- Refreshing my French
- Packing list for France
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: CliffsNotes Version
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: Restaurants
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: Hotels
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: Logistics, or How It Worked
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: The Handcycle Shipping Saga
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: The Things We Saw (Wednesday)
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: The Things We Saw (Thursday)
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: The Things We Saw (Friday)
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: The Things We Saw (Saturday)
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: The Things We Saw (Sunday)
- Cycling the Dordogne 2011: Epilogue
Each day included both bicycling and one or more attractions—some organized, some not. Almost all the photos in this post are courtesy of our friends Allen and Claudia (thank you!); I was too scatterbrained to take very many pictures.
La Ferme de Gernes
On the first day’s ride, we had a stop arranged at La Ferme de Gernes owned by farmer and baker Daniel Chastaing. M. Chastaing had some refreshments laid out for us, including bread and soft cheese of his own production; preserves (quince and something else), and tea and coffee. We saw the bakery, including wood oven and proofing baskets.
Collonges-la-Rouge
Our lunch stop was at Collonges-la-Rouge, 8th century priory town, one of the plus beaux villages de France (“most beautiful villages of France”—this is an official designation). Marie was worried that I wasn’t taking enough pictures, so after lunch she took my camera and dashed around getting some of the loveliest buildings.

After we had eaten, the proprietor, while clearing our dishes, pointed at each plate and pronounced, "Good! Good! Bad!" depending on whether food had been left uneaten. L-R: John, Katja, Claudia, Allen (at last!), Gwendal (tour leader).

Note the scallop icon of St James (St Jacques, Santiago). Collonges-la-Rouge is on the pilgrim route to Compostela.
Obligatory accessibility notes: Collonges-la-Rouge has some very steep and narrow streets, but it is very much a tourist town, and help is readily available. There are accessible toilets in the square near the church.
More to come…

Surely noone’s plate got a ‘bad’ verdict?!
Looking fab (scallop icon duly noted too)
I thought of you when I saw it!
Claudia ordered the Perigord salad, which came with a boatload of meat items. She didn’t finish them all, even after parceling out samples to all of us. She got the “bad” verdict.