Southwest France - Three days to go

September 21st - Monday.  This morning we left the Moulin de Moissac in deep fog.  Everything looked rather mysterious.  Especially the aqueduct at Agen that carried the Canal lateral a la Garonne across the Garonne on 23 arches - quite long.

Quite beautiful in the early mist.  Note the canal boat on the aqueduct.

And we drove to the town of Nerac, a city on the Baise River, and home to the 17th century king, Henry IV, whose statue graces the tip of the Ile de la Cite, next to the Pont Neuf in Paris. At the Chateau Henry IV we had a very enthusiastic and witty guide, Marie (I believe).   Marie explained that the only remnant of the original building was one wing of a four-sided fortress.  The loggia along this wing was defined by 12 columns named "the Apostles".  Each was carved in a spiral pattern; eleven went one way and the twelfth had spirals in the opposite direction.

The contrary spiral was, of course, to represent Judas Iscariot.

This bridge, the Pont Vieux, across the Baise is reportedly built upon Roman foundations. 

After a walk through a quite lovely forested park we were surprised by some chain-saw furniture, though our destination was a grotto dedicated to Fleurette, a maiden stricken with such love for Henry IV that she killed her self.  Nice legend but not true. We were told that she died at age 28, mother of several children.

Is this a car, a bus, a locomotive? Speeds up to zero mph.

Walking along the towpath by the Baise River was a very pleasant change from riding on the coach. Eventually we came to the Pont Vieux, and walked through the very old part of town, past several half-timbered buildings.

I like this old building for the eccentric patterned half-timbering.

Lunch was to be en plein aire at a cafe we'd walked past.  Very nice buffet, lots of wine, even a barrel organ.  The little shop tempted me to buy a striped shirt and a calendar.

This was just the first course; a woman was also grilling meats for the main course.

Our guide, Marie, had a generous hand with the wines.

Entertainment throughout the dejeuner was the barrel organ and its singing operator.

On the motor coach again we drove from the Baise to the Lot River, past places with interesting names like Aiguillon where there is a lock beside an old mill converted to a hydroelectric dam and power plant.  At Villeneuve-sur-Lot (whose charter dates back to 1264) we stopped to visit the new 43 ft. deep lock and dam.

How does David Edwards-May manage these apparent coincidences? A boat rounded a curve and headed into the lock.

A fairly large solar-powered canal boat enters, far beneath my camera.

Once the boat has passed beyond the large gate, the gate closes and the lock fills with water.

It turned out to be The Kevin, owned and captained by a middle-aged woman who named it for her late son (he'd been her co-owner/operator as well).

It happened that David (on the left) was well-known to the boat-owner (the pony-tailed woman), and they had quite a conversation while waiting for the upper lock gate to open.

We lined up like birds on a wire to watch the boat exit the lock beneath us and cruise on into the river.

Interestingly, the boat looks much smaller when not viewed from above.

At Puy l'Eveque we left the coach and participated in a wine-tasting of Cahors wines at the Cave des Vignerons, a local cooperative. Some of us were sad that we could not buy lots of wine - no room in our luggage.

Translation:  "Abuse of moderation impairs consumption"

Just one of the displays.

This was quite a welcome although brief visit.

We reboarded the coach and drove quite a distance, then up, up, uphill to the amazing Chateau de Mercues. Before I describe the chateau, I need to vent.  The coach was too large, or so the driver believed, to fit through the entrance gate and so we had to haul our luggage up the long steep cobblestoned drive. My Irish friend Roseleen helped me by carrying my tote bag. nonetheless I was gasping for breath before long and used my inhaler.  To my fury I learned that the hotel's front desk were appalled that David Edwards-May never called for a van to carry at least our luggage!

I hesitate to guess how long is that driveway. Hauling wheeled luggage on cobblestones did not make for a good experience.

But now about the Chateau de Mercues.  The square hilltop fortress was built around a central courtyard, and at least one chambre was in the former chapel. Dating back to the 13th century it's been described as an authentic immersion the history of France during the Middle Ages - this was the summer residence of the Counts and Bishops of Cahors for seven centuries. That may be slightly exaggerated, for we now enjoy such non-medieval pleasures as hot running water, electricity, and elegantly presented dinners. 

This photo of the entrance to the courtyard of Chateau de Mercues is courtesy of TripAdvisor,

This is one of the entrances near a small parking lot (where the hotel's vans were parked).

I followed the bellman to a short curving stone staircase to a lovely room with blue toile cloth as curtains and wall covering,

There were two windows with outside shutters (to close off the early morning sunrise?). Take note of the thickness of the window wall.

Once I was settled in, the views, the room, the furnishings, all were just lovely. This was truly a luxurious place, if only I had not been exhausted by the long uphill walk.

Once I was settled in, the views, the room, the furnishings, all were just lovely. This was truly a luxurious place, if only I had not been exhausted by the long uphill walk.

Dinner table discussion involved the British Heritage lottery's restriction on additional grants to a Canal Trust, a visit by a Brit to Georgetown with the mule-drawn boat, costumed personnel, and stories - he was sorry to hear that the boat is now out of service.  Dinner was fine (I think), but I was completely done in and left before the cheese course.