Perigord in July 2012 – Underground and atop the rock

Still tired from the previous day, we slept in a little more and got a late start to our next adventure, the Gouffre de Padirac (Cavern of Padirac). Located in the west of the Department of Lot, we were technically out of Perigord by a few kilometers where the land is less wooded and the valleys more open.

The chasm

Arriving at Padirac, we knew we’d slept in too late as the line stretched across the parking lot and took nearly two hours to navigate. If the line made us question the value of the cavern, once we were inside the enormous chasm, we were glad we suffered the wait.

The initial chasm is nearly 35 m across (115 ft) and drops 75 m straight down. From there the cave system begins. While we were only allowed to travel 2 km (l.2 miles) underground, the entire system has been explored up to 15 km (9.3 miles). We used a combination of stairs, pathways and a section that we took by small boat to reach the end of the tourist section.

Once at the end, we were pleasantly surprised to see enormous features that ranged from normal stalactite/stalagmites to flat, mushroom-like formations that at times looked like bushes. It was a constant 13 C (55 F) in the cave and a welcome relief to reemerge in the sunlight after a hour and a half underground.

Rocamadour

Continuing further into the Massif Central, we drove the short distance to Rocamadour, an ancient city built below a large cliff topped with a significant château. Rocamadour is a famous pilgrimage site much the same as Mont Saint-Michel and the crowd was very Catholic and international.

The ancient city itself was interesting, but the chance to walk to the top of the hill and see the castle was more than we could pass up. The trail wound through chapels dedicated to various saints and miracles before entering the woods and surprising us with a station of the cross at each switchback.

Once on the top, we paid our 2 Euros and walked the ramparts of the still-private castle and marveled at the views of the city far below.

Gastronomy

Gastronomy is a word not often used in English and we suspect its because there isn’t nearly the science/art of food in our world. The French have a way of putting together vegetables, meat, fruits, nuts, liqueurs, and wines with a presentation that is remarkable. We had an amazing dinner at a small restaurant in Carlux that we found earlier in the day.

Le Relais du Paysan is a remarkable restaurant. The food is grown on the farm and the preparation, presentation, and views from the terrace are amazing. It is, simply put, one of the best values we found in Dordogne/Perigord.

It was the perfect way to end an excellent day of adventure.