June 10, 2016

Perigueux today after our breakfast, however, we had to get out the umbrella in order to get to breakfast.  Rain expected today.  The drive was mostly on the motorway as it was the fastest way to Perigueux, took about one hour but we arrived right at the planned parking lot in the center of town, walked about a block and met the little tourist train for our 35 minute drive around the city.  No stops, just getting a feel for the high points of the town.  Perigueux is a market town with a history of more than 2,000 years.  

From the end of the train ride we walked a few blocks to the Saint-Louis square where we found our restaurant of the day, La Ferme de Saint-Louis.  It was too early to eat but we sat at one of outside covered tables out of the rain until time to eat.

We had a very good lunch today with starters of mushrooms, cream and soft pillow of pasta on top for Iris and a tasty veg soup for Bob followed by gambas (shrimp) brochette for Iris and duck for Bob.  Iris had panna cotta with strawberries for dessert while Bob had fresh apricot tart with cream.  A bottle of rose helped it.

Fortified we now went walking to the cathedral begun in the 11th century (built on the site of a 6th century church), the huge pillars were from the 13th century, the bell tower and dome 12th, the altarpiece and pulpit 17th, the alter 18th, and finally the new alter in 1968.  Took awhile.  The exterior reminds one of the mosques of Istanbul.

The interior is unusual to us as the main alter is in the center of the building under the main dome and seating is from the four directions from the alter which is under a fabulous chandelier .

There was a model of the cathedral that we found interesting.

The cloisters from the 12th and 13th century are half Roman and half Gothic.

By now we were about done in so we made our way back to the parking lot to get our car and return to the B&B.  Drove all the way in the rain so today was soggy.  We had stopped at a bakery and bought a large quiche that we split for our supper with a bottle of our recently purchased Chateau Canterac that we found to be as good as when we tasted a couple of days ago.  Some TV and to bed to read.  Below are a few glimpses of the Roman ruins around the town.