For some reason, the above photo reminds me of the climb up to Muckish. Apart from the vineyards, the sunshine and the signs in French, it is a bit similar the way twists and turns. This climb however was one of the smaller climbs on a non-stop helter skelter up down type of day.
Day 07 Sunday July 12th. Total distance cycled today from Brantome to Villeneuve-sur-Lot – 135 km. Total distance cycled so far on 2015 Tour de Travoy – 820 km.
Must have climbed 50 hills today and with a total of over 1600m of climbing, it was the most climbing of any day during the Tour de Travoy. The climb out of Perigeux in particular was just brutal. A narrow road, a steep gradient, lots of traffic and a temperature of 30 degrees +, left me gasping for air.
I stopped for a bite to eat near Chancelade and came across this memorial to a French Resistance fighter who was killed in World War 2.
The inscription reads “At this spot, Jean Leyssalles was cowardly assassinated by the Germans on the 15th August 1944”. What makes the memorial really touching, is that it seems to be home-made with the inscription scratched on the wet concrete, perhaps by simply using a nail.
The next landmark today was the town of Perigueux, which was founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago. You can visit a museum, which opened in 2003 and which is 6 acres in size, dedicated to the archaeological excavations of the Roman town.
Despite World War 2, Perigueux is twinned with a German town. This poster is 10 years old. You would think that they would print a new one for the 50th anniversary of the town being twinned with Amberg.
The poster above depicts the town’s most famous landmark, the Cathedral of Saint Front. The bell tower of the cathedral is over 1,000 years old and is said to be a copy of the one in Saint Mark’s basilica in Venice.
In Bergerac, i stopped off at a McDonald’s McDrive for a bite to eat as I had always wanted to order a “Royal with Cheese” like Samuel Jackson in “Pulp Fiction”. A burger in France is called “un Royal” and you can choose either a Royal Cheese, a Royal Bacon or a Royal Deluxe. I tried ordering a McMeal with the Royal Cheese in French, but must not have made any sense as I had to finish the order in English.
The bill came to 9.60 euro, which is similar to what you pay in Ireland. It is 10 years since I last had a burger at McDonalds but it was not half as good as the Royal Cheese. The cheese in the burger was extra cheesy and the burger was really yummy. I also got a chicken burger with the McMeal. Unlike in Ireland, the French fries came with sachets of both mayonnaise and ketchup. You also get about 10 tissues. I used one and put the rest in my pocket to keep for emergencies.
Soon after Bergerac, i crossed over the fabled Dordogne river.
I remember tweeting about Sky Sports and their “Super Sunday” of sport and that I was after having a Super Sunday of cycling due to the stunning landscape, quiet roads, a tailwind and the mild temperatures.
After nearly 140 km of cycling, I eventually make it to Camping Lot et Bastides beneath the medieval town of Pujols at about 9 o’clock in the evening.
Tour de Travoy 