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Day 4 - To Arnac Pompadour
09:32 and we were on our way having recovered from our bill at the Château. Our route was almost identical to that I took with Alan in 2001. Approaching Cahors by the back roads and stopping for a brief look at the Pont Valentre.
This time I managed to get on the right road coming out of Cahors and we headed north up the D911. I deviated from the planned route and followed the signposts instead of the GPS and headed up the D12 towards Gourdon. It is hard to say, from the map, which was the best motorcycling road as I don't think there is a lot to choose between them. However, the D11 was an excellent road and we performed some exciting overtaking of cement lorries. There was one moment for me and another for Daryl when we separately overtook one and ended up at the next corner a touch faster than we would have preferred. Both bikes took the corners without complaint, it was just the riders who were overstretched and had creases in their saddles afterwards. There followed a series of fast sweepers which were Daryl's forte and he disappeared ahead of me. I contented myself by issuing the occasional broadcast on the radio saying "so-and-so kilometers to our next turn" just to let him now how long he could stay ahead.
After Gourdon where we stopped for 30 minutes we set off for Payrac and the D673 to Rocamadour. It is only 12 miles long but this is a very enjoyable stretch of hairpin bends and was reasonably devoid of other traffic. It took us 20 minutes to complete it. Daryl was intrigued that I was reading the bends off the GPS and relaying the information back to him "Right 180, left 90, right 90...." and so on - I blame it on a misspent middle-age playing combat flight simulators. We then stopped for lunch at the same restaurant as the previous year where the same Fiat was blocking my chances of taking a picture of my bike with Rocamadour in the background - in fact I don't think it had moved in 16 months.
We left Rocamadour at 13:15 and set off northwards. Up to Soulliac and then a 34 mile dash up the auto route A20 (very boring but covered some ground) to exit near Vigeois. An interesting few miles along the D7 to Arnac Pompadour which lies on the route of Richard Coeur de Lion and 2.6 miles after this the Auberge de la Mandrie (formerly a village school) [N45.40418 E1.32543].
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Chalet at the Auberge
Contrary to the time before where Alan and I had to contend with 2 attic rooms with Velux windows, Daryl and I had a two roomed building in the grounds - the benefit of pre-booking.
Since we arrived there at 14:45 we were able to do some washing and put it out to dry in the sun. Not quite sure what the neighbours thought of two bikers strewing the veranda of their chalet with their underwear but 'needs must'.
The food was good as before, not quite up to the standard of the Château, but still high.
Distance travelled this day 159 miles.
Index | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | References