Bastide de Vinel, Limogne en Quercy.jpg

Posted on September 2, 2010 by boogkb

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Busca KB Cajac

Posted on September 2, 2010 by boogkb

Nice town, nice photos. Good stuff you're seeing, though those "closed" towns don't sound like too much fun.

Sorry the QB isn't doing too well. Is it time to visit a pharmacy? The ones in Paris are real helpful for medical advice/potions for simple things.

Vaiselles means dishes, so I can see where that Pelerin word play may have come in. A Lave-Vaiselles is a dishwasher, etc.

BTW-where are they getting the moules? You are not near an ocean–so do they truck them into these towns? Are they river moules?

Dee/

—–Original Message—–
From: Jeff Gray
Sent: Sep 1, 2010 11:32 AM
To: 980286c3a15f1c66@moblog.vox.com, sacking2@netbox.com
Subject: Busca KB Cajac

From Evernote:

Busca KB Cajac

September 1,  another sunny and bit warmer day, high at 29 degrees.

Another banana fish day with a good climb to Faycelles, an old hill town much preserved and marked as a site to see – at least by the French tourist office.  Ran into the pelerins from France who tried my bike and they told me " you must drink the water at Faycelles".   Not clear on the meaning, special water, specially blessed, extra good?   Nope, turn it was a word play, a "blague", joke, for me.  Seems to be a play on wash water (something pronounced like vacelle ) but it is not in my vocabulary or dictionary.

Then a ride back in the Lot Valley.  Thought I would pass a number of nice towns, maybe did but all were closed up.  No bar or place for a coffee or drink for over 20km until I got to the old town of Cajac.

Cajac is, according to their mythology, of celtic origin with graves from the roman era.   Another wealthy town that was a loser in the Hundred Years War, but not occupied by the "English".  Held out as they had a nice moat and a wall.

Afterwards the same Catholic and Protestant religious strife as Figeac except here it ended up, after much negotiation and political separation as Protestant.

Richeleu in 1623 took care of the moat and much of their independence.

Nice three star hotel for me to take QB to and have her sleep.  Not getting better, maybe worse.  Clearly no fun for her and of course very discouraging.

Not that I needed it, or earned it; moules frites for lunch, with a beer.

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Busca KB Cajac

September 1, another sunny and bit warmer day, high at 29 degrees.

Another banana fish day with a good climb to Faycelles, an old hill town much preserved and marked as a site to see – at least by the French tourist office. Ran into the pelerins from France who tried my bike and they told me " you must drink the water at Faycelles". Not clear on the meaning, special water, specially blessed, extra good? Nope, turn it was a word play, a "blague", joke, for me. Seems to be a play on wash water (something pronounced like vacelle ) but it is not in my vocabulary or dictionary.

Then a ride back in the Lot Valley. Thought I would pass a number of nice towns, maybe did but all were closed up. No bar or place for a coffee or drink for over 20km until I got to the old town of Cajac.

Cajac is, according to their mythology, of celtic origin with graves from the roman era. Another wealthy town that was a loser in the Hundred Years War, but not occupied by the "English". Held out as they had a nice moat and a wall.

Afterwards the same Catholic and Protestant religious strife as Figeac except here it ended up, after much negotiation and political separation as Protestant.

Richeleu in 1623 took care of the moat and much of their independence.

Nice three star hotel for me to take QB to and have her sleep. Not getting better, maybe worse. Clearly no fun for her and of course very discouraging.

Not that I needed it, or earned it; moules frites for lunch, with a beer.

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Hotel La Segaliere, Cajarc.jpg

Posted on September 1, 2010 by boogkb

Hotel La Segaliere, Cajarc.jpg

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Busca QB; Decazeville to Figeac

Posted on August 31, 2010 by boogkb

From Evernote:

Busca QB; Decazeville to Figeac

August 31, 2010; sunny and warm; still sick, probably consumption or la grippe

The walking pilgrim is giving up and becoming a good-time pilgrim. Turns out even with training the distances required most days are too long, and especially so if you consider the difficulty of the terrain. This is the schedule arranged by the travel agency. Clearly the people who figured it out have never actually walk the Camino. Hiked over 11 miles from Decazeville (dump ex-mining town) to St. Felix through the usual closed French villages. Staggered into a bar ( rest of St. felix was closed, of course) had a Perrier menthe or two, gobbled my emergency rations (box of cherry tomatoes and three cookies) and took a taxi the last six miles to Figeac. This is a stunning medieval town (see photos), not worth missing due to exhaustion over seeing a few more cows and churches. Tomorrow will try to bus into Cajarc, another town worth seeing, maybe walk the next day where the distance will be only 12 miles. Will no longer visit churches or cathedrals younger than 13th century, as this is a medieval trip, and I am of the school that the Renaissance began at least as early as the 13th c. Therefore, cannot spend valuable time on juvenile buildings.

Will try to continue with this plan at least through France. To quote Dirty Harry : "a man's [sic] got to know his limitations."

Jeff ran into Bernard, the guy with the two burros that would not cross the stream. Jeff asked him how he moved them across. Bernard told him he finally moved them to another section of the stream. This location was more appealing for reasons known only to burros, and they crossed over.

Ate a treat called pastis, found at a patisserie. Was a cup made of butter, phyllo dough and butter. Inside was chunks of baked or stewed apples and butter. One also had choc chips, both were delicious but we liked the unchoc one better.

Time to bathe in Voltaren gel and sleep.

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Busca Figeac KB

Posted on August 31, 2010 by boogkb

From Evernote:

Busca Figeac KB

August 31 another perfect sunny and cool day, not a cloud in the sky

Perfect day for banana fish and family and their relatives

After another pleasant ride through the Lot valley one reaches the road to Figeac. Straight up hill for about 140 meters at 4-5% grade and then down a slightly greater grade into the old city.

Figeac was a prosperous city with significant European and Medeterranean trade until about the Hundred Years war. It was founded in the 9th century and grew prosperous with the success of the abby. Great wealth from the pre Hundred Years War can be seen in the architecture and fine old buildings.

After the Hundred Years War religious strife brought more hardship to this fine city.

QB still suffering but getting better very very very slowly. Long walk for her today – 28 km likely.

After a California lunch of Salade Miami and biere pression at a local brasserie a walking tour of the old city, well keyed and marked for tourist.

No Wiki site for Figeac, very surprised as this the epitome of an old medieval town.

If QB has the energy to blog tonight the good pictures will be posted from the camera.

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Company at montredon.jpg

Posted on August 31, 2010 by boogkb

Company at montredon.jpg

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Busca. Decazeville KB

Posted on August 30, 2010 by boogkb

August 30 sunny cool

A perfect day for a banana fish family.

Lovely ride in the Lot valley. Rolling and continued views similar to the
pics sent earlier. Then a turn south to Decazeville.

Not a pretty town. Largish but poor streets and many closed shops. Some
permanently, some for the traditional Monday closing, some fermature
annual. Makes the town dreary.

A climb up at 4-5% and then a descent at 6% on bumpy roads with traffic.
Suspect that the hypermarkets at the edge of town have drained what little
life was left in centre ville.

Pics included from nearby town and inside big church here. Notice spelling
of Ultre–ïa

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Busca KB Conques

Posted on August 30, 2010 by boogkb

Watch out for that leak-y potato soup. Get's you every time.

Do not run across (or over) donkeys. Not good for your image..

Did the QB know you went to "Vespers" with Ann. Really, Jeff. Such loose morals these French have–even on pilgrim roads.

Dee (always looking out for you).

—–Original Message—–
From: Jeff Gray
Sent: Aug 29, 2010 12:12 PM
To: 980286c3a15f1c66@moblog.vox.com, sacking@netbox.com
Subject: Busca KB Conques

From Evernote:

Busca KB Conques

August 29  Sunny and pleasant

A rest day catching up on items such as laundry and itinerary planning.  Nice nap too.

Two highlights of the day ( no pics today )

– Went to Vespers at the cathedral.  Sat in the nave with the two monks.   Even though this is an important cathedral there are only 5 monks – I asked the monk who ran the service.  He has a lovely voice though QB thought that he was a bit creaky from a cold.    We sat in the nave and there was a blessing for us pilgrims, a reading from Timothy and, in French of course, " the lords prayer".

Then off to make dinner in the FEMA trailer.  Decided to try canned goods, and paper packaged goods from the store; and experiment,

– tomatoes, fresh, excellent

-pan de compagne, fresh and excellent

– two cans and sardines in tomato sauce, excellent

-can of tuna in oil, not very good

– vegetable soup and leak potato soup.   Neither any good except as a base.  Needed Sara's magic but, alas, Sara is a continent away.

– canned Cassoulet.   Had to try it.  Meat like Vienna sausage and beans that were so bland that a  child would like it.  As I said, an experiment.

-fromage of course.

Ran across the two donkeys so he must have gotten them to cross the stream which they were refusing to cross a few days ago.  He is at the same gite as Ann, Ian and Dennis.

Had beers with the three of them and then went to vespers with Ann.