Fresh off a one-month stay in the Tarn-et-Garonne, we remounted our bikes and headed off towards Bordeaux. We would ride the
Canal des deux mers (which we previously began from Toulouse) to near its end, and head off for a small village in the grape empire lands east of Bordeaux. This time, it wasn't a WWOOF stay that we were heading for, but a much-anticipated family get-together, with much of Bodhi's transatlantic family coming over to France. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a small cousin to boot...
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| A still-standing pigeonnier (dovecote) surrounded by cultivated fields, near Lafrançaise. At one point, the pigeonnier was a critical element in the country life of this area, especially in the 19th century. The droppings from the pigeons were used to fertilize the vineyards, whilst the young pigeons were eaten or sold. The architectural styles of the pigeonniers are various, but the one shown above was very common in the Tarn area. |
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| The recently-renovated Pigeonnier, a fantastic new restaurant in Moissac which is found in an old 3-level dovecote. |
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| The man behind the Pigeonnier: Jérémie, who practices timber-framing using old-school techniques. Giving Jeff's bike a try. |
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| Some of Jérémie's handiwork in the Pigeonnier. |
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| Kate and Bo shown with Jérémie, his partner Eva and their young daughter. |
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| Before departing Moissac we had a picnic on the banks of the Tarn with our friend Eva (from our first WWOOF stay in the area, at St. Hubert). |
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| The route out of Moissac is shared by the Chemin de St. Jacques (which WE will be starting from Le Puy in late July.) |
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| The appalling, hideous, Mordor-like cooling towers of Golfech, a nuclear plant located along the Garonne. This is the closest we have come to a centrale nucleaire on our whole trip... needless to say, we pedalled as fast as we could to get as far away as possible! |
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| Bo: pure joy upon figuring out how to use a headlamp! |
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| Our campsite near Lac de Lasperrieres. We've left the tent behind and are entering the summer months with just the tarp and mosquito net for shelter. Lighter, airier and more in touch with the outdoors. |
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| Early morning at the lake, Bodhi tossing sticks in as usual. |
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| Marking our departure from the Tarn-et-Garonne. |
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| Near Agen, we approached one of the most magnificent structures along the canal: Le Pont-Canal d'Agen. Pictured above as it would have looked in 1850 or so, and below... |
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| Katy makes her way across. Over 500 meters long, it's supported by 22 pilings. |
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| The twisted steeple seen on the church in Sérignac-sur-Garonne. |
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| Our campsite in a poplar plantation along the canal near Buzet-sur-Baise. |
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| Classic stretches like these ones abound... |
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| We stopped at this former lock house for a picnic... |
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| ... where Bo was in fine form. |
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| Canal boat seen at Meilhan... |
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| Finishing a long day at the recreational park in Fontet. Jeff and Bo eyeing up the pond... |
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| ... and Bo charges in! This water was freezing, and there was a chill wind moreover. |
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| Bo and Mammy while setting up camp near Blaignac. We left the Canal des deux mers here, about 8 km from its end near Bordeaux. |
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| Our shelter for the night: just the mosquito net, strung up between the two trailers. |
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| Sunset witnessed from this camp. |
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| Breakfast. Bo knocks down some oats, honey and raisins. |
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| A German cyclist in La Réole. He is cycling the Chemin de St. Jacques from Vézélay to Compostelle. |
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| Climbing away from the Garonne into the Department of Gironde, we spotted this chateau and free-standing pigeonnier along the way. |
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| We entered some serious monocultural vineyard lands about this time, near Loubens. |
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| Arrived in Ruch (about 50 km east of Bordeaux), in the Entre-Deux-Mers wine region of Bordeaux, there was a serious family reunion. Jeff's parents - Doug and Chris - came from Philadelphia via Portugal and the south of France. Jeff's brother Jason and sister-in-law Sonja came from their home in Luzerne, Switzerland. Jeff's sister Alicia, her husband Greg, and their daughter Nora came from Washington, D.C. via Bilbao and San Sebastien. The convivial atmosphere made for some great aperos. (L-R: Jason, Sonja, Jeff, Greg, Doug, Alicia, Nora, Chris and Bodhi) |
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| Amidst a round of poolside aperitifs, we celebrated Bo's 2nd birthday (again). |
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| One of his favorite presents: his first-ever pair of sneakers, from Jason and Sonja. |
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| Cici, Bodhi, and Grandfather celebrating. |
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| Nora, just 3 months younger than Bodhi. |
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| Cici (Chris) and Bo; they haven't seen each other in 18 months but Bo instantly takes to her, instinctually. |
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| Doug and Chris rented a gîte through Air B-n-B, with a spacious garden, swimming pool, and plenty of bedrooms for all of us. |
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| Dinner at the gîte with everyone. |
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| We wasted no time in filling up the place with what Bordeaux does best: red wines, usually a mixture of Merlot and Cabernet. |
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| Bo in the garden with his new balance bike, purchased near Bordeaux on le Bon Coin (France's version of Gumtree or Craigslist). |
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| The whole bunch of us motivated for a 11km walk near the neighboring village of Blasimon... |
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| Piggy-backing with Uncle Jason. |
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| Intricate carvings on the portal of the St. Nicholas abbey near Blasimon. |
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| In ruins, the abbey dates back to the 8th-9th century. |
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| Our walk featured hiking through vineyards... |
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| ... Alicia and Nora during a pause... |
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| ... and forest trails. Sonja and Bo. |
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| Picnic in the woods. |
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| Bo, Sonja and Katy. |
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| Bo and Grandfather having a laugh... |
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| Half-naked swinging by Grandfather and Katy: Bo is in seventh heaven! |
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| The massive gothic Cathedrale Saint-Andre in Bordeaux. |
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| Jason, Katy, Doug, Chris, Jeff and Bo before the cathedral. |
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| Greg, Alicia and Nora on the banks of the Garonne. |
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| Bodhi and Nora hanging out... |
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... and then it was Kissing Cousins on the streets of Bordeaux!!!
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| The magnificent Grosse Cloche of Bordeaux. |
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| The ladies having a good time. |
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| Three generations of Volk men. |
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| Taking advantage of sunny weather we headed to Lacanau Beach on the Atlantic coast for a day. |
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| A perfect day for kite-flying! |
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| Weird James Bond sh*t (seriously) on the water. | |
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| The boys playing with sand. |
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| A seaside sunset dinner of fresh seafood. |
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| The cousins side by side. |
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| Sunset in Lacanau. |
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| Back at the gîte there was plenty of time for swimming... |
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...and daredevil antics.
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A fabulous week at the gîte, and then everyone returned home but us! We would be heading on to the Atlantic coast of France, where a 600-km plus ride would take us up towards Brittany...
