Canoës, Caves, Canals & constant fun!
Photo courtesy of our guide, Patrick (kneeling in the front row)!
It was a beautiful October day to leisurely paddle along the Dordogne river. This was a fantastic, included experience and all tour members joined in the fun! The river was a bit low, and my canoe partner and I were not the most experienced paddlers - so we did get stuck on rocks a bit but still managed to make it downstream while enjoying the beautiful views.
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
Prior to the canoe trip, we stopped to visit one of many caves in the area, Rouffignac. It was near where Cro-Magnon man was discovered and where we stopped for lunch, Les Eyzies. Another interesting piece of history are the troglodyte homes - houses built into the cliffs and caves. They were originally just cave dwellings in which, through the years, structures were built but still used the caves for part of the shelter.
Much like the light show on the Chartres Cathedral, this was a moving light display inside an old quarry. The feature was called 'From Vermeer to Van Gogh'. The pictures moved and flowed across the walls, ceilings and floors. You did have to be a bit careful as the movement made some of us a little dizzy. However, this was a wonderful, included surprise while we were visiting Les Baux.
Carrières des Lumières
CANAL DU MIDI
Patrick took us for a quick stop to see one part of this canal with a lock. There is a beautiful bike/pedestrian path along the canal and one can actually rent boats for travelling the canal. We stopped at a very impressive (by US standards) rest stop that had a beautiful park, restaurant, and boats for rent! I think this would be a great way to also see parts of France - boat or bike along all or part of this canal.
