The Itinerary

Day 1 You arrive in Bergerac for your first night at the Hotel de France  and your BCT host walks you through the route, the route notes, the bicycle's equipment and the bikes themselves. There is time enough for a gentle circuit of the town and to be reminded that it's most famous son was not a Channel Islands detective but one of the three musketeers (Cyrano de B-------.).

Day 2  An easy first day which begins with setting off south through vineyards and valleys to Monbazzillac and then eastwards to Issigeac - a good spot to lunch either in one of its several restaurants or by picnicing in the shade of the ancient  town walls. Then a loop westwards brings you into the valley of the Dropt and the pretty bastide town of Eymet. From here it is but a short ride to your hosts for the night at either one of two Chambres d'Hotes.  

Day 3 From Eymet you descend the valley of the Dropt through Duras and past two fortified watermills to reach the Garonne at Gironde sur Dropt. Following the Garonne for a few kilometers brings you to La Reole where the market hall was erected on the orders of Richard Lionheart and the Abbey sacked during the revolution. Crossing the bridge designed by Gustaf Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel) brings you to the flat valley bottom and the Canal Lateral towpath to Castets-en-Dorthe. From here we have a particularly attractive route along the river to St Macaire and your hotel for the night either Les Feuilles D'Acanthe or Les Tilleules 
 
Day 4  St Macaire has its own particular attractions but this day is devoted to exploring the left bank of the Garonne to reach the ancient cathedral city of  Bazas. If time and energy levels permit you could also take in Roquetaillarde - a fortress that has been the home of the same family for 700 years, or one of the chateaux of Pope Clement V - the first Avignon Pope. You  can call on the latter while you are in the area as he is now staying only a few yards from your Chambre d'Hote in Uzeste - Sous La Tonnelles - where your hostess is Marie-Jo Rigoletti, cafe proprietor and champion of local culture.(both culinary and artistic).

Day 5 A full day in Uzeste could be R. and R. but the location is a great centre for loop tours on foot, by bicycle or even by canoe. The surounding forest, part of the Gascon regional park, the long distance cycling route and the Ciron river gorges are a very diiferent landscape  but of course you can always ignore all of them in favour of dozing in  the quirky garden or enjoying a long drink at the riverside brasserie at Villandraut. Trying to spot the resident kingfisher is another way of doing little, very slowly.
 
Day 6 Setting off from Uzeste the route is through Villandraut and by obscure lanes to the village of Sauternes. A tasting of the sweet white wine here provides a break before continuing east past some of the big name chateaux - la Tour Blanche, Yquem,  to reach Chateau Malle. From there you follow backroads through Barsac and Cerons to Cadillac and finally Rions. On the outskirts of this medieval time-capsule you will find your charming hosts at Domaine Pascaud  .    

Day 7 In the morning you retrace a little of your route to explore Cadillac. This town gave its name to a famous american car brand and boasts the well preserved chateau of the Dukes of Epernon as well as the walls, towers and market square of a medieval bastide. From here you head across the Entre Deux Mers to Targon and back to the Dordogne to reach St Emilion. The town is best suited to exploration on foot and when the coach parties have departed you feel like a very priviledged visitor.   

Day 8 Leaving St Emilion behind you recross the Dordogne at Branne to reach the Roger Lapebie cyclepath that will leisurely lead you all the way to Bordeaux. You may divert to the Abbey of  La Sauve as generations of Compostella pilgrims have before you (we have a preferred route that avoids the crowds) or you may continue to Creon or even the bistro at Sadirac for lunch. You enter  Bordeaux across the Pont St Jean and follow the riverside to reach your hotel at the top of Quinconnes or on Rue St Remi - a street walked by Roman legionairres two thousand year ago.

A night out in Bordeaux is your only 'reward' for your efforts - but then it's not about the arriving is it?
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