Southwest France - Next-to-Last Tour

September 22 - Sunday.  Leaving Chateau de Mercues was easily done.  There are a lot of very helpful staff.  The luggage was driven down to the coach, so we just walked down after a very nice breakfast.

Some of my breakfast - - the buffet had quite a grand array of pastries.

Such a little milk container, probably intended for coffee; I used it for my muesli.

Looking back at the chateau, I thought it would be a wonderful place to spend lots of time, if money were not a question.

The next stop was quite a treat:  the Pont Valantre, at Cahors.  As David Edwards-May wrote in the guidebook, it is a magnificant medieval fortified bridge with seven pointed arches and three towers, built in the mid-14th century. We arrived while it was wreathed in the morning mist which quickly burned off - beautiful weather for exploring this beautiful bridge, but not nearly enough time.

In this back-lit misty photo, I see three of the arches, two of the towers, and part of the great lock.

Looking through one of the towers toward the third, and beyond it, the town.

Looking from the bridge down at the lock's downstream gate.

The weir is very long and parallel to the shore - were there many mills there?

 Below in the Lot River there is a very wide lock to allow more gabarres in the chamber.  It is now obsolete, as the gabarres no longer carry coal as they did in the 19th century.  Sounds like the C & O Canal Company's problem, too.

Next was Bouzies, where we were to take a 3.5 km walk of the towpath. David Edwards-May noted that it is invisible to the prying eye of Google, for part of the towpath is cut into the limestone cliffs.

You can just make out the line of the towpath about 2 meters above the waterline.

This spot is exactly what I had seen online some years ago. I would have loved to see it, but my respiratory condition would never let me make the climb up to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie at the end.  Some of us stopped in the village for a rest break and coffee,

For some reason we could not have our coffee inside the cafe; but this was comfortable, friendly, and quiet.

and then took a short walk along the waterway, scrambled up to a railway embankment, and hiked along this abandoned track.  We stopped at a small industrial park where the motor coach awaited us.

On the abandoned railway bridge over the Lot.

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a village that just tumbles down the cliff above the Lot River.

Rather like Positano or Taormina, the road wound and twisted up and down but mostly zig-zaged. The village was all small buildings connected by narrow alleys, for people, not cars. Full of artists, craftsmen, cafes, and shops selling artisanal foods.

At this Charcuterie, I ordered a ham sandwich.  Pretty tasty, but also pretty chewy ham.

The mountain top is also an overlook, accessed by stairs, which I did not attempt. I enjoyed what I could do and see.

I think you can just make out figures on the top of this crag.

Further along at Flagnac we boarded the L'Olt for a cruise down the river in the company of local folk who are promoting restoration of navigation in the Lot River in the area.

The logo of the group hoping for restoration.  The name "L'Olt" is the occitan word for "Lot".

As we entered a lock, we were amused to see one of the female staff head up to the lockgate with a Black & Decker electric drill, and proceeded to "bzzdt" open the paddles. Hence her nickname, "Rosie", as in "the riveter."  Sorry, no photo of Rosie.

Well, actually, the figure at the end of the right-hand lock wall is Ms. Rosie.

We pulled into a small boat harbor where we left the boat and we lay around on land relaxing, while the caterers rearranged the boat's cabin for a buffet lunch . . . .

It's always wonderful to have a little "down-time", even if it's only 20 minutes or so.

Dessert = red fruits, chantilly, sprinkles of caramel.

which we consumed on the ride back to Flagnac. This was a very nice way to have a very good meal.

Here are two important men:  David's assistant, Sylvain, talks with our bus driver.

So (for lack of  photos for I was busy eating) I shall describe:  a nice selection of meats and finger foods, one a small something made of (this is exactly what she said) spinach, prunes, herbs and spices somehow blended and cooled and cut into rectangles.  And it was delicious. And fruity desserts served in tiny glasses rather the size of a shot glass - also excellent flavor (I had at least three).

And, finally, a photograph of our servers/crew aboard The L'Olt.

Ah!  That's Rosie, on the left.

From here we had quite a long ride back to Cahors where our destination, Hotel La Chartreuse, was built atop an abandoned lock.  Cahors sits on the inside of a great meander in the Lot; the hotel is on the outside bank with views up- and downstream to both a very old bridge and a much newer railway bridge.  We arrived late and if there was dinner, I probably slept through it.

Southwest France - WCC13 Ended; Touring Began

September 19, a Thursday, is the final conference day. I walked to the large square for the Toulouse Metro, and here are two photos of the area:

The large "M" on a pylon was familiar to me & my COCA friends.

And one photograph of the seats on Toulouse's quiet and efficient Metro, with colorful upholstered seats.

Side-by-side seats at the end of the car.

At the Conference center the 2014 locale made its presentation:  Milan, where 3 or 4 rivers flow into or through Milan.  Some come from the Northern lakes; the presentation of lovely photographs that included local wildlife and countryside.

The announcement of the venue for 2015 was announced by Dave Ballinger (President of Inland Waterways International) - - it is Ghent, in Belgium.  There were final speeches by representatives of the several French organizations sponsoring the conference, then lunch was announced.

Buffet lunches were generally these little canape-like foods.  Tasty, but one needed lots to keep up with the wine. 

Please note that the wine was always poured in advance; the water had to be special-ordered!

Buffet style with many choices of food and drink, and waiters passing through with choice tidbits - the best of which was 'poulet curry' (curried chicken and rice).

Curried chicken & rice went quickly.

After many good-byes to our co-delegates and guides, like Delphine Valentin, my personal favorite.

always knowledgeable, efficient, and especially cheerful

After bit of waiting,

I recall that we sat down and were quickly called to the coach.

we departed for the coach pick-up spot.  The coach was there, but the suitcases were not.  They'd been picked up by another vehicle and were en route.

That's Rod helping with the luggage, once it finally arrived.

There's always some oddity to screw up the schedule . . . which is a good reason to leave some wiggle-room in the schedule.

We drove a long time and distance to the Tarn River and crossed at the Rivieres dam (21 m. high).  That dam pretty much stopped navigation above the dam.  Given the height of the dam, it will be difficult and costly to provide locks or a boat lift to ensure navigation. At the boat harbour Aigueleze, we boarded a replica "gabarre" - an open-topped wooden boat.

In long-ago days, there was no motor; one floated (poled) down river and the boats were broken up, the lumber being reused .  Sort of like in the USA 18 & 19th centuries on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Propulsion of this was by an electric motor.  The boat owner/operator is Michel LeGrand (not the pianist or filmmaker) who is one of the pioneers of French waterway tourism, according to David Edwards-May.

M. LeGrand on the right, David (our trusted leaded) on the left.

As we approached the city of Albi, we tied up at Hotel LaReserve, our hotel for the evening.  All were delighted to see a robot lawn mower sort of waddling back and forth across the lawn.

A very nice Relais & Chateau hotel facing the Tarn River, with its own dock.

Kind of like a Roomba vacuum cleaner?

Some of us stood in its way to see how the machine stopped and then turned away. Barbara and I were drinking beer on the patio when we were called back to the gabarre to continue the cruise up to Albi for a brief examination of area by water.

I cannot identify the bridge or the tower or their ages.

I was delighted with the room that Kerry and I shared.  It was quite comfortable as well as beautiful.  The chairs' seats and backs were covered with exquisite embroidery.

Our view was over a tiled roof toward the Tarn River; very quiet and peaceful place.

At dinner I sat next to Giacomina, wife of M. LeGrand, and learned a lot about her, the area, the bad wet cold summer and its effects on the local vineyards and agriculture.  And slept well that night.