23-25 April 2018

​We depart Alpine country and head to lower terrain...

...and arrive at Lake Annecy.

Annecy lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, 35 kilometers (22 mi) south of Geneva, Switzerland.  Sometimes called "Venice of the Alps", this idyllic and touristic representation comes from the three canals and the Thiou river plying through the old city and whose initial role was to protect the city and to power its handicrafts. The city experienced an industrial development in the 19th century with silk manufacturing. Some of its industrial legacy remains today with the headquarters of NTN-SNR bearings, Salomon, Entremont and Dassault Aviation.

Our tour guidebook suggested a bike ride around the Lake was the thing to do, so we did it.  This loop (for us about 28 miles, or three hours) was a time trial segment of the Le Tour de France in 2009.  Spain's Alberto Contador completed that 25-mile stage in under 49 minutes.  It was a good workout with lots cool views.

​Now for our walking tour of old Annecy...

​We find Brancion.  Rick Steves' says "This is a classic feudal village.  Back when there were no nations in Europe, control of the land was delegated from lord to vassal.  The Duke of Burgundy ruled here through his vassal, the Lord of Brancion.  His vast domain, much of south Burgundy, was administered from this tiny fortified town.  Within the town's walls, the lord had a castle, a church, and all the necessary administrative buildings to deliver justice, collect taxes, and so on.  The population peaked centuries ago at 60.  Today, it's home to a handful of full-time residents."

We continue towards Beaune...and find a picturesque estate dwelling.

Now in Beaune, we tour a mustard factory.  Our eyes were stinging from the grinding of spice.

Before we retire for the night, we do dinner, and these tasty desserts.

We begin the next day with a highly recommended tour of the vineyards.

Grand Cru (great growth) is the highest level in the vineyard classification of Burgundy. There are a total of 550 hectares (1,400 acres) of Grand Cru vineyards - approximately 2% of Burgundy's 28,000 hectares (69,000 acres) of vineyards - of which 356 hectares (880 acres) produce red wine and 194 hectares (480 acres) produce white wine. In 2010, 18,670 hectoliters of Burgundy Grand Cru wine was produced, corresponding to 2.5 million bottles, or just over 1.3% of the total wine production of Burgundy.

The origin of Burgundy's Grand crus can be traced to the work of the Cistercians who, from amongst their vast land holdings in the region, were able to delineate and isolate plots of land that produced wine of distinct character.  Following the French Revolution many of these vineyards were broken up and sold as smaller parcels to various owners. The partible inheritance scheme outlined in the Napoleonic code, which specified that all inheritance must be equally divided among heirs, further contributed to the parceling of Burgundy's vineyards. This created situations such as the case of Clos Vougeot, a single 125-acre (51 ha) vineyard run by the monks, that today is parceled into plots owned by nearly 80 different owners, some of whom only own enough vines to make a case of wine per vintage.

We began with a wine tasting in a small town, while a bit pricey gave us a great orientation of the vineyards we would see and the significance of this vineyard area.

Wow, horse drawn cultivation!  And Gerri showing off our horseless carriage.

We drove up and around during our tour, and were rewarded with beautiful views of the rolling terrain.

A local barrel maker, using both old and modern methods.

A productive vineyard may last from 30-100 years - here's a run of vines in the process of being replaced.

Back in Beaune, we next tour the Hospices de Beaune, or Hôtel-Dieu de Beauneis, a former charitable almshouse. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The original hospital building, the Hôtel-Dieu, one of the finest examples of fifteenth-century Burgundian architecture, is now a museum. 

Gerri located single bottle vintage from her birth year (we did not dare ask how much this bottle cost).  But, we found out the wine tasting was self serve - omg!  

The wine appears to have an intoxicating effect, as Gerri demonstrates.  The tour exits through the "gift shop", but that doesn't disappoint either, with more free tastings of liquors and brandies.

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We leave the great wine country of Beaune and Burgundy with an entirely new appreciation of wine, feudalism, early hospital care, and mustard.

Today we go about 325 miles - a longer travel day than usual for us - to get from Nice to Chamonix.  We go from the warm seas, at sea level, to true alpine country with lots of ice and snow surrounding us.  Our guidebook tells us we need to travel along "Route Napoleon".  Route Napoléon is the route taken by Napoléon in 1815 on his return from Elba.  The route begins at Golfe-Juan, where Napoleon disembarked 1 March 1815, beginning the Hundred Days that ended at Waterloo. We cover a portion of it coming out of Nice.

"Napoleon Trees"  and towering geology provide interesting views on the drive.

Snowy peak complexes getting closer and closer.

Alpine villages appear amongst alpine peaks.

Onward and upward...Napoleon marches forward.

French mountain chalets, now just a stone's throw from the snow covered mountains.  The weather is ideal today - we are lucky.

We arrive.  The first Winter Olympic Games, in 1924, were held here.  This majestic alpine city is an "original", copied many times over around the world in other mountains.

The late day's sunshine plays off the peaks, as seen from the middle of Chamonix.

​In the morning we look up towards the complex of structures we will visit.

The gondola travel begins...

And then we step out up on high into a Springtime snowy wonderland.

It's a short but steep thrilling climb down for this skiers to start their long ski trip on a glacier just below.

Jagged peaks to the horizon provide a spectacular view.

Support structures clinging to the mountain provide the Gondola-get-off-platform, a final respite for skiers and climbers, platforms for sightseers like us, staff spaces, and mountain science exhibits as well as science space.

Chamonix spreads far below us now.

We ride up higher on another gondola, and get further views.

It's April, but it looks like January up here - perfect conditions for glaciers to begin their flow downward.

Our knit caps and layers keeping us warm, while the crazy skiers prepare for their plunge.

Playing in the snow, checking heart rate, with Mont Blanc not far above us.

Ah, back in the gondola, leaving the high country for the eagles.  There's other places to explore.

Now to the cog train.  The Montenvers Railwayor Chemin de fer du Montenversis a rack railway line serving trekkers, skiers, tourists. The line runs 3.2 miles/20 minutes from Chamonix to the Hotel de Montenversstation, at the Mer de Glace, at an altitude of 1,913 m (6,276 ft). The Mer de Glace ("Sea of Ice") is a valley glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the French Alps. It is 7.5 km long and 200 metres (660 ft) deep but, when all its tributary glaciers are taken into account, it can be regarded as the longest and largest glacier in France, and the second longest in the Alps after the Aletsch Glacier.

The terminal lies above the glacier's valley, with small gondolas taking one down to a lower platform, and then you may walk stairways to get direct access to the glacier.

Skiers awaiting their turn to ride the gondola to the train, for their return to Chamonix.

Our short day of mountaineering (at least being the tourist version) is complete.  We ourselves return to Chamonix for people watching, beer, and more "French Food".  Hmm, the food we find looks just like pub food.

19-20 April 2018

After our first night in Nice, we grab a train and head to Monaco for a day trip.

Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco is a sovereign city-state, country, and microstate on the French Riviera. France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea.  Monaco is less than 20 miles from the border with Italy.  Monaco has an area of 0.780 sq mi, making it the second-smallest country in the world after the Vatican.

View of turquoise waters from our train.

Cruise ships love to come here - the casino and shopping awaits the cruisers.  The exciting street drivers - we passed on this opportunity leaving the car back in Nice safely tucked away.

Narrow streets - they pack allot of dwellings in this tiny country.

Preps were well underway for next month's Grand Prix.  The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world and, with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport.  The circuit has been called "an exceptional location of glamour and prestige".

​To the Prince's Palace - as usual, a healthy upwards climb/walk - in "Monaco City" a quarter or district within Monaco.

Much greenery on the rooftops - amazing views from the heights of Monaco City.

The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monaco, where many of the Grimaldis were buried, including  Princess Grace Kelly and—more recently—Prince Rainier III.

Back down to the lower district, on the grounds of the Monaco Grand Prix center, we enjoy a brewery.

​We return westward on the train to begin further exploration of Nice.  Before getting back to Nice, we take a side detour to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a commune just to the East of Nice.  It promises a fantastic marina, amazing villas, and a long hike around the outer peninsula.

This structure seems out of place, but it was indeed adjacent to the marina.

Where's Gerri?   Checking out a menu, even though dinner is some hours away....hmmmm.

Little pink villas, along the sea shore....

A boat, both basic and elegant....and a whale tail bench.

We even find a MacGregor 26, similar to our previous sailboat, amongst all those expensive boats;  and then the hike begins - a nicely maintained rustic path.

Antique boats afloat, both small and large, are out and about.

We arrived back at our lodging for the 2nd of 3 nights staying in Nice.

In the morning, a little white convertible, and an inspiring Byzantine church.

Marc Zakharovich Chagall born Moishe Zakharovich Shagal (6 July 1887 – 28 March 1985) was a Belarussian-French artist of Belarusian-Jewis horigin.  An early modernist, he was associated with several major artistic styles and created works in virtually every artistic format, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints.  Art critics referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century"
We were a bit confused on finding the front door, but we did.

More sights of Nice...

Including some of an out-of-place nature...

Our guidebook keeps us informed.     Spices from the Orient.

"Downtown"  somehow finds us at 4:20pm on 4-20-2018 (time stamp on original photo).

This wine is making me blurry....

Crestet - top castle from A.D. 850 - the village founded at the end of the fall of Roman Empire, built high up for protection from marauding barbarians.

High vistas; we crawled up the rocky path, crudely carved into the slop, and these tourists followed our lead.

Traveling onward through the extensive vineyards, to our next stop...

Gigondas  -  Rick Steves' "This upscale village produces some of the region's best reds and is ideally situated for hiking, mountain biking, driving into the mountains."   We like the little tandem trike.

Orange, France
Roman Orange was founded in 35 BC as Arausio (after the local Celtic water god).  A previous Celtic settlement with that name existed in the same place, and a major battle, which is generally known as the Battle of Arausio, had been fought in 105 BC between two Roman armies and the Cimbri and Teutones tribes.
Arausio covered an area of some 170 acres and was well-endowed with civic monuments; in addition to the theatre and arch, it had a monumental temple complex and a forum.
The present town is renowned for its Roman architecture, and its Roman theatre, the Théâtre antique d'Orange, is described as the most impressive still existing in Europe.  An arch, the theatre, and surroundings were listed in 1981 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Isle Sur La Sorgue - The small town is famous for its many antique shops and hosts antique markets most Sundays. It has many waterside cafés and restaurants, all within walking distance of each other. Its remaining many attractive water wheels, formerly for mill power, are situated throughout the town and still in working order.

Gordes - a town with impressive views, derelict up to the 1960s, now resurrected by big money.

Oppède-le-Vieux - Rick:  " This off-the-beaten-path fixer-upper of a village was completely abandoned in 1910, and today has a ghost town-like feel."  We climbed the 20-minute path to the small church and castle ruins, and found hard-workers rebuilding the castle.

Roussillon is a commune noted for its large ochre deposits found in the clay surrounding the village. Ochres are pigments ranging from yellow and orange to red.  We stayed the night in a nice larger boutique hotel.  We relax by the pool after dinner, with Gerri checking AirBnB accommodations in Nice.

​Moustiers-Sainte-Marie lies at the western entrance to the Gorges du Verdon. The village has been a centre of the pottery trade, especially faïence, for centuries. A spring flows out of the cliff and creates a waterfall in town, providing water power.  The village was built on platform terraces a hundred or so metres up the side of a limestone cliff.  Above the town, a gold-painted star hangs on a 225m-long chain suspended between two cliffs. Its origin, according to a legend popularised by Provençal poet Frédéric Mistral, lies in the 10th century; the original star and chain have been replaced several times since then. The current star is about 50 years old. According to the legend, during the Crusades the knight Bozon de Blacas was held prisoner by the Saracens; he vowed to hang a star over his village if he was able to return. 

We make our way up the stout climb to the church.

Upon arrival at the church, we find pilgrimage plaques.

We now make our way to the Riviera, enjoying more sights along the way.

We arrive in Nice late afternoon/early evening - and get our first views of the Mediterranean Sea since we travelled Italy.

15 April 2018

Les Baux-de-Provence is a French commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the province of Provence in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France. It has a spectacular position in the Alpilles mountains, set atop a rocky outcrop that is crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south. Its name refers to its site: in Provençal, a bauç is a rocky spur. The name bauxite (Aluminium ore) is derived from the village name when it was first discovered there by geologist Pierre Berthier in 1821.
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It has been named one of the most beautiful villages in France and has over 1.5 million visitors per year although it has only 22 residents in the upper part of the commune and 436 for the whole commune.

​You might ask yourself...what's happening here?

In a defunct subterranean limestone quarry, art displays are projected onto the walls, to the accompaniment of music.  It is called "Carrieres des Lumieres".  For us the site was convenient to our touring - we parked just outside, and initially toured the old village and ruined fortress, returning to finish with the Lumieres.

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"The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gardin southern France. The Pont du Gard, built as three tiers of archways to bring water to the city of Nîmes, is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts, and one of the best preserved. 

The aqueduct bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometre (31 mi) system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes).  Because of the uneven terrain between the two points, the mostly underground aqueduct followed a long, winding route that called for a bridge across the gorge of the Gardon River. The bridge has three tiers of arches, stands 48.8 m (160 ft) high, and descends a mere 2.5 centimetres (1 in) – a gradient of only 1 in 18,241 – while the whole aqueduct descends in height by only 12.6 m (41 ft) over its entire length, which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using simple technology.

The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m3 (8,800,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It may have been in use as late as the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but a lack of maintenance after the 4th century led to clogging by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water.

After the Roman Empire collapsed and the aqueduct fell into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact, due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep, in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century.

It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century, and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, which culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions, and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors."

A moderately strenuous hike to the higher ground above gives more spectular views, as well as a look at a portion of the aqueduct tunnel.  The narrow channel shown below is the top of the bridge where the water flowed downward (that whole inch in its length).

Olive trees can grow for over 2,000 years - did this example witness the construction of this amazing structure?

On the way to the BNB lodging, we happened across these extensive tulip fields.  We were fortunate, as the next day the most of the blooms were literally shaved off and the plants harvested for their bulbs.  We left the area driving back past the fields and most all the color was gone.

We then checked into a BNB called Maison Sadina nicely run by the male proprietor who arranged for a reservation for us at a restaurant called Côté Terrasse in Séguret (BNB less than a mile west of the restaurant).

13-14 April 2018

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Situated in the narrow valley of the Gellone river where it meets the steep-sided gorge of the Hérault River, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is essentially a medieval village located on the Chemin de St-Jacques (Way of St. James) pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella.

The abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert owes its name to Guilhem, a French knight of the medieval period. Born sometime in the late 8th century, Guilhem was one of the Emperor Charlemagne's chosen knights.  A devout Christian who ended his days (died 812 AD) in the monastery at Gellone, he endowed the abbey with a relic of the True Cross, given to him by Charlemagne. Because of this relic, the monastery soon prospered and became an important place of pilgrimage in southern France.

With the development of the great medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (the shrine of Saint James in northwestern Spain) in the 10th century, Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert became a recognized stage on one of the four major routes leading to Compostela. By the middle of the 11th century this influx of pilgrims to the Gellone valley enabled the monks to rebuild their monastery on a larger scale, using the architectural techniques of the early Romanesque style. The present abbey church dates from that period.

Aigues-Mortes is a striking, walled medieval town sitting on the flat marshes of the Camargue, and is considered the purest example of 13th-century military architecture. It looks today pretty much like it did in the Middle Ages. The town of neatly rectilinear streets is surrounded by a crenelated wall with four corner towers and a dozen fortified portes.

Arles is a city on the Rhône River in the Provence region of southern France. It's famed for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh.  Once a provincial capital of ancient Rome, Arles is also known for many remains from that era, including Arles Amphitheatre (les Arènes d'Arles), now hosting plays, concerts and bullfights.

​Lucky for us, we once again are in town on a market day.  So after breakfast, featuring wine of course, we started are day here.  This one was especially appealing, as it was more the traditional farm offerings, and less so the t-shirts and plastic bowls.

A setting for Van Gogh's canvass, some of the block still the same, some not.

Almost like Rome, we see the amphitheater looming in the distance, while still walking in the narrow city streets.

Much foresight by city planners is seen here - the Roman ruins were allowed to become a permanent member of the town streets.

We see the high Alps again on the far horizon from the top of the amphitheater.

Remains of a Roman theater.

In the background from the Roman theater, the Church of St. Trophime is a Roman Catholic. It was built between the 12th century and the 15th century, and is in the Romanesque architectural tradition.  

Many relics on display in the church.  Gerri finding a "relic" of her own.

Another Van Gogh location - nicely landscaped to preserve the character from his time.

And another Van Gogh!

A small, but amazing, museum presenting the Roman antiquities of Arles.  On display is a model providing an excellent overview of when Arles was a Roman town.

This is dinner tonight at "home", followed by a surprise mini-concert just one block away from our lodging in Place de la République.

11-12 April 2018

The Pont Valentré is a 14th-century six-span fortified stone arch bridge crossing the Lot River to the west of Cahors.  Construction began on 17 June 1308 and completed 1378 with six Gothic arches and three square bridge towers, although it opened for use in 1350.  Originally fortified at both ends, the western tower has not survived.  A major restoration was performed from 1867 to 1879 by Paul Gout.

In local folklore, the foreman, exasperated by the slow pace of the work, signed a pact with the Devil. The Devil promised to help expedite the work and, if he carries out all of the foreman's orders, then the foreman's soul would be forfeit.

Having seen the bridge built on time, the foreman regrets his decision and issues a final order to the devil to go and collect water for the other workers using a sieve (a strainer, ha!). In revenge for having been tricked, the Devil sends a demon each night to loosen the final stone in the central tower (known as the Devil's Tower) to ensure that the bridge is never finished and must be repaired each day.
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During the restoration of the bridge in 1879, the architect Paul Gout inserted a stone bearing the sculpted image of an imp into the central tower. As a result, according to the updated legend, every time the Devil checks to see that his vandalism has been carried out he is confused into thinking that the stone image is one of his demons tasked with dismantling the bridge.

Modern pilgrims walk this way, we walked all the way...................................from our car.

​Albi
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecilia, also known as Albi Cathedral, seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Albi. First built as a fortress in the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade; begun in 1282 and under construction for 200 years, and still the largest brick building in the world.

On to the next tour - sights along the way, including Tupperware (Tim's granny would be proud) and rainbows over vineyards.

Cité de Carcassonne

Founded during the Gallo-Roman period, the citadel has 1.9 mi long double surrounding walls interspersed by 52 towers. The town has about 2,500 years of history and has been occupied in different ages by Romans, Visigoths, Saracens, and Crusaders. At the beginning of its history it was a Gaulish settlement, then in the 3rd century A.D., the Romans transformed it into a fortified town.  The Roman defenses were in place by 333 AD, when the town is described as a castellum. The original walls were supported by between 34 and 40 towers, spaced from 18 to 30 metres apart along the curtain wall. Each tower was semicircular in plan and about 14 meters tall. 

The Gallo-Roman walls were rebuilt during the town's occupation by the Visigoths in the 5th and 6th centuries, but much of the original structure remained in place. After 1226, an additional line of fortifications was added outside of the Roman walls. The town was finally annexed to the kingdom of France in 1247 A.D.  It provided a strong French frontier between France and the Crown of Aragon. During this period, the inner, Roman walls were largely demolished and replaced, while the new outer walls were reinforced and extended to the south. Construction continued into the reign of King Philip IV in the early 14th century.

In 1659, after the Treaty of the Pyrenees, the province of Roussillon became a part of France, and the town lost its military significance.  Fortifications were abandoned and the town became one of the economic centers of France, concentrating on the woolen textile industry.

Tomorrow we will tour the citadel, but today we will smell the flowers and dine on French tapas with wine.

The next day, making our way to the citadel, crossing a bridge with Roman-era underpinnings.

Going a bit up, and along, and around, to reach the front door.

We're here, the price of entrance free (they want people to empty their pockets inside).  See the irregular stone work - evidence of the centuries of rebuilding, reusing, and reengineering that started with Romans.

Gerri:  "Dammit, they can't have my money for cokes and ice cream, but I could go for some medieval fry bread right now"          (to the right)  "I okay now, much calmer.............where's my fry bread dammit"

These children never moved the whole time of our visit; I bet they wish they were somewhere else.

The visit of the citadel fortress is complete, time for some food of the locals.

"Martel is a medieval town, with the older houses built of pale stone that contrasts with their reddish-brown roofs. The ramparts that used to surround the town are gone but in their place is a wide boulevard and the narrow-streeted central part is a pedestrian area. The town has a distinctive sky-line with medieval towers projecting above the houses, and because of these, the town is sometimes called La ville aux sept tours. The highest tower is that of the Church of Saint-Maur.  There is an eighteenth-century market hall taking up most of the central cobbled square.  Markets are held here on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and during late December or January there is an annual truffle market."

"The village of Carennac lies in the fertile valley of the Dordogne River, nestled under the barren, parched plateau locally named 'le Causse'.  Its most remarkable landmarks are a medieval priory, combining an 11th-century church and 15th-century cloister, and a 16th-century castle. "

"I am Pierre-Chicken-Bird-of-Carenacc, producer of chicken sperm, eater of corn, and lead town waker-upper."

(https://www.northofthedordogne.com/loubressa.php)
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"As you wind up the hill to the hilltop village of Loubressac you are greeted by the sight of the lovely stone houses with small flowery gardens, brown terracotta roofs and painted shutters - often in shades of burgundy - delightful! The houses are built in a lovely pale gold, almost white stone.

The streets wind upwards to the shady square with its church dating from the 12th to 16th centuries.

As you wander round the village you catch glimpses of the surrounding countryside - the valleys of the rivers Dordogne, Cère and Bave, it offers one of the best views of the Dordogne region including views of the Chateaux Castelnau, one of the great castles of France.

Loubressac does have a chateau but it is almost impossible to see anything of it other than its imposing gateway. The chateau dates from the 15-17th centuries and its maison des gardes to the 15th century.

Loubressac is one of the 'most beautiful villages of France'. It is also rightly proud of its floral endeavors and has won the prizes of 'most beautiful flowering village of the Lot' and 'best flowering village of the Midi-Pyrenees'."

(left-below) Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux, construction began in the 12th-century, with enlargements and improvements out to the 17th-century.  (right-below) Loubressac awaits us, and we find the description above is perfectly accurate.

"Gerri, give me your best Brigitte Bardot look."  On the right, with our Peugeot rental.

Several villages have had these new and modern parking lots - for a small fee you can park just outside the venue, and not impede the locals.  //                  Ah, the French like their bicycle tours.

(https://www.northofthedordogne.com/rocamadour.php)

"The lovely village of Rocamadour is on the eastern edge of the area, across the border from the Dordogne into the Lot department. Each year the small village of Rocamadour (population around 600), in the Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy, receives more than a million visitors. Why so popular?

Firstly because Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage destination, and has been for 1000 years. Built on the site of a shrine to a Madonna, the shrine became famous for its healing powers, and soon became a stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Campostela.  The second reason is because of the beautiful and dramatic setting of the village, climbing up a cliff side.
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Rocamadour is one of the Grand Sites of France. It was also voted 'the favourite village of the French 2016' by viewers of a French television channel. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the pilgrim route of the 'Way of Saint James'. Rocamadour is one of France's most important tourist destinations."

The pilgrimage steps begin (Grand Escalier).  There are 216 steps in total, once climbed by some pilgrims on their knees. 

"Flights of steps ascend from the lower town to the churches, a group of massive buildings half-way up the cliff. The chief of them is the pilgrimage church of Notre Dame (rebuilt in its present configuration from 1479), containing the cult image at the centre of the site's draw, a wooden Black Madonna reputed to have been carved by Saint Amator (Amadour) himself."  

​For now we continued past these collection of churches to the top.

One last ascent, winding up through 14 Stations of the Cross, we go on.

The top is in site, as we stop and pause at the last and 14th Station.

At the top, Basilique Saint Sauveur, with L'Hospitalet nearby, final destination for the pilgrims and a great place for some stunning views across the region.  It's late so we didn't loiter long, and descended back to the lower assemblage of churches to see the Black Madonna.

The pilgrimage church opens onto a terrace where pilgrims could assemble, called the Plateau of St Michel, where there is a broken sword said to be a fragment of Durandal, once wielded by the hero Roland.

Going back down the pilgrimage steps, we see our hotel again, it's been another long day of medieval touring.

                                                                                                                                (painting by Charles R. Knight)

"Font-de-Gaume is a cave near Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil. The cave contains prehistoric polychrome cave paintings and engravings dating to the Magdalenian period. Discovered in 1901, more than 200 images have been identified.

The paintings were discovered by Denis Peyrony, a local schoolmaster, on 12 September 1901. The cave had been known to the general public before this, but the significance of the paintings had not been recognized.  Four days earlier Peyrony had visited the cave at Les Combarelles, a short distance away, with the archaeologist Henri Breuil, where he saw its prehistoric engravings. 
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Prehistoric people living in the Dordogne Valley first settled in the mouth of Font-de-Gaume around 25,000 BC. The cave mouth was inhabited at least sporadically for the next several thousand years. After the original prehistoric inhabitants left, the cave was forgotten until the nineteenth century when local people again began to visit the cave. The paintings date from around 17,000 BC.  The cave's most famous painting, a frieze of five bison, was discovered accidentally in 1966 while scientists were cleaning the cave.

As of 2007, Font-de-Gaume was the only site in France with polychrome cave paintings that is still open to the public. 

230 figures have been recorded in the cave, and it is thought that more are still to be revealed. These engravings are considered the best examples of polychrome painting other than Lascaux, which is now closed to the public. The rock art in Font-de-Gaume includes depictions of more than 80 bison, approximately 40 horses, and more than 20 mammoths.

Les Combarelles is a cave in Les Eyzies de Tayac, Dordogne, France, which was inhabited between 13,000 to 11,000 years ago. Holding more than 600 prehistoric engravings of animals and symbols, the two galleries in the cave, as well as Font de Gaume, were crucial in the re-evaluation of the mental and technical capabilities of these prehistoric humans around the turn of the last century.

Formed by an underground river, the cave is 300 m (980 ft) long with an average width of 1 m (3.3 ft).  Radiocarbon dating of bones found in the cave indicate the cave was inhabited by people 13,680–11,380 years before the present. During that period, these people produced hundreds of drawings on the sandy cave walls, traces of dye suggesting the engraved drawings were originally coloured.

Scientists have identified 600–800 drawings of isolated animals and undecipherable tectiforms (i.e. upward-pointing wedges) in the cave. Horses appear most frequently in these drawings — isolated, in herds, and together with other animals — but the reindeer are famous for their naturalistic appearances — some of them drawn as if drinking water from the river flowing through the cave. Other animals include cave bears, cave lions, and mammoths.

The Abri du Poisson ("Fish Rock Shelter") is a prehistoric sculpture of a salmon, dating to the era of Paleolithic art (c.23,000 BCE).  Fish are rarely depicted - only ten examples are known in the entire history of cave art during the Ice Age - and this particular relief sculpture is one of the oldest representations of a fish ever found. The salmon sculpture was carbon-dated after analysis of the red and black pigments that were found on it.  In 1979, the Abri du Poisson was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the other sites and caves in the Vezere valley.

Abri Poisson, the shelter, was discovered in 1892 by Paul Girod. The fish sculpture, however, was first noticed on the ceiling, covered in lichens, by Jean Marsan in 1912. The following year, the Abri du Poisson was made an Historic Monument, and was later excavated by the renowned French prehistorian Denis Peyrony (1869-1954), who himself succeeded in foiling an attempt (financed by Professor Carl Schuchhardt of the Berlin Anthropological Museum) to dismantle the stone carving of the salmon."
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Access to view the art is strictly regulated - too many people breathing nearby would eventually destroy them.  Tickets can only be purchased in-person.  The guidebook said to arrive early, preferably before the ticket office opens, and occupy the numbered seat benches.  78 tickets for Font de Gaume and 42 tickets for Les Combarelles are available minus those set aside for tour groups, 26 and 7.  We arrived, with breakfast snacks around 7am, and waited it out.  We were there alone for about 20 minutes, and then people slowly filled out all the other positions before the ticket shop opened at 930am.  We bought tickets for Font de Gaume, Les Combarelles, and the Abri du Poisson.

First up, Les Combarelles - we met up with our guide and about 8 others in the tan building.  The promised English speaking guide didn't happen, however, one of the French tourists translated the guide's descriptions for us.  The engravings, not paintings here, were not easily discernible at first especially in the low light.

Finally, Font-de-Gaume, with a hike up, up, up, from the ticket office.

These photos are from the museum we visited afterwards that presented both recreated cave art and photos.

8 April 2018

Today, traveling between Limoges and Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, we visit a town of 9,331 that one of Rick Steves' writers considers the best town in France, and then two smaller medieval villages on the Dordogne River.  A region of walnuts and foie gras (duck liver), and also more than 1,500 castles, making it "The Other Chateau Country".

​Sarlat-la-Canéda
​"Because modern history has largely passed it by, Sarlat has remained preserved and one of the towns most representative of 14th century France."
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Ah hah, another French micro-brewery, with some good brews - the entrepreneur sits just outside his small shop.

Traditional tools/equipment, even a grinder for barley processing - artisanal beer is made here.

Well preserved stone structures in the old inner town.

Sarlat Cathedral - built over 300 years between the 14th and 17th centuries.

Gerri inside the market building (see below with the gigantic doors) - today isn't a market day, so quietness prevails.

There's a story behind this small church - I can't seem to pull it out as I type now (need to update when I get back to the guidebook, now 2,000 miles from me).

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​La Roque-Gageac - Perched above the Dordogne River, the village is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France") association.

To the right below:  "The troglodyte fort set in the cliffs 40 metres above La Roque Gageac is fascinating, and significant vestiges of the 12th century construction are still standing. The strong defensive position of La Roque Gageac and the fortress whose defences continued to be elaborated up to the 17th century meant that it held an important strategic and defensive position in the area."

Several old trade boat replicas haul tourists up and down the river, which is surprisingly tidal.

​Beynac-et-Cazenac - another member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France") association.

"Historically the first mention of Beynac dates to 1115 when Maynard de Beynac made a gift to the sisters at Fontevrault Abbey.  Simon de Montfort seized the château at the end of the 12th century, but the people of Beynac recovered their château thanks to the intervention of Philippe Auguste in 1217. The château stayed in possession of the family de Beynac until 1753 when the de Beynac family became extinct in male line with Pierre last marquis of Beynac who married in 1727 Anne-Marie Boucher and had two daughters : Julie de Beynac married to the marquis de Castelnau and Claude-Marie de Beynac married in 1761 to Christophe Marie de Beaumont du Repaire. The family de Beaumont du Repaire added "Beynac" to its name and took the courtesy title of "marquis de Beaumont-Beynac". One of the descendants sold the château in 1961."

​It's like a 900-year old soap opera.

​(first image is from Wikipedia - the rest are not)

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil - we arrive in the next overnight location, tomorrow will be cave art viewing.
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This locale is home to the Musée National de Préhistoire (National Museum of Prehistory) and the area contains several important archaeological sites, including the Font-de-Gaume, Grotte du Grand-Roc and Lascaux cave prehistoric rock dwellings.