June 6th Cave Boating

 Today is another travel day. We will go half way to Vizzile stopping for the night in Clairemont France. 

But I wake up with the consequences of having had too much rich food. Foie Gras, bone marrow lots of wine etc etc etc. I finally feel well enough to drive to our first stop Padirac which is famous for its giant underground grotto where you can ride in boats on a quiet stream 150 meters below the earth. What could go wrong with that?

We get there and have a 10:45 entrance time. Good timing. Mary Ann and I take the elevators (3 of them) while Jessica and Marco walk down the stairs. A few photos. 

A big hole in the ground. 

Slippery going

Water running everywhere 

The type of boat we rode in. Pictures not allowed on the boats. 

Mary Ann and I in one of the boats coming back. One of those company photos you pay for. 

We walk quite a ways underground along a walkway that the first photos are from. Wait in line again and get into one of these boats. Now these boats are going back and forth with people constantly sometimes through narrow passages. They are like the gondolas in Venice but not as stable. Oared from the back. 

Not 2 minutes into a 20 minute trip, we hear a crack and our oarsman has broken his oar. So we are drifting 150 meters underground on a shallow lake bumping other boats and banging into the rocks on the side of the cave. No extra oars or help arrives for 20 minutes when someone gets him a new oar. 

We make it to the far shore where we can get out of the boat and explore more of the cave. After about 75 steps leading up to the top of the dome, Mary Ann and I reverse course and back to where the boats are waiting to take people back.  Jessica and Marco muster on and walk to the top of the dome. 

Our boat ride back was smooth and quiet, not hitting one thing. We elevator to the top and go to a cafe to wait for Jessica and Marco. Lunch there and then the 3 hour ride to Clairemont. 

In Cleremont, we find our lovely old hotel in downtown Clermont. 

The three flights of stairs did make Mary Ann happy but Marco was a champ and carries all the luggage up. 

Then off to the famous Black Cathedral which was beautiful. However there was a dance contest going on in the park next to it so we needed to find a quieter place. 

The place Jessica chose was a great choice. Michelin star but sitting outside got very cold. 

We all slept very well. 

Tomorrow Lyon and Vizzile.