Day 20 - Cahors - 21 May

Rest Day 

Weather: Sunny and warm, 26 degrees 

Accommodation: Hotel Valentre 

Feelings: Neil - Relaxed, Henk - Relaxed, Di - Relaxed 

We had a great rest day in Cahors. We started with a later breakfast and then Henk and Neil spent the first part of the morning at the laundromat whilst I walked around the old city. It will be good to start out tomorrow in clean walking clothes. 

The 12th century Cathedral of St Stephen was very impressive and we were keen to visit it after seeing it before we descended into the city yesterday. The cathedral is apparently one of the best examples in France of a Romanesque Dome Church. When we entered the organ was being played and it was lovely to listen to whilst we walked around inside. One of the domes over the nave had frescos and there were other Romanesque frescoes along the walls. The light was also perfect to visit the cloister.

Before lunch we walked to the 14th century Valentre Bridge which is the oldest surviving bridge across the Lot River. It was extensively restored in the 19th century and a small devil figure was added to the middle tower to represent the story that Satan had a role in the bridge’s completion. There was a lock under the bridge and a weir nearby. We will walk across the cobblestones on this bridge tomorrow to recommence our walk. Both the cathedral and the bridge are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

When we entered the city yesterday afternoon we passed a restaurant on the edge of the Lot River and we decided that it was a perfect spot for a long lunch. It was a sunny day and it was great to look over the river and to the Valentre Bridge. 

The old centre of Cahors was founded by the Romans and obviously the old Roman roads we have been walking on during the past couple of days led to Cahors. There are remains of a large amphitheater which was unearthed and is now covered, however, we viewed an area of it alongside an underground car park. The centre of Cahors is a myriad of old buildings and narrow lanes. It was quiet today because of the public holiday. 

Henk spent some time in the afternoon loading the new routes onto the GPS for the next seven days. He also contacted the company who has organised our accommodation and meals and sorted out the issue with the restaurant last night. We were given the restaurants in the wrong order in our paperwork and we did the right thing by going to tonight’s restaurant last night. 

Tonight’s restaurant was a small one of only twelve tables tucked away in a tiny laneway in the old part of the city. Once again we are in awe of how good the food and wine is. Neil and I shared a bottle of Cahors Malbec wine which is a feature of the region. The English in a bygone era used to call it “black wine”. We’re glad we are walking or we would be blimps by now! 

It’s a very short day of six kilometres tomorrow and this is to break up a very long day the following day.