Riding Day Two. We are on a roll!
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| A dying tree with symmetrical branches. Worthy of a photo. |
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| All our roads are D something. We became very fond of the D47. And the D50. And the D703, And the ... |
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| Yes Virginia - there is a river here. |
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| Kim crests the top of the climb. Cycling ecstasy. |
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| We passed by many times but managed to avoid a visit. With over 1000 castles in the region we are very selective where we tour. |
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| Yup. Montfort in the distance. |
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| Regional map with winding river along southern perimeter. Many of our rides will wander through the shady green forests over hill and dale. |
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| Road to Domme - the place we want to be. |
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| Black Périgord let us remember. Place of significant battle between Nazi occupiers and local resistance fighters. 1943. |
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| One of many pastry and coffee stops. Remember in France you ride to eat, not eat to ride. |
Although I am constrained to limited content the following two photos requires a detailed explanation:
In planning for this trip to France I perused YouTube extensively for videos about France, in particular, travelogues to the areas we plan to visit. There is a channel I followed posted by Darlene Lavett about her relocation from Brisbane, Australia to the Dordogne region of France. Darlene and Shaun decided that they needed to write the next chapter in their young lives (50 and 57 respectively) which we can personally relate (the start of our African adventures). They purchased a property in Daglan with extensive main and out buildings on an expansive plot of land walking distance to Centre Ville. This is a passionate labor of love which we can also relate to in our younger years. Although the house and furnishings were livable they decided to make it their own creation. Not something we would consider at our stage in life but what we might have done back in our fifties. Along with their physical commitment to making it their future home they are also committed to learning the language and assimilating into this rural French community. I have viewed many similar stories of "ex pats" pursuing a new life in France. There are pockets of them throughout rural France and within the major cities, but they are predominately English speaking islands within the sea of native born French.
I contacted Darlene and asked if we could visit them and tour their property, and in the French style we brought two bottles of Champagne to lubricate our friendship. Their story is amazing. Having left their home half a world away to pursue their "new beginning". We had more things to talk about than time would permit but hopefully this will be the "start of a beautiful friendship" (Humphrey Bogart to Claude Raines in the last scene in the movie Casablanca).
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| A photo of the main house. We will take more photos after their extensive renovations the next time we pass this way. |
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Alan, Kim, Darlene & Shaun
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