Given yesterday’s adventure, I opted for a somewhat shorter route today, which would also leave me a bit of time to explore Sarlat and buy gifts and postcards for the family. A 35k loop from Sarlat seemed minor, until we started reading the route sheet and seeing a piece of our route to the hill town of Domme described as “4k that will feel like 40” and a stretch on the way back as “a ridiculous 2k hill.”
The hill up to Domme was formidable (that one’s for you, Eric), but the “ridiculous” 2k hill lived up to its name. Despite all that, the views of the countryside and the river were gorgeous.
In non-cycling news, although I failed my Harry Potter quiz miserably, I apparently earned a smidgeon of respect by (almost) knowing the set of numbers from LOST. Dinner tonight was great, at Restaurant le Presidal, in an outdoor courtyard on a gorgeous evening. I made sure to get my last few tastes of duck products – a bite or two of some others’ foie gras and duck breast w truffles, and my own escargot stuffed with duck confit. I also had the pave de boeuf with cepes, the local wild mushrooms. In addition to the local bottles of white and red we drank woth dinner, we accompanied our desserts with a Montbazillac – the dessert wine we had tasted at the chateau a few days back. All in all, a great send-off dinner. Everyone else is continuing on to the Cevegnnes, where they are being joined by a father/son team. Dad – bike trip next year? You can even pick the route, although if it’s Tuscany, I’d start training now.