it would cost £30 extra. We were clearly disappointed but went for the cheaper option. Kindly Hotel Receptionist™️ directed us to our room which turned out to have a double bed after all. I think this may have been a deliberate mistake. Shower was refreshing after such a hot sweaty day.
Went out on foot for dinner. Ate at a charming restaurant where Jackie had trout and I just could not resist confit de canard, this time avec pommes de terre écrasé. Had to look that up: crushed potatoes. Turned out to be super smooth mash with plenty of butter and strong chives. Yummer.
Back to our hotel for hot choc and much sleeping.
Miles cycled: 23 (felt like a lot more!)
Total miles: 553
Metres climbed: 517
Good things today:
- Riverside waking
- Flan Parisienne
- Roadside Cafê Woman™️
- Roadside Café Assistant™️
- Getting to the top of the hill alive!
- Stunning views of Rocamadour
- Surprise cheese festival
- Vintage lorries
- Kindly Hotel Receptionist™️
- Getting clean
- Duck ‘n’ mash
- Comfy bed
We loved Staying in Rocomadour on one of our Trans France epics coming back from the alps. More power to your legs for doing it all by bike xx