July 4 Aubusson - Rest Day

This is my second stint in the Internet Cafe. Last visit my camera batteries went dead so I hoofed it back to the campground for replacements I've been lugging for 10 days. My day off has been good. It began at 7:30, I studied my French phrase book for awhile, then was trying to figure out my camera which Keith (& Rachel) helped me with. And I got photos of John and John & Chris. HEY! A shout out to Karl Tringese back at Greensburg Cyclery. I actually did maintenance on my bike last night and cleaned it. What about those apples? As I walked around Aubusson I took some random photos to give you a feel for the town. Click on any photo to see it enlarged. Aubusson is just right for a rest day on tour; not too big, not too small. The Church you see on the hill is Eglise Saint Croix. I walked in and instantly could have been translated into the 17th century. Photos of the inside I hope come out okay. Oh, by the way, there has been a siting of Inspector Couseau's automobile! The Pink Panther can't be far away!

July 5 Aubusson to Auriac 122 K / 76 Miles

Hills. The day began with hills and ended with hills and sandwiched in the middle were miles of flat and rolling terrain along the Dordogne River. I pedaled through St Quentin, Gioux, Feniers, Millevaches (from where I could spot the volcanic mountains off to the east), Neuvic, and Soursac. The final few miles of the day I had a fantastic plunge of about 3 miles down to the Dordogne River gorge followed of course by an equally fantastic climb (which seemed much further than 3 miles) up to Auriac.

July 6 Auriac to Rocamadour 99 K / 62 Miles

Rain and hills greeted me today, but again virtually no traffic. I rode along or near the Dordogne River with a stop in Argentat for the Boulangerie. It was still raining so no need to hang out there though I would have liked to. The rain ceased about 1:00 and I arrived in the terriffic Mideval town of Rocamadour about 6:00.

July 7 Rocamadour to Villefrance-du-Perigord 108 K / 67 Miles via Lacave, St Julien-de-Lampon, Sarlat-la-Caneda and Domme

A wonderful day of riding with a little bit of traffic due to being in popular tourist areas. The Boulangerie in St Julien had great pizza. The old section of Sarlat is a must see. It was a climb up to Domme and a very good view of the Dordogne Valley. Domme is an old walled town filled with shops and tourists. As I was twisting and turning through the streets trying to find my way out of town I hear, "Are you an American?". I guess my gear gave me away or something!!! Dan, from California, now lives in Domme with his wife and are busy remodeling their new place. We had a nice talk and he said I was the first American cyclist he had met coming through Domme. Hey Dan, thanks for the directions out of town, and for stopping me to talk. I made it to Villefranche-du-Perigord around 7:00 and had a great evening relaxing (and doing my chores :) ).