Cycling Historic Dordogne - Best Bend Homes For Sale
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Cycling Historic Dordogne

by John and Sandy Kohlmoos on December 2, 2013

SEO

I’ve tried to write posts in the past that catch the eye of almighty Google. But it seems that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an ever-changing game . . . new algorithms (what is an algorithm?) and weird new names–stuff like Panda, and Penguin, and now Hummingbird.

Panda, Penquin, and now Hummingbird

Kick Ass Content

Bottom line is that a website or blog should contain “kick ass content” . . . that means that it’s not copied, is unique, and “contains no spin.” Perhaps that’s why past non-Bend Real Estate-related posts have been popular. You know, thrillers like:

Windsurfing in Brazil

Selling a Home the Aussie Way

Costa Rica

Well, here’s some more “fresh content.”

Cycling Historic Dordogne

A dream was born when I deemed golf in the kingdom of Bend (the way I wanted to play) too expensive, and instead invested in a couple of high end carbon road bikes.

“How many people were on your tour?”  . . . “Just the two of us.”

We touched down in Bordeaux

Bordeaux . . . Place de la Bourse

after a relatively easy 18 hour journey, punctuated by couple of layovers in Seattle and Paris. We spent the first day strolling the streets of Bordeaux and trying to get re-acclimated to the language (a reasonable foundation after working three seasons with Club Mediteranee).

Mes amis a Bordeaux

A  three hour train trip through the French countryside to Sarlat; then a taxi to our jumping off point of Souillac. Here we picked up our steeds . . . sturdy hybrids with flat handlebars.

Trusty hybrids with flat handlebars

Souillac to Rocamadour

The intrepid riders set off into the early morning rain–


closely following their comprehensive “riding instructions” (in too small font!):

“Follow the road for 500m until you come to a tavern with a car park on the right. Go through the large metal gate, closely followed by two small makeshift gates. Follow this track for 2 kms. There are several places where you may need to walk (watch for the 3 areas where the path narrows beside the edge of the ravine!). The route divides at the second turn on the right. Follow the small country track that descends sharply  (no signposts whatsoever!).”

Rocamadour

Despite the small print (it’s tough to ride with reading glasses on), the absence of signs, and the fact that we were “lost” most of the day, we successfully rolled into the citadel town of Rocamadour.

Getting artsy in Rocamadour

Also, what seemed like the duck capital of France (if not the world) and the home of “fois gras.”

Future confit de canard

We learned about “gravage.”

Sarlat

Setting out the next day, I noticed a bit of a problem with my “pneu.” Seemed to get soft every 15 minutes or so. Who knows where the nearest bike shop is?

Domme and the river Dordogne

Gently downhill for the first six miles, then a brief climb (brief climb, my ass!).  Thankful for the hours spent in the saddle over the summer; 5 hours later,  we rode victoriously into Sarlat. Happened by the only shop on our route . . . a quick pit stop; left with a new tube and tire.

Sunday, the day of rest. Instead Sandy made me ride 30 plus miles along the scenic Dordogne River Valley . . . just the way France is supposed to look. We paused along the river Verve for a romantic lunch.

Romantic lunch on the Verve

Chateau de Milandes

Again wonderful countryside and many decisions–“a gauche ou a droite?”

The eternal question . . . a gauche ou a droite?

We passed beneath Chateau de Milandes . . . the home of Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker

Sarlat and Beyond

The days flew by . . . we passed through the medevil towns of of Les Eyzies, and Montignac . . . enjoyed (for a while) the ubiquitous  “confit de canard,”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

savored the fine Bordeaux reds, toured the caves at Lascaux (home of Cro Magnon man), before retunning to Souillac.

Souillac

We rode for six days before bidding farewell to our faithful “ponies” and returning by train to Bordeaux.

To be continued . . . the Vineyards of Bordeaux.

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