JULIEN - 13-SEP

"Rainy days and Mondays get me down" as the Mamas and Papas so aptly put it many decades ago. Well, today was not Monday but it sure was rainy. This meant that Plan "B" was another day of touring. Not so bad since we had already decided that the ride to Rocamadour was beyond our hill climbing ability. So a road trip would be a suitable substitute which the photos will justify. 

Along the way we pass one of the numerous duck farms scattered throughout the Dordogne area. You can stop and visit the farms, but why would you want to. This is the raw material for "Canard Pate de Foie Gras". 

A short note on the humane treatment of breeding animals. The traditional method of creating ducks with vastly enlarged livers was to force feed each animal three times a day with feed that made their livers grow to ten times their normal size. This technique has been outlawed in a number of countries and California. The birds are kept in cages that restrict their movement in the most inhumane way possible. As the photo shows these birds are "free range" and not force fed. The end is the same - they are killed for human consumption - but their lives are vastly different. This is not the place to debate the case for an animal free diet, but as devowed carnivores we intend to continue our love affair with meat of all varieties.  

Our sole destination was the cliffside town of Rocamadour.

To see the town perched on the side and top of the cliff is to wonder how it was built without the aid of modern machinery. Obviously it employed an endless supply of cheap labor (ala the pyramids). It reminded us of Meteora in Greece where celibate monks desired to live in total isolation around the 10th century. This town is like Meteora on steroids built on a massive scale.   

This photo speaks for itself. We were glad that we drove rather than biked. 

This year the Tour de France (men's) stage 20 ended in the town after an insane climb at the end of the 133.5 km leg. Insane!

Getting there and back was an unending snake of windy roads and impressive ups and downs. When our stomachs settled we stopped in a lovely town for - you guessed it - coffee and pastry. As evidenced by the long sleeved jacket the rain cooled the temperatures to a mild 60's and the welcomed cloud cover required a long sleeve jacket. 

Not as exhausting as hours on the bike but it was nice to relax at dinner with a bottle of bubbly, pate (canard pate foie gras) and fresh baked bread.
Viva la France.