Sep 30, 2011

On last year’s trip we struggled to get WIFI connection at all while I was doing the travelogue and inconsistent in-house internet connection. This year we have had WIFI connections everywhere we have stayed……..even last night which I discovered too late to get the login and password details to load the blog……..and I didn’t have too much confidence with the language difficulties between our host’s lack of any spoken English and my rudimentary French so didn’t bother to go down to get it. I took the notebook down to breakfast and got the login and password but every time I tried to do a second thing the connection dropped so gave up on it. Just goes to show how much things can change in a year!



The burbs in Arcachon from the hotel window on the way down to breakfast this morning

We headed off while the temperature was still comfortable and made a good mile. The traffic was intense again while we were on the main Motorway heading towards Paris but reduced a fair bit as we headed for Lyon and the scenery started to return to the lovely leafy green countryside and snapshot views of villages and church steeples and farm cottages intermingled with forests and farms. Initially the motorways seemed to just slice their way through towns and communities but once we were onto the country roads they seemed to wind their way through more gently and the towns and villages still seemed connected somehow and we felt intertwined with the incredible sights and scents and ambience of the road.



La Burge for lunch - looking across the water to the back of the church - a wall of water flowed over the wall behind the church and buildings and then continued on down the street - very quirky

Our lunch stop was at La Burge which was a beautiful little village, actually reasonably substantial as it turns out and the little Pub / Restaurant was doing a roaring trade. There was a lovely stream running through the town which was held back by a concrete wall behind the church as you will see below. Once we were back on the bikes the views and villages and everything which couldn’t become more spectacular just kept getting more so. What a day…..oh and the heat kept climbing as well. We saw a sign on a shop saying over 30 at some stage and it got hotter still.



First view of Chateau Beynac-Et-Cazenac. That’s the chapel top right hand side and the chateau rises up way beyond that and you can see part of it on the top left hand side. We were grateful of the cold drink from the little bar you can see across the road when we got down the hill

Next viewing stop was Beynac where we climbed to the top of the hill to the Chateau Beynac-Et-Cazenac which has been home to a series of Barons and their families since the 1100’s. The Chateau was solid and has been very grand in its day and is pretty well preserved but the views from here were like Ariel views and no matter where we looked they were incredible including the deepening autumn tones of the surrounding foliage which has been dropping like large confetti in wooded areas today.



Ariel type view from the roof of the Chateau

From there we headed to La Roque-Gugeac which was another spectacular village seemingly attached to the side of a great cliff face and even has massive caves visible above the village which have had stone walls built up to wall them off in centuries past. When we parked the bikes here there were a group of walkers admiring the bikes and Norm said ‘I’m sorry I only speak Australian’ to which the reply was ‘That’s okay mate so do we’. So, a group of Australians on a walking tour of the area and having a great time also.



Street scene La Roque-Gugeac

It was a short ride to Sarlat-La-Caneda where we are staying tonight and we gratefully had a cool shower after parking the bikes and walking some distance back to the hotel. No vehicle access to this part of town and the hotel is in a little lane up the side of the hill in the old village but we have sort of apartment type accommodation and there is a washing machine available. What a glorious thought (how sick is that!)

PS. You may remember I met up with a friend on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and this evening Sharen met a former work colleague and his wife at the washing machine in our hotel…….we all have the same Travel Agent so obviously a winning selection for this hotel since we (and I assume they also) had many options to choose from. Mind you the washing machine doesn’t have the same sense of romance as the Eiffel Tower but still, a massive coincidence you have to admit.

Bits and Bobs:



Couldn’t resist this on a building site in La Burge. We all know some project we have suspected that this contractor has been responsible for and now here is proof of where he actually operates from……..and he advertises the fact as well no less!

Last nights’ accommodation:

Villa Regina
11 Allee Corrigan
Arcachon France 33120

A budget accommodation choice. Recently refurbished room and reasonably basic but clean and had apartment type facilities e.g. hot plates, dishwasher, microwave and fridge which would have been handy if we had been here more than a night. Stately old building, lovely breakfast and also provided dinner but we didn’t know that and the host spoke no English so couldn’t learn anything other than our room number basically. Loved the pool! Also had a nice conservatory area. The biggest downer was the distance to the beach. A grand old building on its way back to being so.



The Vila Regina, our room faced the back overlooking the pool and the leafy suburb, very nice