June 22, 2009:
Our next stop in France was Bordeaux, which we reached with a high-speed TGV train. From Bordeaux, we toured the Saint-Émilion Underground Church and Vineyards, Domme, the Château de Castelnaud, La Roque St. Christophe, and the pilgrimage site of Rocamadour.
High speed train to Bordeaux
Outside of Bordeaux, we toured the vineyards and the Underground Church of Saint-Émilion.
Touring the Saint-Émilion vineyards
Touring the Saint-Émilion Underground Church
We also walked through a French cemetery in Domme and enjoyed views of the Dordogne River/Valley.
Domme Cemetery and view of the Dordogne Valley/River
Close by Domme, we also toured the Château de Castelnaud, a medieval fortress in the commune of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, overlooking the river Dordogne in Périgord, southern France. It was erected to face its rival, the Château de Beynac.
Château de Castelnaud
Interior of the the Château de Castelnaud
View of Dordogne River from the the Château de Castelnaud
After exploring the National Prehistory Museum and the Font de Gaume cave in Les Ezyies (we also saw the Lascaux II replica cave later that day), we drove north to see the medieval age cliff dwellings of La Roque St. Christophe.
La Roque St. Christophe
Lastly, we drove to and explored the pilgrimage site, Rocamadour. Rocamadour is a small clifftop village in south-central France. It is known for the Cité Réligieuse complex of religious buildings, accessed via the Grand Escalier staircase. It includes the Chapelle Notre-Dame, with its Black Madonna statue, and the Romanesque-Gothic Basilica of St-Sauveur. While there, we also walked its 14-station pilgrimage station walk.
Rocamadour
Enjoying the view of Rocamadour