To wrap up our first ramble, we went to the town of Cahors. There’s nothing particularly enticing about Cahors, but it is a good place to see some local sights. Yet, Cahors itself has some charms, among them, wine made from the malbec grape and renowned for its darkness. That’s true; the wine we had was almost black, and while not up to Bordeaux or Burgundy standards, darn good. There’s a surprise: good wine in France…
Anyway, here are some sights from Cahors. I’ll post about a couple of day-trips we made from here over the next couple days.
Now, here’s a bridge! Pont Valentré, built between 1308 and 1379 and has survived, largely intact, to today.
Looking from the east end of Pont Valentré.
Another view looking westward across Pont Valentré, from about a third of the way across.
These steps, on Pont Valentré, have seen some feet. I guess in 800 years some wear can be expected.
A slightly more modern bridge. I am realizing that I really like bridges: they can be beautiful and they’re all marvels of engineering.
Cahors is essentially a peninsula, wrapped on three sides by the Tarn River. Walking along the river is lovely.
The old part of Cahors is known for its narrow streets. These are not much changed over the last six or seven centuries.
Gotta love it: want to have a reception for your business? Set up some tables in the street and have at it.
Cahors is also known for its “hidden gardens” which didn’t seem very hidden to us. They’re all over, a pleasant interlude in the city.
That’s Cahors. Not a place high on our list for another visit, but we enjoyed our stay here very much. Next up: two day trips, one to the beautiful cloister in Moissac and another an amble along the Tarn River to the west of Cahors.