No rest for the wicked when there's a huge breakfast to consume.
We were keen for Marc Andre and Catherine to really enjoy the brief stay (Sunday was really to be their only day here), so we decided to brave the swift waters of the Dordogne for a canoeing trip. Meryl and Barry bravely enlisted, so we booked later in the afternoon. This gave a little time for a brief rest and Rani had arranged hire bikes for herself and Ben to be delivered to the door.
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| Can't you see the anticipation as I ferry supplies to the upper house for breakfast? |
We were keen for Marc Andre and Catherine to really enjoy the brief stay (Sunday was really to be their only day here), so we decided to brave the swift waters of the Dordogne for a canoeing trip. Meryl and Barry bravely enlisted, so we booked later in the afternoon. This gave a little time for a brief rest and Rani had arranged hire bikes for herself and Ben to be delivered to the door.
I helped August back up his film clips of the operatic performance to a hard drive while the others did their own thing.
Rani's hire bikes duly arrived by van. Rob, the business owner, a British expat, has been in the business for 26 years, and obviously has lots of experience. He knew the house and he was a font of information about the local rides, tracing them out for us with highlighter pen on the maps he had produced. He outlined four rides of 40 to 50 km for us, and took us through the features of the bikes. After he left we just had time to prepare for our adventure and soon we were scooting along the Departmentals for "Deliverance- the French remake"
The canoeing was beautifully peaceful,
serene,
majestically scenic
and….. sudden suspenseful music…… death defying.
serene,
majestically scenic
and….. sudden suspenseful music…… death defying.
All was going well until we noticed a mother and 12 year old had unsuccessfully negotiated some rapids and had ended up with their canoe capsized, completely submerged upside down and firmly wedged under a tree branch in the middle of the river.
To achieve this was some feat. I couldn't imaging the manoeuvre which would achieve this result! The river is flowing swiftly, but the rapids are incredibly unchallenging. Nevertheless there they were. Patrick was standing on the log and his mother and Mary were trying to extract the canoe, but making slow progress. It took some time and a fair bit of strength before the slightly indented (but still watertight) canoe emerged from its submerged prison and before long the two occupants were serenely away, with their wet gear having been fished out of the water by downstream canoeists.
To achieve this was some feat. I couldn't imaging the manoeuvre which would achieve this result! The river is flowing swiftly, but the rapids are incredibly unchallenging. Nevertheless there they were. Patrick was standing on the log and his mother and Mary were trying to extract the canoe, but making slow progress. It took some time and a fair bit of strength before the slightly indented (but still watertight) canoe emerged from its submerged prison and before long the two occupants were serenely away, with their wet gear having been fished out of the water by downstream canoeists.
At this point I should point out that my mother was my workhorse and I was the captain. Her main job was to keep the canoe aligned while I took photos. This she achieved rarely, but she tried. Along with taking up cycling again after a 60 year interlude makes me admire her gumption.
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| Marc Andre enjoying a post canoe swim. Don't show this to his orthopoedic surgeon. |
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| An icecream at La Roque de Gageac |
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| Then an evening walk around the town |
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| Looks safe! |
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| A quite bizarre roadside scene. |
Returning from the trip we enjoyed another wonderful spread (at the upper house) and we talked until exhaustion dictated retiring.
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