Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope

-Welcome to Joseph Rosendo's "Travel Scope," where you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.

-Come with me.

Today on "Travel Scope," we navigate our way under limestone cliffs through historic locks to the beautiful villages of France's Lot River Valley.

-Joseph Rosendo's "Travel Scope" is made possible by... EVA Air flies from eight cities in North America to Taiwan and with one stop onward throughout Asia.

It offers premium economy class and a cabin all its own in between business and economy classes.

EVA Air -- a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag -- jet lag prevention.

-Our rendezvous point for the Lot River Valley is the regional capital of Toulouse.

It offers the city-fied pleasures you'd expect.

Plus, it's only a 90-minute drive to our shoving-off spot on the Lot River.

After obligatory safety... -Okay.

-...navigational, and operational instructions... -And then you're doing that.

Excellent.

-...and a river lock opening and closing demonstration, my "Travel Scope" crew takes on a nautical role.

-It's hard!

[ Laughs ] Finished our training.

-While co-captain Nicole Bell reads the river book, I captain our vessel through our first of 20 locks.

Reach over and get it to him.

-Got it?

-Okay.

There are many rivers and canals that you can take your boat on in France.

I particularly like the Lot because it has a wildness to it, a naturalness to it.

Along the way, you'll see chateaux.

You can visit villages and towns and go to markets.

And lots of activities you can partake in, too.

And you can have some wonderful food and great wine.

-A votre sant.

-A votre sant.

-We are in Malbec wine country.

You really get a sense of being away from it all.

We're gonna take six days and really, really, really enjoy it.

It's a sunny day on the Lot and a bit warm.

So the best solution to it is jump in the water.

Whoo!

-[ Laughs ] -Pradines is one of the typical Lot villages that you can visit when you're on the river.

It's a small community, about 3,000 people.

Its history dates back to Roman times.

It's a great place to dock your boat, a nice wide spot in the river so you can partake in water activities safely.

And there's some good restaurants here, too.

-[ Speaking in French ] -He's French.

She's Portuguese.

What's on the menu?

Steak with pepper sauce, duck breast with honey, warm goat cheese salad, and la crme de la crme -- flaming crme brle.

C'est magnifique.

All right.

Oh, yes.

-Mmm!

Excellent coffee.

-Ah, eggs perfectly cooked.

Nice going, Nicole.

-You did those.

-Oh, yeah.

That's why they're broken.

-[ Laughs ] -Bonjour!

Beautiful day.

Enough clouds to keep it nice and cool.

The fishermen are out.

The birds are out.

One more day on the Lot.

-Bonjour!

-The Lot is one of the most pleasantly navigable rivers in France.

It begins in the Cvennes mountains and flows west 300 miles into the Garonne River.

Within the 46-mile, 20-lock section that we could cruise, it's possible to swim, water ski, paddleboard, kayak, and fish.

It's called a fisherman's paradise with opportunities to hook pike, perch, bass, catfish, and carp of up to 60 pounds.

While these activities are part of the trip, the real adventure is the time spent sharing the French joie de vivre... [ Speaks in French ] ...and observing the beauty of la belle France.

One of the most scenic locks on the river is the Valentr, named after the 14th-century six-span, stone-arch bridge of Cahors -- the Pont Valentr.

By far the largest town we're gonna be visiting on our Lot River Adventure is Cahors.

It's the capital of the Department of the Lot, and it's been here for over 2,000 years.

And a grand example of the beauty of that history is the Pont Valentr.

It's a 14th-century masterpiece.

And I'm gonna go across it, along with a lot of the people that are on the Way of St. James -- comes right through town.

-So this is the very heart of the city of Cahors, right above the arena of the Roman amphitheater On this side of Cahors westward, it used to be the fields and the orchards to feed the city and also the monasteries.

The boulevard used to be the ditch running along the ramparts, and behind the ramparts, you could find the medieval town of Cahors.

For centuries, people have used the materials that were the most local -- that is to say, the limestone, the brick, and, of course, the wood.

There are more than 100 houses made of wood in Cahors.

So, we're standing now right behind the choir of St. Stephen Cathedral, which is UNESCO listed.

It started in the early 12th century, and as usual, it took two centuries to complete the work.

And we are in this very beautiful Renaissance courtyard.

It's one of the 26 tiny urban gardens of Cahors.

We call them the secret gardens.

-Secret gardens.

-And each one has a theme.

-This would have been like a kitchen garden?

-Kitchen garden.

Exactly.

The city gardeners paid attention not to plant any vegetable that did not exist in Europe in the Middle Ages.

Now, Joseph, I'm leaving you to the perfume garden.

Here you will find a whole branch of the plants that are used in the art of making perfume.

This is patchouli.

Just have to crease the leaf to release the scent.

-Smells like the 1960s.

A very heavy smell.

-Indeed.

-For people who have never been to Cahors, what would you tell them?

Why should they come to Cahors?

-Well, they should spend an hour or so wandering around in the medieval town.

They would, of course, go to the bridge and the cathedral, both UNESCO listed.

But we have 28 ect-ures of medieval faade.

See, Cahors is the conservatory of medieval civil architecture in Europe.

There are so many restaurants to enjoy.

The gastronomy and the wine.

You definitely have to do that, as well.

-Well, merci beaucoup.

Thank you very much for giving us a tour.

-You're welcome.

-At Valerie's suggestion, we head up Mont Saint-Cyr for a bird's-eye view of Cahors and then back into its medieval center for a taste of Lot Valley nightlife.

-Well, I'm so glad to see you, Joseph.

-I'm glad to see you again.

Blackcurrant-walnut liquor, did you say?

-Walnut liquor.

-And Cahors wine, which is Malbec.

Well, sant.

-Sant.

-Sant.

Cheers.

-Sant, sant, sant.

-And we can say cin.

Cin.

-Cin?

You say "cin-cin"?

-Cin-cin.

[ Indistinct conversations, laughter ] -Our next overnight is Vers, where we're scheduled for dinner at the famous La Truite Dore.

From Cahors, by car, it's 9 miles, or 16 minutes, and yet it's more than three and a half hours of cruising, accompanied by the opening and closing of five locks.

Gratefully, one opens with a key.

Automatic -- the only one.

I've taken four river cruises, and I can tell you it's good to have a young, enthusiastic crew on board.

Lock master Mike would have come along just for the workout.

Eventually, they do get weary, and they do get hungry, and Vers has the perfect cure for our appetites.

Doesn't it look great?

The food of southwest France is magnificent.

There are so many specialties, and here along the Lot River, one of the famous restaurants is La Truite Dore -- "the golden trout."

And of course, one of the specialties here at the restaurant is trout.

But they have many, many other things that are local ingredients, such as foie gras, cassoulet -- which is from this area, too -- an omelet with truffles.

So when you're on the river, the opportunity for you to stop in places like this, which has been around since 1888, so I think they've got it down -- it's amazing the opportunities you have to sample the foods and to experience what the Lot is really all about.

This is extraordinary fish soup.

And of course, they have all the accoutrements.

It's the soup that makes the dish.

And bon appetit.

[ Birds chirping ] From our mooring along the Lot River in Vers, it's a peaceful pleasure to bike into town to pick up our breakfast baguette, croissant, and pain au chocolat from the local boulangerie.

Voila!

Les pains!

Here's a baguette.

And of course, that's just the beginning.

And we have pain chocolat.

-Oh, wow.

-Uh-huh.

And of course, what is a for a French petit dejeuner without croissant?

Bon appetit!

It's a two-hour-and-15-minute, three-lock cruise from Vers to Bouzis, under the 250-foot-high limestone cliffs of the regional natural park of Causses du Quercy.

-Oh, you want to do the lock?

-I'll go do the lock.

You stay on board.

The distance is easy sailing for me and my crew, who have now become lock wizards.

The Chemin de Halage is a walk from Bouzis to St. Cirq-Lapopie.

And it travels along the toll path where horses were used to pull the boats back in the day up the river against the current with their goods.

And the Chemin is also noted for the sculptures of Daniel Monnier that are carved right into the cliff face.

Begun in 1985 and finished in 2019, they depict the soul, the spirit, and the energy of the Lot River.

Another vantage point on the sculpture is from the Lot River itself.

Wow.

A fun way to manage that is by kayak.

Trs cool.

It's another opportunity to get up close and personal with the river and take in more of the Lot's scenic delights.

Doing a little veggies here today and a little Toulouse sausage and some little coq au vin.

Normally, it's good if you let it soak for a long time.

But we're just gonna sprinkle a little wine on it and get a little flavor.

Bon appetit.

St. Cirq-Lapopie, originally built on a cliff overlooking the Lot River for defensive reasons, is considered to be one of les plus beaux villages de France -- one of the most beautiful villages in France, and one of the most beautiful views of St. Cirq is from the River Lot itself.

-It's the Gate of Pelissaria, which means "leather craftsman."

-Right.

-And the beginning of this fantastic village.

-Wow!

-We have many houses from 13th century and then 15th century.

And it's as it was in the Middle Ages.

-When did it become revitalized?

-It was in the 1960s where we had some artists coming here, and then we became a very famous village at the end of the 20th century.

-Well, it has the feel of a medieval town that's still alive and prospering, and I'm sure that has to do with all the artists and craftspeople who have come here and made this their home and their workplace.

Nathalie, this is part of the process for making stained glass.

What inspired you?

How does the town of St. Cirq-Lapopie continue to inspire you?

This is the piece that will go into the... -Oui.

-This is the leading -- the leading... ...to hold the panes... ...that are part of the puzzle for the... C'est jolie.

Merci beaucoup.

-[ Speaks in French ] [ Laughs ] -This is the place where they make this famous dessert of St. Cirq-Lapopie.

-Yes.

The pastis is wonderful.

-Oh, there it is.

The lou pastis.

-Lou pastis.

-Now, what is "lou"?

-"Lou" -- it's like "le" -- like "the."

It's about an old language.

-The language here.

The old language.

-Yes.

Yes.

Occitan.

It's a paste -- apple, butter, and sugar inside.

And we put plum alcohol on the top.

-Beaucoup?

-Yes, beaucoup.

It's better.

So you can try it.

-Bon appetit.

-[ Chuckles ] -Mmm!

C'est bon.

Can't come to Cirq-Lapopie without coming and having a lou pastis.

And you should have it here.

With this view and this food, how can you go wrong?

Bon appetit.

-This was the last castle of the village.

So what do you think of that?

-Wow!

I think that's pretty marvelous.

When I first came to the St. Cirq-Lapopie back in the '90s, this was what sold me on the Lot region.

-Tell me, do you think it has changed since the '90s?

-I think that it's only gotten better.

From St. Cirq-Lapopie, we make our way back to the farmers market of Cahors -- a must-stop on a Lot River cruise.

All the tastes of the region are available at one of the finest markets in southwest France.

If you know "Travel Scope," you know what I feel about markets.

It's where you feel the heart and soul of a village, a town, a city.

And it's where you meet the people.

Bonjour!

[ Laughs ] This is a wonderful market.

Look, my favorite fishmonger and, what's more important, oyster purveyor who has the perfect name to sell oysters -- Champagne!

Bonjour, Champagne.

-Oh!

-Comment a va?

-Oh, my friend, how are you?

-Well, bon, bon.

Et vous?

Okay.

-Wonderful.

-So, I need some oysters to have now.

-How many apiece?

-Three and three?

-Three and three?

Yeah, oui, oui.

-Oh, look, I brought my own gloves.

I can help you.

I can help you.

-Oui, oui, oui, oui.

Yeah.

I'll be working for you.

-And the knife?

-Yeah.

Oh, ici.

Voila.

Good?

C'est bon?

Okay.

I'll help you.

-Box for you, mister.

-Okay, let's see.

Look at that.

Uh-huh.

Well, good or no?

You show me.

You show me.

-Look.

-Look, okay.

Oh, like that on the top.

Oh, look at that.

I like my way.

Okay, okay.

- I did it my way -Perfect.

-Again.

-Right there?

He does it on the side, which is unusual.

Perfect.

Perfect.

Let me put one there.

Okay.

Okay.

-Try it now.

-Sant.

[ Laughs ] Mmm!

Mmm!

Mmm, mmm!

I'm a two-fisted oyster eater.

[ Slurps ] Ah!

Perfect.

Et vous?

-For me?

-[ Speaks indistinctly ] -Yeah.

-Combien?

-Zero.

-Oh, merci beaucoup.

-For my friend.

-[ Laughs ] That's famous desert from this area that you can get in St. Cirq-Lapopie.

But you can also find them here in the market.

Everybody is different.

Everybody's recipe different.

This lady makes it herself.

Can I have a small one?

-Yes.

-Oh, yeah.

Okay.

Merci beaucoup.

Neuf?

-Neuf.

-Merci beaucoup.

-Merci.

-What's nice about the local markets is that you get to taste all of the special products from a particular region, and they'll change from every parts of France.

But here in the Lot, you'll end up with all sorts if things.

They have honey here and then all the vegetables.

A lot of it is directly from here, particularly when you get to the wine.

This year is 2022.

They're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Cahors appellation, which is mostly Malbec.

One of the best ways to work a market in France is to look for the longest lines and the most popular places.

It may take a while to get what you want, but you know you're at the right shop.

This shop creates all of their duck sausages, all their meat.

So we got our appetizer, the oysters, and we've got our dessert, the lou pastis.

Let's see what else we could get for maybe a little second course.

This is duck country -- breast of duck, you have legs of duck, they have duck sausage, for sure.

And that's always a great thing to buy for your picnics is your duck sausage.

Well, the duck sausage satisfies a need for some charcuterie, which is an important part of a French meal.

When you think of France, what's the other food product you might think of?

Fromage -- cheese.

Come with me.

Remember my tip -- if you want to know who are the best purveyors here in the market, go to the longest lines and wait the longest.

And by the way, goat cheese, in France, you would ask for chvre, which is goat.

But the special goat cheese of this area is from the town of Rocamadour up in the north, just a little bit from here.

They come in a range from fresh to more and more mature.

They all have different flavors, and you get to enjoy them all.

So I'm getting in line and getting a bunch of them.

-[ Speaking in French ] -Ah, merci beaucoup.

-Merci beaucoup.

Bonne journee.

-Bonne journee.

So, I got my cheese.

And how do you remember the French for cheese?

France and fromage -- they go together well.

That's probably why Charles de Gaulle, the president of France, said, "How can you rule a country that has 750 different cheeses?"

Well, now they have probably 1,500 different cheeses.

And that's why it's so difficult to be the president of France.

Merci, merci beaucoup.

Well, Ian, finally.

-Long time.

Long time.

-Ian and I met by phone many, many years ago because we rented his Airbnb in Puy l'Eveque, one of the most beautiful little villages along the Lot.

We're doing a distance that really is something that you could drive up and back in about two hours, and it's taking us six days to do it.

But that's what's nice about being on the boat.

You get into the French rhythm, which is much slower than in the United States, for sure.

-It's just nice to see the little things, listen to the birds, take some time out from the routine.

And it's a nice day to just sit in the mountains.

-What more do you need?

-Yeah.

-Merci beaucoup.

-De rien, de rien.

-I've collected an abundance of riches from the market and just a bit of the bounty from the Lot region.

Now, the outdoor market is here every Wednesday and Saturday.

-Merci.

-Merci, merci beaucoup.

Le Halle, the indoor market, is here every day until 3:00, so you can always get a great taste of the Lot in Cahors.

Winemaking in the Cahors area dates back to Roman times.

More than 10,000 acres of vines, primarily Malbec, are spread along 25 miles of the Lot River -- six miles from Cahors.

Chateau de Mercus -- the summer residence of the counts and bishops of Cahors for seven centuries offers Michelin-star wine and food experiences as well as tastings in their winemaking cellars.

The first one is the Vassal, which is 80% Malbec and 20% merlot.

And it's 10 months aging in vats.

-How did it come about that the Malbec became the grape of the Lot region?

-As you know, Cahors has 2,000 years of winery history, one of the most important history in France, and we found the Malbec in the Middle Age.

Cahors was the place for the Malbec.

-You know, when I talk to people about wine, I always talk about how the French emphasis on wine is wine with food.

-It's a big work for the sommelier to pairing the wine and the food.

It's the harmony of all.

-Harmony is a wonderful word.

Pretty.

It's the harmony of the wine, the food, and the people.

-Yes.

-Although we're always rolling, it's a luxury to top off our Lot River cruise with a four-course Michelin-star menu at the chateau.

It proves to be the culinary equivalent of the National Day fireworks taking place in the skies over Cahors.

[ Fireworks popping ] Thank you for joining me on my France Lot River journey.

I've been a travel writer since 1980, yet I've been traveling in France since 1969.

It was love at first sight, sip, and savor.

I've written and broadcast so much on France, I was awarded France's Gold Medal of Tourism.

I've dreamed of living here.

On my six-day boat trip through the extravagantly beautiful Lot River Valley, I was reminded of how our love affair began.

Up and down river, we've covered just 48 miles, which could be driven in less than two hours.

But neither time nor distance is the point.

In France, it is the experience that matters and how it feeds your heart and soul.

-Cin-cin.

-On one of my first visits to France, I rose before dawn and walked into a field and was serenaded by birds.

They were a choir of many voices calling to each other and seeming to say, "Oh, how I love living here."

Breathtaking scenery, eons of history, unspoiled nature, world-class food and drink, and the proud and welcoming French are the treasures I've enjoyed on my French voyages.

And like the birds, I sing, "Oh, how I love being here."

Thank you for being a part.

of Joseph Rosendo's "Travel Scope," Until we meet again, remember the words of Mark Twain -- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

May your next adventure always be your best.

-Joseph Rosendo's "Travel Scope" is made possible by... EVA Air connects eight North American cities to Taiwan, where with one stop, travelers can fly on to destinations throughout Asia.

EVA Air -- with business, premium economy, and economy cabins.

EVA Air -- a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag -- jet lag prevention.

-From travel tips and destination explorations to exotic adventures and intimate tales, "Musings: The Short, Happy Pursuit of Pleasure and Other Journeys" is a collection of entertaining, humorous, and inspirational stories drawn from my travel and life experiences.

For a copy of "Musings," call 888-876-3399 or order online at travelscope.net.

Now that we've cruised the Lot River Valley together, learn more at travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures, through my e-magazine, blog, podcast, and on social media.

Stay in touch -- 888-876-3399 or [email protected].

Yeah, he's got something.

This is great.

He's coming in at us.

-[ Man speaks indistinctly ] -Whoo!

Whoa!

-Yes!

-Yeah!

Well, there are fish in the Lot River.

Wow.

Look at that guy.

Wow!

-For you.

[ Clapping ] -Oh, he can dance?

-Do the lock dance.

Ahoy!

[ Laughs ]