![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.frenchbychoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/car-in-our-lane.jpg\" "\\"car")
<\/a>Our vehicle in the road in front of our gite: our car barely fits in this wide, wide road<\/p><\/div>\n
Simon mentioned to us that every other Monday, and today is our lucky day! that a quaint market takes place in LaBastide’s town square.\u00c2\u00a0 He told us that the best parking would be by the church, that traffic would be altered through town, and then gave us detailed access and parking directions to Rocamadour. \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/a>Live chickens in the market in the morning<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Paella for sale in the morning market<\/p><\/div>\n
We set off to the market, easily found the church parking and strolled into the market.\u00c2\u00a0 First up was a fruit vendor with great-looking pears.\u00c2\u00a0 I stood in line, behind a woman ordering 7 kilos of apples, 7 kilos of pears, grapes, and dried prunes, a specialty of the area.\u00c2\u00a0 Then she took the time to fish through her purse, get her checkbook, question the total of her purchases (a long discussion followed!), then finally write her check, visit with the purveyor, gather up her purchases and leave her place in line. After a couple more locals in the queue were served, then it was our turn. We purchased 8 pears, enough to eat as appetizers and for Mike to make a pear tart, and a 1\/2 kilo of dried prunes.\u00c2\u00a0 We walked through other vendors, saw live chickens for sale, paella, other fruits, vegetables, clothing, household items – even an oriental woman cooking egg rolls! Sandy and Lou tasted them and pronounced them the best ever.\u00c2\u00a0 One vendor had a melon cut open for tasting, it was as good as our first one. We opted for more melon and a few leeks.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Approaching Rocamadour<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Above Rocamadour<\/p><\/div>\n
Then, off to Rocamadour! Perched on a rock overlooking a valley, the entire town looks as if it were carved out limestone rock. It features a great stairway that pilgrims climbed on their knees while saying their rosary – all 216 steps of stone.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Climb up these stairs, part of the 216 total steps, on your knees! <\/p><\/div>\n
Rocamadour had become one of France’s famed pilgrimage sites after an ancient grave was discovered in 1166 containing the undecayed body of the hermit St Amadour. In the Chappelle Notre-Dame, there is a 12th century Madonna statue called the Virge Noir or Black Virgin and Child and the remains of St Amadour. There were 4 or 5 other chapels in the town as well. We explored the town, taking photos of the soaring walls of stone.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Black Virgin and Child in Rocamadour<\/p><\/div>\n
We made our way all the way up to the ramparts, taking the winding, steep path of switchbacks known as the Way of the Cross. We took the elevator down to mid-town and found a bistro overlooking the valley, perched on the side of the cliff for lunch. Special of the day was either cassoulet with Toulouse sausage beef filet with shallots, salad, and, of course, fries!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Rocamadour's Stone Ramparts<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Whew! We're pretty high....<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A stone lily carved into the soaring walls<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>What a contrast! Soaring stone and blue skies!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Lunch: the plat du jour!<\/p><\/div>\n
Back to the car, and on to Figeac, a town that developed around a 9th-century abbey. The old town is mostly medieval, structures of stone and brick, half-timbered, with commercial spaces facing the narrow cobblestone streets. Explored the town, its quai along the Cele River, its unique architecture and picked up a whole wheat baguette at an artisanal bakery near the river. In late afternoon, we headed back to our gite, with Frances taking us on a unique path over a old one lane stone bridge.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The river Cele from the center of Figeac<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A Tower in Figeac<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A traditional doorway in the town of Figeac<\/p><\/div>\n
We stopped at the Carrefour in LaBastide for wine, milk and other necessities. Earlier we noticed that our right rear tire had a pressure issue with one of our rear tires. So after we refueled, we pulled over to check the air in the tires.\u00c2\u00a0 Shoe and Mike got out and entertained the rest of us with their antics as they tried to figure out the instructions in French.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, the found the information button and determined that they had filled three of the of the tires to 51 psi instead of 35 psi.\u00c2\u00a0 Then, they had to figure out out to release some air.\u00c2\u00a0 Just for future reference, 2.5 bars is 34.9 psi.\u00c2\u00a0 Shoe and Mike looked like typical French guys – lots of words and talking past each other and gesturing, with little actually accomplished.\u00c2\u00a0 To those of us in the car, their phrases had multiple entendres!<\/p>\n
Back at the gite Mike started the pear tart, we sliced up our fruit and had a very French dinner of bread, cheese, fruit, and wine! We were even treated to a piano concert through the stone walls by Hillary!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Mike and his pear tart<\/p><\/div>\n
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