Beynac Castle Here We Come

Another chilly cloud covered morning, but no moisture falling from the sky or puddled on the roadway. Great day for a challenging ride up to the castle in Beynac and beyond. Two jackets and pants are the order of the day as we start out after purchasing our daily bread and pastry. 

However this plan was not to be. Alan screwed up and downloaded the wrong route. He could have trekked back up to the house to get the correct route but we decided to wing it since Kim had the hand written turn cue sheet. After the first few rights and lefts we were on our way. 

We got to the town of Beynac at the base of the castle and started up. When ascending a hill you want to make sure it is the right road on the right hill. A turn here and a turn there and we found ourselves in one of the castle parking lots. Looks good so far, but not to be. After checking Kim's Michelin paper map and my phone's Google maps we knew we were not where we should have been. Even though we did this ride last year we were lost. A helpful woman gave us some help but we just wound up back in Beynac.  

Up and away on the road to the castle. 

And there it is. A short distance up the hill but not where we want to be. The road we should have been on would have taken us along the desired route. Confused about the way to go we asked a local who directed us back down the hill to Baynac. Basic rule of riding: Once you have descended going back up again was a path to avoid. 

Ah Chicken - aka Poulet! Having seen a market with a roaster we headed back to snatch one for dinner. Question: when is a chicken  like a filet mignon? When you pay 15 euros for one that we could get at the Le Clerc for less than five euros. Even at that price it was a bargain since dinner preparation will be quick and easy. 

Admitting defeat we linked up with the route that will take us back home. Discouraged, we took comfort in knowing the way from an earlier ride. 

Funky stuff can be found on many a turn.

Most roads lead back to the river and the many canoe rentals along the shoreline. Cycling may be France's recreational pastime but here in the Dordogne canoeing may have it beat. Paddling down may be appealing but our canoeing days are behind us. Too sedentary especially on flat water. Our white water adventures decades ago were more challenging, so much so that we even had an aluminum canoe that we navigated through rapids and portages around dams and shallow stretches. Those were the days of our youth. 

Find the river and you'll probably find swans and ducks and geese. 

The last stretch is past Milandes and route named for Josephine Baker. 

Home again diggity dig. A great perspective of our place just below the Castelnaud above. Seems close until you venture up the climb on the cobblestone path past our house.