Cordes and Other Winding Down -- Tues, Oct 30

We really are winding down at this stage.  Initially we had planned to spend the day in Figeac, another pretty hill town.  But, we're tired of driving, especially since that day would promise to be nearly 4 hours in the car and yet another pretty town.  So, we decide to take another walk through the vines near our house.  Eventually we come to Chateau Rhodes and realize that this is another back road into town.  I'm delighted that Tatoo, the Chateau Gayssou winery dog, has chosen to take the walk with us.  Over two hours of his companionship.  It makes things feel more like home, it fulfills some of our need to have a dog, and it turns sightseeing into "just a walk" which is what we'd really wanted.  The weather is great and it's a wonderful way to wind things down.

Lunch at home, then one last visit to the official second prettiest village in the area, Cordes sur Ciel.  (And when I mean "the area" I really mean the lower half of the country France).  On our last visit we tried to find the "secret" way to drive most of the way up -- it's a hill town.  But, after a half hour, we couldn't find it, gave up, and hiked.  Arrived at the town sweating...  This time we did a better job finding it, and since it was cool out, arrived comfortably.  We spent our last couple sightseeing hours in France there, enjoying the views and looking in the shops. 

 

Then, home for dinner and the beginning of the end of our trip.  It was a crisp, clear, cold night with a beautiful full moon and a sky full of stars.  In the middle of the night I couldn't help thinking that it felt sad to be leaving a place where we'd become so comfortable.