Our Day at Disneyland

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Our Day at Disneyland

Thursday was like a day at Disneyland, only everything was real. We left our home base in Sarlat after breakfast and headed through the French countryside. The beautiful greenery is everywhere in France. Walnut trees dot the landscape along all of the roads. Small farms with wandering geese, sheep and goats are plentiful.

Michael, our ACIS guide, provided a lot of interesting information on the local way of life. At one bend in the road, he pointed up the hill and excitedly urged people to look at the goat on the hill. Turns out it was a dog, not a goat. And sure enough, someone from the back of the bus chided him and said it would be difficult to milk the dog. Our students have no mercy.

Our first stop of the day was at Rocamadour. This incredible medieval town was sliced out of the side of the granite mountain. The village church sits atop the mountain high above the town. It is dedicated to the Black Virgin. She has been credited with three miracles. One of them involved the discovery of the perfectly preserved body of a tax collector, who followed the teachings of Jesus and became a hermit in France. Now, he is known as St. Amadour. What a life.

There was also a plaque dedicated to Jacques Cartier, who invoked the name of the Black Virgin, when his group was fighting off scurvy. Once miraculously cured, they continued their expedition to the New World and found Quebec. I suppose I should give a prayer of thanks, since my ancestors were with Jacques Cartier when he made the trip across the Atlantic.

Rocamadour was built during the 13th to 15th centuries. Today, it is a quaint tourist destination with shops and restaurants. It was our lunch stop. Madame and I dined at its equivalent of El Pollo Loco. We enjoyed a tasty portion of “take-out” chicken and fries.

The second stop was to the cave at Gouffre de Padirac, first discovered in 1898. This incredible chasm sits more than 100 meters underground and stretches more than 25 kilometers. It is full of the most amazing stalactites and stalagmites, some stalactites measuring more than 75 meters down and 2.5 meters in width. The ground water that continuously flows through the cave is a constant 13 degrees centigrade.

The line of visitors queuing up to go through the cave could rival any lines found at Disneyland. Fortunately, we had the “fast pass” and were able to use the group entrance. We descended approximately 10 stories down into the cave. From there we traversed the damp cave on foot. Next, was a 500 meter ride in a flat bottom boat through the bowels of the cavern. We didn’t need the skill and daring of Indiana Jones; however, it was a challenge to keep the boat from rocking back and forth, scraping against the sides of the cave, and banging into other boats. Safely on the other side, we continued our adventure on foot for another 400 meters. At some points within the cave, the ceiling reached 90 meters; a fantastic work of nature began more than a million years ago.

Along the way to and from our adventures, the French countryside was absolutely gorgeous. Small farms and villages dot the route and provide a glimpse of a simpler life.

Dinner came in fine time at 7:00 p.m.. We dined at a local restaurant named Les Delices de Lauralice. You can get anything you want at “Lauralice’s” rest-au-rant ! At least Arlo Guthrie could. We settled for a pork dish with potatoes. I promised to get to the bottom of this potato controversy, and I am almost there.

The most amusing moments during our feast came between the main course and dessert. We were provided a small plate of greens and goat cheese to cleanse our palate. The looks on some faces when they tasted the goat cheese were priceless. Apparently, this won’t be a delicacy they will continue to eat at home. Someone from the group, who shall remain nameless, asked Michael if this was the stuff from “his goat” on the hill. As I said, they have no mercy.

Our evening was completed by wandering around the village of Sarlat, shopping and soaking up the atmosphere. There were several street performers providing free entertainment and plenty of glace (ice cream) for everyone to buy and taste. Soft French ice cream really is the best.

Until tomorrow, Au revoir.

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Photos

Rocamadour
The medieval city carved into the side of a mountain.

Rocamadour From on High
This picture was taken from the chapel high above the village.

Waiting Outside Rocamadour
Cathy tells us, "I once caught a fish this BIG !" We'll have to take her word for it.

The Cave Gouffre de Padirac,
This was the entrance to the cave. Photos were not allowed inside, however, some of the kids got some spectacular shots when the guide wasn't looking. We'll have to share those later.

On the Road in the Countryside
Occasionally we were slowed by the locals.

Where We Ate Dinner in Sarlat
Apparently you can get anything you want..... except us.