European Tour – Seeking Warmer Climes in the Dordogne Valley | Episode 2

This is the second video from my trip into Europe that I set off on last week. I have two months free, and I have deliberately embarked on this trip without any set plans of where I want to go and what I want to do, I have instead just loaded up my campervan with hiking and biking gear so that I can explore the countries I visit in a variety of different ways.

I begin this video with a driving day as I move further south through France, ending the day in Les Eyzies which is the Dordogne region. I spent the rest of the video exploring this area, enjoying the stunning scenery and some of the most amazing cycling I have ever experienced.

Thank you for watching, and please consider subscribing to follow along with this, and my future adventures.

links:

small hike in Les Eyzies:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1467519524?ref=aso&share_token=a3T5cmT6qeUKVX4MIa608KOSMkAnzcu3ujmrJhrcRNi9okglwb

Hike from Saint Leon sur Vezer:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1468174652?ref=aso&share_token=alnGJFkkssEqKhVdfKIgfIgph701ViiwCXXa0ihe2Syj94r4qZ

bike ride from Beynac et Cazenac:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1467173355?ref=atd

Morning I’m setting off from Montreal ballet I’m just going to keep heading south continue my trip through France I fancied a driving day today um I do like driving over here it’s nice and it’s a nice sunny day and I thought yeah I get some ground covered so that’s

The plan it’s a camping car park place so nice and simple and it looks like there’s some nice rides around there maybe some hikes I’m on a canal yeah it looks like a good place to go and I’m working my way South so hopefully it’s going to be

Warmer home for tonight that was a long drive but I liked it it was good looks like a nice place right on the river here on the way in I saw some Cliffs with um houses in and it look like a staircase that went up the top fancy try

In that i’ have to see if you can walk up that I think I might do that tomorrow tomorrow I’ve got a a largish ride planned for the day after tomorrow so tomorrow might be a bit of a walk-in day and just a looking around day good

Morning another sunny day I had a walk plan for today and a ride plan for tomorrow but I decided to push it all back by a day because I fancy just having a quiet slow day and um this looks like such a nice place as well

There those Cliffs I want to go and have a look at those yeah it’s just a day of no pressure first job though try and find somewhere where I can buy some food good enough got everything I need and some ad blue my van has started telling me I need to put some

In I don’t know how I’m going to get it in there though I’m got a funnel I’ll improvise so just heading out now for a quick little five six mile walk up these Cliffs I got the Drone with me thank uh should be able to get

Some nice shots this is such a beautiful little village so there we have it nice walk nice simple one and a very interesting place a UNESCO world heritage site there’s lots of cave paintings and things unfortunately you can’t get in and see them which a bit of a

Shame but what can you do it was still a nice walk and I would recommend this town to anyone good morning today just a short drive to a place called saying Leon sir V for a walk 12mile walk should be good I’m looking forward to it the sun’s

Going to be out some I’m going to put my shorts on I’m done with jeans and trousers I’m committing so yeah I’ll see you when I get there found a perfect parking spot for tonight depends if I move on but maybe I’ll stay here I mean this is perfect and it’s

Right on my walk I get my shorts on and get moving beautiful place honestly this whole region pasty legs but it’s so nice to get my shorts on this is the best day of the year so far by far it’s nice and warm sun shining nice Cool Breeze as well absolutely

Perfect some of these places they seem to be everywhere I mean is someone living in there I’m going to guess Eric caner or that other famous French guy you know the one the actor him I just used Google translate which is incredible and apparently I’ve seen lots

Of these I don’t know if you can see it for me the little squares in this cave they used to breed pigeons I think for food in the 11th century unless Google translator has it completely wrong look at this this Japanese knotweed I used to work trying to get

Rid of it I used to burn it and spray it and do all sorts of things that you wouldn’t be allowed to do now and there’s no killing it you have to dig up each individual route but of course there’s thousands of roots and even a little patch

I’m tracking this walk on my phone my uh watch I mean as well as following a cimo r map because I’m curious to see how much further I walk when I’m going back and forth for these kind of shots I’ll let you know at the end

This is very cool the rock of St Christopher it’s a network of caves and tunnels the rock is 1 kilm long and 80 M high and people live there between 50,000 BC and the late 1500s where it was destroyed it says in the wars of religion so a trog litic City very cool

Place I’m ID at the van what an epic walk then I need to decide whether I’m staying here tonight or moving on to the next village where there’s a nice long bike ride planned I’ll have a look when I get to the van and decide then what a

Day there we go hike done 10.2 mil it’s a nice distance oh my watch H 10.9 so what’s that7 of a mile sounds about right doesn’t it right going to have this and then I’m going to figure out what I’m doing tonight it’s hard to leave this spot because it is so

Nice but maybe there’s a better one closer to the start of this next bike ride first time filling up with LPG or GPL as it is here I have no idea what to do but I’m going to find out I know I need this adapter so wish me luck

Success that wasn’t that bad the LPG thing I’ve been worrying about that ever since I got here and pouring it off it’s weird I am a very anxious person you might not think it but I am every time I have to do something new I always play out that scenario over

And over and over again and it always goes wrong I think that is probably a good definition of anxiety anyway I’m at my Park up for tonight I’m mean vac vac and it looks good I know you won’t see it really but there’s a really nice looking Shadow up there and Ross

Has planned a ride for me tomorrow so I’m pretty certain he’ll have sent me up there so I need a drink I’m hot it’s actually hot I’ve had the air con on in the van very cool beautiful day bike ride day getting some snacks together I’ve got

Flapjack Apple orange and I’m going to hard boil a couple of eggs in the air fryer that should keep me going I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I haven’t actually been in one single cafe or restaurant since I’ve been out here that’s 10 11 days it’s strange I think it’s because

I’m not drinking coffee and I can’t imagine going into a cafe and not having a coffee so this getting off caffeine not only is given me more energy but saving me a lot of money as well all packed up ready to go what a day I’ve had to

Put Sun cream on first time absolutely perfect and there’s a nice Cool Breeze as well this is probably As Good As It Gets for riding conditions lucky me the do do do I think it’s Doo I don’t know it could be uh Lon all over again couldn’t it this super cool

Shadow I looked it up Doo I think I was right but this is the doo River and that’s why I’m in the dooin Valley and I have to say the doin Valley is absolutely mesmerizing so beautiful even though I’m licensed and I do everything right you know I’m I’m registered I’ve done

Everything I need to with the Drone I feel like I’m doing something wrong when I use it I don’t know why suppose I’ll get over it I usually try and find somewhere to hide away and do it though so no one can see me so and then I hate

Landing it when people are about so much so that I sometimes leave it up and just look around probably look suspicious energy that was a decent climb it’s not over yet I’ve already figured out a couple of things with the bike I need a better climbing gear this

Is a red grade about 9% and I can do it but there’s no weight on this so yeah I think I need a a better climbing gear and I think the thing to do is to put a smaller chain ring on the front I don’t really

Know I’m no expert with anything but uh I’m going to do some research also the stem I found my hand position is slightly higher um a little further towards me so I think I need a shorter stem and possibly one of those ones that angle upwards um my natural hand position

Always falls not in the hoods but just a little further back and uh I think that’s that’s what I’m going to do I mean that’s what this Trip’s all about training and um learning about the bike but for the TransAm better climbing gear I’m going to have a lot of weight on

Here and there’s going to be a lot of climbs like this and they’re likely going to be harder anyhow this region I know I keep saying it it’s exceptional Montford what a beautiful Village I mean they’re just all so beautiful this one’s home to chatow De Montford which is an

Interesting place built in the 12th century and it was burned to the ground three times during the 100 Years War now I didn’t know what the 100 Years War was I should but it was a battle between the kingdoms of England and France during a late Middle Ages between 1337 and

1453 so I guess they rounded the 100 down didn’t they so there you are now you know and so do I will I know tomorrow probably have forgotten I give out these little tiny facts because that’s probably about as much as I can remember one you I wonder why they do

That it’s kind of putting all your eggs in one basket and I wonder where they’re going there’s nothing over there that isn’t over there I don’t know so that’s the end of the ride in bayak a kazak I think that’s what it is I think I’ll get the Drone up show you that

Fortress and that will be that I’m G to go back to the van I am hot I don’t think I’m burnt but I might be awesome ride epic Place fantastic country so there you have it Shadow de bayac another 12th century Shadow apparently the best preserved in the

Region absolutely stunning place I know I keep saying that but I didn’t know I just read this was in French hands during the 100 years War but everything north of here was held by the English so I think I’m going to do some research on the Hundred Years

War I’m going to go back now I’m going to have a beer and I’m going to have fish soup I think or maybe just cheese and biscuits I don’t know I’m tired that’s worn me out it wasn’t that far but I’m a bit out of shape a lot out of

Shape I know you have faith in me to get back into shape for the Transam and I will I forgot to mention all told the ride was 39 miles so not that far but um yeah I felt it definitely felt it this is some of the best

Cycling I’ve ever done now I haven’t done a lot I know that but of all the places I’ve been so far in France this the doo region is remarkable see bayac over there look still am I pointing kind of there anyway yeah beer my poor old drone I have to put him like

This when I’m downloading otherwise he makes this sound I don’t think that’s right it’s been doing it for a while but I’ve definitely anr anthro anthropomorphized is that right him I think that means sort of imbued him with a life because I feel guilty when I do this because I think

He’s confused he doesn’t know what’s going on why he’s tilted like a little bug he may need some surgery my first and only coffee of the day I know it’s a big one and it’s a strong one but yeah it’s the only one it’s funny how quickly caffeine gets

Out your system I don’t even think about coffee I really don’t I um I don’t crave it even the first one in the morning either it’s just a routine and like I said yesterday I’m just not going into cafes and things like that um I just don’t see the point

I’d only go in a cafe for a coffee usually then I’d have some food just cuz I’m in there whether I’m hungry or not at least a cake or a pastry or something so I’m saving a fortune I haven’t actually spent any money in cafes or restaurants in fact I

Was keeping a loose track of the finances on this trip and that the whole trip needs to be done on a budget just because it’s so long and would be unsustainable and I think on average I’m spending about less than €25 a day in total including fuel everything

Less than 25 a day and I’m sure you know my regular viewers will know I’m not showing off flexing or whatever else but that last video the gdmbr full movie is doing so well and the watch time is really good on it and it’s making more money than that so at the

Moment YouTube is making more money than is costing me to live and I can’t quite get my head around that I don’t know how that makes me feel I mean I’m pleased obviously and there’s two of us in this obviously Ross and I so we we just split all the money

That’s the deal he does 90% of the work I do 10% and we get 50 50 on the money but it’s clear that YouTube could be an income I don’t really know where I’m going with this it just it’s just amazing to me to think that you can just mess

Around filming videos and make money and and I’m making money on this trip and I’ve got 4,000 subscribers you know don’t get me wrong I’m astonished I have 4,000 subscribers but if you can make some sort of a small living with that many subscribers anyway I don’t know why I

Chose now to talk about all that because I’m still half asleep I’m going to finish this coffee it’s a little bit rainy today which is not a big deal cuz it’s got Sun as well but I’ve got this list here which is all potential places for

Me to go all put together by Ross thank you again and my next place on the list is Rockham Mador Rock Amador it’s not that far away it’s a clifftop village world heritage site so it sounds like it’s just a a place to have a look around and

It’s only about an hour away and I think that’s as good a place as any I don’t mind having a choir today so I think I’m going to head there but my next step then will be to look on one of these apps the camping car one maybe this is the one that

That’s my default one this is what this is now I mean it is like a very sanitized campsite but it’s got everything you need and they’re all the same in you know they function the same the same services and it all works and I like it so I’ll probably have a look on

There if there’s nothing there or even if there is I might have a look on park for night another app with free park UPS thought I’d give you a little insight as to how I make my choices for where to stay but if you were ever to come out

Here there’s so many places on that ride yesterday I think I came across three of these camping car places probably four or five Municipal heirs they call them the free park UPS motor homes and they’re just free on the edges of villages so you know the idea you park

Up you go in you buy something in their shops or their restaurants yeah there’s no need to worry you could just head off blindly and count on finding somewhere to park up for the night so on park for night Rock Amador straight away you got a parking lot that you don’t have to

Pay for until the beginning of April but it’s got sanitary facilities a water point so you’ve got that or free and authorized places along the road at the bottom of the valley so I’m just going to head into rock Amador probably look at well I’ll go to that that proper one

First if that’s free I’ll stay there and if it’s not I’ll go to and park on the road I mean the road’s here it’s not like busy France want motor homes they like motor homes they want tourists I wish Britain was more like that I honestly do I know there’s campsites in

Britain but these free airs and free park UPS I France has been a revelation to me I mean I can’t believe I live so close to it and I’ve been through France I’ve never really explored it but it’s exceptional it really is the history here and I mean we’ve got a lot

Of history in Britain but um particularly in this region anyway there’s just so much to see now I’ve not really been visiting these places aside from riding through them but I got plenty of time I’m I’m coming back up um obviously to get back home and I

Might slow down even more and go into some of these places these museums right enough talking I’m still on this [Applause] good enough spot 5 per night can’t really argue with that quite an impressive place Rock Amador this uh camping spot is just up the hill from the town so I’ve got an

Incredible view down into the valley there so I’m not doing a walk today I’m going to do it tomorrow I love being able to just switch my schedule around so I think this is going to be the end of the video so I’ll leave you with this view thanks for watching e