There is more depth to the landscape today and again some fun and sometimes scary descents.
After 10 miles I was dropping at pace into the village where I hoped I'd find a coffee when I saw a car poke it's bonnet out of a side road ahead and on my side of the main road. A later speed sign told me I was doing 48 km per hour (30mph) at the time. There were cars coming up the other way and I knew I didn't have time and space to stop. With some not inconsiderable relief the car stopped then quickly backed up allowing me to pass unscathed. Heart pounding I pulled into the village and treated myself to a Paris-Brest in the sunshine though the filling was slightly soft and grainy and the base was undercooked with a set batter type texture. But I was alive and didn't care.
Shortly after the Paris-Brest stop the route cuts through a picturesque village and I am reminded at how well constructed this route is.
And just in case the cascade isn't clear enough.
The flowing cascade prompted a downpour that I was able to shelter from then onwards through beautiful landscape.
There are Châteaux along the route and someone has spared my legs by putting up period photos.
After a session of prolonged rain that I just rode hard through doing my best to look up and out at the voluptuous landscape I paused for breath to see if there was a site I might want to visit. Once I had got my head around the fact that I hadn't been teleported to a Route 66 on a different continent I relaxed and enjoyed the views.
There have been wild flower meadows and fields brimming with poppies on the way. The sun is out and I've only 10 miles to go today. There are wild oats growing by the roadside and they are perfect for creating these which take approximately 1 second to make.
Zooming out from the level of detail of a wild oat seed I am passing through the Dordogne and on my way to the Lot Valley and the Massif Central. The Dordogne has been spectacular and I know understand why the architects of the route put the zigzagging in.
I have been using Dordogne and Perigord interchangeably and this sign provides some vindication.
This is 'The Country of Man' as we are close to the Lascaux caves. Think Cro-Magnon man. This is a tourist hotspot with lots to see such as the caves in the cliffs where troglodytes lived; troglodytes simply being peoples who live in caves.
Despite the rain showers a spectacular day in the saddle. I am trying not to do too many statistics but 60 km with 670m of climbing and I am feeling OK which is just as well because as I made my way to the campsite there was a hill to start and someone soon pulled over in their car to ask me where I was going as it was a bad road. Once it was clear I had to go up he let me go. And up I went and up some more like Marco Pantani but on a bad day; we should say more about Marco. I am a fan of my guidebook but with so many hotels, B&Bs and campsites to list I don't suppose they hauled full camping gear to them all; for each of the 32 stages they list one of each.
I paid 40 euros for a pitch here which is outlandish but the area is a honeypot. I do get a warm welcome and I am just about the only one here. It is a 4-star campsite and they check if I want to eat as I'd be the only one dining and they would need to get the chef in. I decided to cook myself. The big win was sole use of the large jacuzzi and with no one around in the woods I was able to strip before pulling on my running shorts and jumping in.
I even had 4-star kitchen and dining facilities all to myself though being alone in what would be a vibrant place when the season gets going did feel a bit sad.
Well, it's getting late and this troglodyte should return to his cave.
