Rocamadour: Sanctuary level (May 29, 2006)

At the sanctuary level overlooking the Dordogne valley.



The chateau on the third level taken from the sanctuary plain.















Copy of the Miraculous black Madonna of Racamadour housed in the main basilica.

May 29, 2006 : Rocamadour

Rocamadour is a historic shrine perched on a limestone cliff. It tells a story of religious belief and human endeavour.
Looking out over the gorge of the River Alzou, this city devoted to the Virgin Mary has remained for over nine hundred years a symbol of faith and hope.






We arrived Rocamadour after an hours drive from Brive (taxi cost around 75 euros) around late afternoon.

We immediately checked in at Hotel Grand Beau Site, a best western hotel which apparently is the best lodging in the whole place with excellent location.

Our room overlooks the Dordogne Valley.


















We were famished so off we headed looking for a place to take some very late lunch. I think that was around 4pm or so.

I immediately took my seat outside the balcony of this resto but bebeth found it too cold and besides it started to rain so we ordered our pizza inside.
I immediately took my seat at the balcony of this pizza resto which overlooks the lush greenery of the valley but bebeth found it too cold and besdies it started to rain so just decided to take our meal inside.

I had to take a photo of our meal because I found the cutter unique - it's a tiny hammer!


We saw the tourist train go by while we finished our pizza. I took note of this for I made sure we will not leave the city without trying this.


We finished the late lunch around close to 530pm and apparently the only lift which goes up the sanctuary grounds closes at 6pm. We made a dash for it so as not to waste time and make the most of the 3 euros fee to use the lift, otherwise it will be a more than 200 step climb and I don't intend to do that.
The lift or ascenseur was built inside a cave which was just right across our hotel.








Right after we went around the next level we came back exactly 6pm and looked around the shops which were all starting to close except one - wher they sell lovely jewelries and stuff.
The quality was really good so we bought a couple of them.
We found out later that the man who operated the lift, who hails from Sardinia, is the husband of the woman who sold us the trinkets! Truly a small city :)

Brive La Gaillarde

From the Paris train station (think its Gare d' Austerlitz) we started to take the Eurail for Brive La Gaillarde, which from my research seems to be the nearest train stop to our main destination Rocamadour.

It took me quite a while trying to determine how to get to that mountain region. i learned there was a local train station but transport is unreliable and few so just to be sure I decided to stop at Brive and take a taxi to Roc.

I tried reserving a cab from our hotel in Paris since from past travel reviews it seems one has to always pre-book. Fortunately though we were assured that it will not be a problem during that time.


Bebeth and I wanted to leave our luggage at the Brive station so we can take a look around the city.

Unfortunately, the left luggage section was down at the basement without benefit of a lift nor an escalator. We wanted to preserve our energy for the weeks to come so opted to just take photos around the train station area.

We already reserved our seats here for our train to Lourdes.

Brive which owes its nickname La Caillarde – the bold - to the courage displayed by its citizens on the many occasions when it was besieged, is an active town in the Correze alluvial plain, in the middle of the rich Brive basin, where market gardening and orchards prosper.

Located at the crossroads of Bas-Limousin (Lower Limousin), Perigord and the Quercy causses (limestone plateaux), the town Is an important railway junction with a thriving book fair has taken place annually in the Georges Brassens hall since 1982.

Brive is an excellent example of concentric urban expansion, with the old quarter St Martins Collegiate Church as its centre.