Figeac, St Cirq Lapopie and Cahors

We arrived in the extremely small village of Grezes in the afternoon.  Our hotel, the Grezalide, was built by the Knights Templar!  Much has been done to bring it up to modern standards with comfortable rooms and modern bathrooms.

 

It is way out in the countryside.

So after checking into the hotel we drove back into the nearest town of size, Figeac.  It sits on the Cere River and was a thriving center of commerce in the 13th and 14th centuries.  Wealthy merchants built large ornate houses that fill the old town.

  

 

               

The next morning we drove towards the River Lot which has carved its way through the limestone hills leaving dramatic walls along the river where houses and whole towns have been built right into the rock.

  

 

This is one of the most picturesque villages, St Cirq Lapopie.  It hugs the side of the hill and spills down to the river.  I wish the pictures did a better job of showing how steep it is.  There used to be a castle on top of the rock above the village.  We climbed it to take pictures.

  

  

  

We also visited the prehistoric cave painting site of Pech-Merle.  They allow only 700 visitors each day to protect the paintings.  No crowds at this time of year so we got right in.  The tour takes you down into the grotto by way of quite a few stairs and into a series of large caverns.  We had a bit of a write up in English and the guide spoke some English so we got the basics.  The cave paintings are pretty amazing.  Google Pech-Merle to see pictures.

We drove along the Lot river to the large town of Cahors.  Their claim to fame is the Valentre Bridge built in the 14th century.  It was a key part of the city’s defenses.

  

There is also the cathedral, St. Etienne.

  

  

A priest on his cell phone.

This guy is hanging on for dear life!