The Via Lemovicensis is the pilgrimage road from Vézelay to Compostela via Limoges, Périgueux and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port.  We did the French part of the route in reverse, for a better chance of a following wind, stopping at La Charité-sur-Loire (having cycled from Vézelay to the Loire on a previous trip). We used Eurostar and direct TGVs via Paris to get to the start and back from the end of the ride, which gave us a view of France at its most quiet and countrified in the Basque Country, Béarn, Armagnac, the Dordogne, the Lot, the Limousin and the Berry; with stops for pelota, foie gras, Limoges porcelain and George Sand.

 

View Biarritz to Burgundy in a larger map

 

Information:

Aquitaine: www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

Limousin: www.crt-limousin.fr

Centre: www.visaloire.com

Burgundy: www.crt-bourgogne.fr

Trains: www.eurostar.co.uk; www.raileurope.co.uk

 

 

 

The Canal du Midi near Agen, towards evening

Périgueux

 

 

Lola the goose dog, Sorges

 Lola the truffle dog

St Jean de Cole

Resistance martyrs remembered. Les Merles

 

 

Bernardaud guided tour, Limoges. The intelligent questions came from the ladies of the group

 

Poulidor, St Léonard de Noblat