As our Dordogne friend group grows our social calendar gets busy. Since we are hosting this gathering we decided that a shot ride was in order. Kim has lots to prepare and staying awake for our guests is paramount. This last minute route planning turned out better than expected.
Essentially we headed down river with gentle climbs followed by the up river leg for a total of 15 miles.
After a few miles along the river we came to a familiar intersection. Take a left to start the climb to Saint Laurent. Going straight was a new option but not until we get a photo of the sign for Milandes, the former chateau owned by Josephine Baker. She was a popular American black singer in the early twentieth century. Like other black performers shunned at the height of the Jim Crowe era she fled the country of her birth and sought a more appealing life in France. More to come later after we tour the site at a later date.
Kim could not resist this manual laborer lugging a long board across the road. Considering the steep grade he made it up the hill look easy. Don't know the statistics but rural French life is tough but keeps you fit.
The river meanders with a bend beyond every bend. Seemed like we crossed back and forth a number of times but probably just rode past some of the tributaries flowing in. After the recent rains the water was more than a trickle.
This village was new for us but did not appear to warrant the uphill to the town square.
This field of sunflowers were dying on the but not so far gone that the flowers were still yellow and upright.
We were excited to see a bird of prey flapping its wings in the distance. You can imagine our disappointment when we realized it was just a kite trying to scare away the birds feeding on the sunflower seeds. When a flock of feasting birds took flight from the field we concluded that this faux "scarecrow" was not up to the task.
The remnants of this factory has been abandoned since the late 1940's but stands as a reminder of its former glory.
This rickety pedestrian bridge was closed to the public which was OK by me since swinging from heights is not my favorite pastime.
