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Neither of us wins the bet about what time the cockerel will wake us. Nick hears it but doesn't know what time. We sleep in until 08:00 and get us 20 minutes later when the sun has warmed the cabin through the windows. We write some notes, reply to anniversary texts and plan a relatively quite day.
At 11:00 Ali looks for the owners but as no-one is around we leave without saying goodbye. The valley is brightly lit in the morning sunshine as we drive back to Thonac over the narrow bridge and head for St-Leon-sur-Vezere. The road winds up through woodlands before dropping into the town where we park in the shade of walnut trees. The village is colourful with ginger stone, bright woodwork and many flowers, mostly roses. There are also a lot of square turrets with double angled pyramid rooves.
From St-Leon the road narrows and climbs through sharp turns with barriers and rocky outcrops threatening to brush flies off Mary*Lou's bodywork, but there are some beautiful vistas across the valleys to distant chateaux. There are signs for geese farms, one which we stop beside at Tursac, and loads of other tourist signs for Grotte-this and Grotte-that, indicating the many caves in the region, including the world famous Lasceux with its prehistoric paintings.
We arrived at Sarlat where we intended to have a good long stop and get lunch, but we can't find anywhere with level enough paking to use the lift or steps, so Ali picks up sandwiches and we drive on to St Genis. This is another beautiful village with geraniums and other flowers all around. The school looks like it's doing cycling proficiency tests with children riding and wobbling around bollards.
It's 14:45 so we decide we will find the auberge where we are meeting Nick + Grete. As we drive past fields of rye or walnut trees, their russet leaves looking strangely autumnal, and other fields left to celandine, kingcup and poppies we miss the turning, so head on to another place we had thought of this morning, St Amand d' Coly. The turning takes up a switchback road only just too good to be called a goat track. Single track [perhaps plus a bike, with panniers, and a fat rider] with a pronounced crown and camber and ditches either side varying in depth from 3 to 100 feet! Ali say she didn't expect it to be like this, Nick doesn't comment!
Anyway, the town is stunning, warm honey coloured buildings, purple flowers growing from dr stone walls all dominated by the tower of the church, its origins dating to the 12th C. The steps in the long flight leading to it are worn into deep semi circles from years of wear. The village is known locally for its high quality truffles and walnuts.
Mary*Lou s squeezed through the narrow centre back onto a much better road for entering the village than our mountain track.
We make our way to Archinac on more narrow roads, brushing the loose strands of hay on a trailer as we squeeze past a tractor inch by inch. We reach Auberge d' Imbes and Ali rings theOwner to confirm our arrival and booking for this evening. We get a text from Nick + Grete, who are near Bergerac. Nick + Grete arrive just before 18:00 and a few minutes later the owner arrives.
We go into the restaurant just after 19:00 and we are the only diners. We start with a local aperitif, a liquer made from local walnuts. Starters include scallops, foie gras and a small pie of confit ducK and asparagus. Mains are veal, duck or a fish called sandre [you could make a film out of that]. In French style, Cheese and salad is followed by deserts; crème brulee, chocolate fondant or apple tart. All accompanied by a lovely bottle of red Bergerac. It's not only a very nice meal, but then Nick + Grete pay for it as a treat for our wedding anniversary.
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