A typical 7 night cycling holiday in the Dordogne

A typical diary of 7 nights cycling in the Dordogne & Garonne

Day 1 Duras

Monsieur and Madame Blanchet run a favourite hotel in Duras. It has its own swimming pool and garden. The food is delicious and tastes even better when eaten outdoors on the terrace during the fine weather.

Day 2 Duras

There are plenty of things to do around Duras. It has shops and cafés and also an historic chateau once owned by an American. The Bordeaux vineyards are very near, but even nearer are the Cotes de Duras which produce an excellent wine. We choose a gentle pedal to Monségur for lunch in a restaurant by the river Dropt.

Day 3 Duras-Agnac 17kms

Packing our panniers causes a lot of mirth. Dad has brought his dressing gown; it takes up the whole of one section; we remind him he will have a private bathroom at each hotel, so he leaves it behind in the suitcase! The church in Allemans du Dropt contains 15C frescoes, we stop to see the church and end up having lunch too. The restaurant is packed with workmen, and we all choose from an enormous buffet.

Day 4 Agnac

There is no way I am going to be any thinner at the end of this holiday! Last night's meal was gorgeous. The chateau hotel is very stylish, especially the dining room and despite our sunburnt noses and glowing cheeks we felt very welcome.This morning Eymet has its market. It is a 13C bastide village. There are wonderful pastries and chocolate with prunes, which is surprisingly good. Wonderful ambience at dinner as Nadia, a fellow cyclist, is a concert pianist and practises every evening when she reaches the hotel. It is a real treat for us.

Day 5 Agnac-St Vivien 25kms

Villereal is a remarkably well preserved 13C bastide too. The cycling has generally been easy, although the towns are often on the top of a hill, so the last bit of the ride requires some extra puff. The castle at Biron, close by, is where Richard the Lionheart received his fatal wound, it also has a little art gallery which mum is keen to visit.

Day 6 St Vivien

A quite dreamy hotel. So friendly, and really off the beaten track. We have had a swim in the pool and a laze in the garden with a book, and now we are off for a walk round the boundaries with an escort of dogs.

Day 7 St Vivien-Duras 45kms

A gorgeous day cycling. Prune orchards,vineyards and sunflowers and sweetcorn and little meandering lanes. We stop to have our picnic in the shade of walnut trees, the lady from the nearby house comes out to speak to us and offers us some iced water from her fridge.

Day 8

Cyril's taxi is well laden by the time the bags and the wine are on board. What a holiday

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