Walking in the Dordogne

Chateau des Anglais

It was 100 kilometres in heat as much as 35 deg.  But we were up for it.  Mary met me in Paris and next day we headed down to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, the beginning of the route On Foot Holidays had set up for us. On Foot set up our accommodations along the way, gave us instructions on how to get to our next place, and arranged to have our luggage moved to the next stopping place. After a pleasant meeting with Emily, the company’s local contact and designer of the route, we went for a celebratory dip in the river.  Let me just say it was very refreshing and we didn’t stay in long.  The evening was very warm, so naturally we left our windows wide open, never thinking that at 4 am we would be discouraging a bat from thinking our bedroom was a great roosting cave.  An auspicious start to our trip. 

Chateau de Castelnau 

Over the next six days we walked as much as 22 kilometres in a day, and gained an accumulated amount of altitude of as much as 700 meters.  We saw miles of limestone walls, taking many thousands of person hours to build, many beautiful churches, chateaux and even a few birds. 

Plate Stalegmites

We worked up our appetites, and were wowed by some of the food. I know we will both remember the local specialities of Rocamadour Salad, and chestnut liquor (we had it in a bubbly aperitif and were hooked after that). We stopped along the way to tour the caves in Padriac and LaCave, and were gobsmacked by the beauty. 

Sheep Shadow

I have a picture of my feet at the end of the hike that I won’t show you, but after a couple of days rest they look fine again.  Mary and I retreated to our Paris airport hotel a day early to avoid the fallout of a transportation strike in France and it was a good thing we did, too. We heard reports of 475 kilometres of backed up traffic during the morning rush hour.  Never mind, we are comfortable, and all set up for our return to Canada tomorrow.