I decided to walk with Miriam starting at 7:30. She likes to start early because the heat rises around 10AM. We were well on way and arrived in Cahors around 12:45 (87F) even after taking a break at a lovely inn by the side of the trail.
During that break, Miriam gave me an origami heart that she had made. She said that she gave them to people who made the Chemin special to her. How thoughtful. I was touched. We shared experiences from family to the current state of politics. I will miss our conversations.
We didn’t know that we had peaked the final hill but before us was Cahors. We began our very steep descent to the city (way larger than a mere town) and crossed the bridge into centre ville from the south. At the end of the bridge was an office that greeted pilgrims and stamped credentials.
We got directions to our hotels from the helpful volunteer. Our hotels were near the train station. Miriam’s was aptly named Hotel Terminus; mine was the Brit, I guess ok, because the English Kings once ruled Aquitaine. I wondered what the locals thought as they passed by.
To get to our hotels, we passed through the main square with its imposing fountain. We decided to have a light lunch. We stopped at Vingt8 (28) on the square (more like a long rectangle). We split a salad and I had the local artisanal beer. It was a moment to relax. Today was Miriam last walk; she had started in Le Puy a few days before I did with Monique. We toasted — water for her and beer for me. Reaching Cahors is certainly an accomplishment. Tomorrow evening, she will be at home in Monterey, CA.
After an hour to settle into my hotel, I toured the old city. I decided to start with the northern point and work my way south. My first stop was St Barthélemy church circa 14th Century. Across the street was #3 Rue de St Barthélemy whose door was down a lengthy and narrow alleyway. An interesting way to insulate oneself from street noise. Down the street was a door first installed during the 17th Century. Not just a door but its frame as well. I also encountered another flatiron building. Apparently, grids were not part of medieval urban planning.
The gem of the old city was St Etienne Cathedral. Not only is the cathedral imposing, it also two unusual architectural features for a European church — two domes and no transepts. I’ll let the images tell the story. Cahors must be significant because Pope Leo XIV will be at the church in three days as part of his Lourdes pilgrimage. I wondered if arriving Chemin pilgrims will get accommodations. I made sure that I got a pilgrim stamp at this church.
My hotel was about a 10 minute walk from my dinner restaurant. I took a longer route to explore the area where my hotel was located. To my surprise, I discovered another Bridge of Sighs — no water flowing underneath as in Venezia.
As I entered the square where the restaurant was located, I smiled because I saw people on chaise lounge chairs in the grassy area of the park. Parks have chairs and benches. But lounge chairs? Seems like an excellent idea to propose to our local powers to be.
I arrived at L’O À La Bouche at 7:30. With an outside table, I had the opportunity to see another bright orange sunset while ordering my menu. The scene was sublime with other diners filling in the canvas.
The wines by the glass were more than fairly priced. I chose the first two whites on the list and the Cahors for the ending. Six € for a glass? No box wine, each one poured from a bottle. You can’t find this quality of wine for the price in any fine restaurant in the US. It’s really good to be near the producer.
Every morsel was delicious. The Michelin bib designation (the little red Michelin man icon) indeed means excellent food for a good price. A superb Foie gras to start followed by crab tortellini in a Thai broth. The rouget was accompanied by a lightly braised fennel, gnocchi, and what tasted to me to be a well decorated mild olive tapenade.
Before the dessert, I was offered a palette cleanser of frozen red grapefruit and a sherbet. I was given the most delicious demitasse of espresso — smooth, no bitterness. Finally, the framboise dessert was topped by a separate plate of whipped crème fraîche that also served as a lid to the framboise.
Add in the amuse bouche, 68€ for the menu can’t be matched. The service was friendly and professional. The outside atmosphere added to the dining experience. The best meal of the trip and the last of my Michelin experiences on the Chemin.
I was the last to leave at 10:15PM. On the walk back to the hotel, I reflected on the splendors of Cahors.
