Day 16 – Day off

Have I mentioned my knee lately? No? That’s because it finally sorted itself out around day 10 and is now in great shape.

Good sleep in the hotel last night, very comfortable. I got up once for a wee. It was pitch black and I didn’t want to use any lights and disturb Jackie’s slumber. Guessed my way around the room and found the toilet door. Couldn’t get it to open. Then realised it wasn’t the door but a full length mirror on the wall. In that case the door must be on the right. Shuffled along blindly until I found the handle. Opened the door and walked straight in. It wasn’t the toilet. It was the shower room. I found that out by walking straight into the glass wall of the shower cubicle, knee first. Ouch. Very very ouch! It was the other knee that hurt now. And the irony is that the loud crash and the light I eventually switched on didn’t wake Jackie.

Had a lie-in for as long as possible to take advantage of our day off and try to catch up on much needed rest. Pot Noodles in bed for breakfast. We know how to live!

Walked down the cliffside path to Rocamadour. Visited the 12th century church and sanctuary. Quite an incredible building with a fantastic looking big organ – I wish we could have heard it. The back wall of the church is solid rock. There was some kind of service taking place in a side chapel and the singing enhanced the atmosphere.

Wandered through the long cobbled main street full of amazing buildings that are either eateries or shops selling predictable tourist stuff. Gallettes for lunch and I went mad and had a crêpe dessert too involving lots of choc and some coconut ice-cream.

Strolled around a little more but the afternoon was too hot so we had a drink under an umbrella outside a hotel. Then headed back to the top. Luckily they have a lift system. The first half of the journey to the top is in a fairly ordinary lift, the second is a funicular sort of thing that runs in a tunnel cut through the rock so as not to impinge on the beauty of the village.

Decided we would cycle a bit after all. Set off for a short 10 mile jaunt in the cool of early evening. After just 2 miles we passed a field of goats. Next door to that the goat owners had built a lovely ice-cream parlour to sell their goat-milk ice cream. It would have been rude not to.

One delicious cornet each and a little more cycling later and we arrived at our destination town of Gramat where we had a beer at The Golden Lion in the town square.

Then off to the campsite. We found a lovely wedding tableau on the way, outside the entrance to a farm.

Our campsite for the night was on an organic farm. It was not much like a campsite and quite a lot like a scrappy unkempt field with an enormous density of stones of various sizes in the soil. There was just one man there staying in a caravan with his dog.

On one side of the field was a little woodland which contained several home made miniature buildings fashioned from something akin to adobe or perhaps straw bales covered with mud. They were ramshackle to say the least. We think they were practice structures as there was a full-size building of similar style, but slightly better made, housing a washing machine, some sinks and three showers. Everything was quite grubby. Round the back a single compost loo. The swimming pool was green. I mean the water, not the decor.

Despite all this the place had a certain appeal. Our friendly hosts didn’t seem to have noticed that their field was a barely campsite. They were super lovely though. We had to chat with them entirely in French which seriously limits the conversation but does give a sense of achievement. We learned that they produce cheese from a tiny herd of cows and some goats which they sell at a local market and that the cows would arrive for milking at 7am. We would hear their bells. Occasionally a cow manages to get into the camping field and they have to chase it. Hmm.. a bit of a worry when you’re under canvas!

We put the tent up and then enjoyed a a picnic dinner during which host Patrice arrived for a chat on his absolutely lovely 1963 Mobylette moped. He said it never broke down and was his favourite piece of farm equipment. As he left he stood up to pedal hard and then the engine kicked in and with a cloud of blue smoke he zoomed off across the rough field.

Bedtime.

Miles cycled: 10

Total miles: 562

Metres climbed: Insignificant

Good things today: