Fortnight in France:
Our sun-soaked sojourn in the
Dordogne, Languedoc and Provence
Our sun-soaked sojourn in the
Dordogne, Languedoc and Provence
Dordogne - 2
June 12
We awoke again at 8am via alarm clock and fixed breakfast of scrambled
eggs, fresh cherries, and cereal. The Poste was finally open (about the
only thing in Daglan that is open on Monday), so we mailed the key back to
the Hotel Vigniamont.
This morning we got out of the house shortly after 10:00 and drove to and
through Sarlat on our way to Montignac. The weather was beautiful and the
roads reasonably clear…smooth sailing. Very nice not to be here in peak
season!
We arrived in Montignac around 11:25, and our intent was to buy tickets to
Lascaux II for another day of the week. We didn’t really know where in town
to go, but finally found a parking lot and pulled in. We figured we’d walk to
wherever the ticket office was (how hard could that be?). Looked up…and
there’s the sign. It’s right there. We walked right in and asked when we’d
be able to book an English speaking tour, and the agent said, “we have the
next one leaving at 11:50.” “What, really?” So we bought the tickets, jumped
in the car and took off for the site just a couple of kilometers away. It was
our lucky day!
Chris has wanted to visit Lascaux since he was a small boy, and it surely
did not disappoint. (It has been said that writing about art is like dancing
about architecture, and we are no more equal to the task than anyone
else…but we’ll try anyway.) Lascaux II is, of course, a reproduction, but its
impressive attention to detail is nonetheless breathtaking. The style and
quality of the paintings here is quite different and more elaborate than
those we’d seen the two days prior. The works here are polychromatic,
with an abundance of detail and incredible use of surface features and
textures to create 3D relief. Whereas the other sites seemed ceremonial
and symbolic, this seemed like art for art’s sake. Having the tour in English
was very helpful, and is highly recommended. Our tour guide was
exceptional, not only for language skills but for the way he handled the
crowd – especially a difficult small child. Marisa was a bit skeptical about
seeing a reproduction, but was very glad to have had the experience.
Afterward, we turned out of parking lot and thought we were taking the river
road south…but accidentally took the overland route to the tiny village of La
Chapelle-Aubareil. We drive into the town square while local
schoolchildren were out at lunch recess in the town schoolground. Across
the street was an inviting-looking inn/restaurant with outdoor seating and
several tables occupied. We decided it was time for lunch...and once
again, this turned out to be our lucky day!
The very friendly proprietor of La Cavatine spoke excellent English and was
clearly proud of the quality of their cuisine. We ended up having an
excellent lunch, probably the best meal of the trip so far. 49E: steak au
poivre with potatoes (one degustation menu), one confit du canard with a
very nice rose wine that complemented the duck perfectly. Our hostess’s
husband, the chef, came out to make sure everything was to our liking.
Allie says the star of the show was the potatoes – to die for: Potatoes
Sarladaise. Chris says the duck confit. Marisa says the whole darn thing…
We finished our meal and finally got ourselves headed in the right
direction. Found the Vezere and not much further along, the ancient cliff
dwelling of La Roque St. Christophe. First occupied about 50,000 years
ago, this has been the site of active settlements through the bronze age,
middle ages and beyond. It wasn’t fully abandoned until the 19th century. It
seems amazing that they could live on the side of a cliff and not fall off!
Most exhibits focus on the medieval town that existed there 1000 years
ago. Very interesting place, offering a fascinating history lesson and a
gorgeous setting in the Vezere Valley.
From our reading, we weren't optimistic, but we decided to drive to Font de
Gaum in Les Eyzies to inquire about tickets to an English language tour
later in the week. Our lucky day continues….we were able to get tickets for
Thursday afternoon. We continued on into Les Eyzies, found parking, and
then found the museum of prehistory.
The museum is very impressive indeed. The sheer number of artifacts is
truly spectacular. Comprehensive displays from many eras are neatly
organized laid out in a sensible order, giving the visitor a vivid impression
of the cultural evolution of prehistoric man in this part of the world. But it’s
fairly warm and stuffy inside the museum on a hot day, and we were tired
and thirsty. So we looked around, appreciated what we could, but left fairly
quickly. Down the street, by the river, we stopped to enjoy some drinks and
ice cream on the grounds of a fairly posh hotel.
Returning to the car, we continued along the Vezere to St.-Cirq-le-Bugue,
the miniscule hamlet that is home to the famous Fodorite. Then to Le
Bugue for a grocery stop and gas, then back home (see, we're calling it
'home' already) via Le Buisson, St. Cyprien, Beynac, and St. Cybranet.
A very nice evening awaited us – again. We fixed a picnic dinner for our
back terrace: baguette, crackers, jambon cru, salami, chevre, camembert,
cherry tomatoes and a bottle of local rose. We ate, drank, talked, laughed
and wrote trip notes. Again, our back yard proved to be one of the nicest
spots in the Perigord.
And once again, we did some laundry and played some Uno before retiring.
June 13
This was to be the day for our canoe trip. After a light breakfast in the
house, we picked up picnic supplies and headed for Beynac where we
connected with the Copeyre rental company. They had a van leaving for
Vitrac in one hour and it would cost about 40E for the three of us. Sounded
good. On arrival in Vitrac, they provided oars and lifejackets and a
waterproof container, wished us luck, and shoved us off. We are not
experienced canoeists, so it was a bit tricky at first. We actually ended up
backwards once and sideways a couple of times, but eventually we got the
hang of it.
Canoeing down the Dordogne and a peaceful and very scenic experience.
The river is bound by rocky cliffs and wooded hills, with fairy-tale castles
and manor houses around every corner. The current of the river is fairly
steady and helps pull you along but never gets too fast or dangerous.
There are plenty of rocky areas to pull over for a break. We did that a couple
of times, including once for a picnic lunch on the shore across from La
Roque Gageac.
The sun exacted a toll from all of us, especially Chris’s knees (he did
refuse the sunblock). Hats and shorts are recommended – Marisa had
packed neither, but was surprised to be able to fit into Allie’s size 4 shorts
(woot!).
All in all, it took us about three hours to paddle from Vitrac to Beynac,
including stops. This route covers a distance of about 15 kilometers.
Marisa’s arms were sore and Allie was pretty pooped when we finished. If
Chris was fatigued, he’s not saying so in this report.
For the inexperienced, that route is just about right.
So we rewarded ourselves with (what elese?) drinks and ice cream in
Beynac, then beat a hasty path back to the homestead for rest and
showers.
Later in the afternoon, we decided we wanted to visit a castle. We drove to
Les Milandes, only to find out that we’d missed the last entrance by about
10 minutes. We tried to visit Feyrac, but the only access road we could find
said, “No trespassing.” Undaunted, we pressed on to visit Chateau
Beynac. For some reason, we were of the impression that the road would
be about 3 km west of town. We could not find it (at least not that night).
Failing in our quest to see a castle, we returned to Daglan to prepare for
dinner and have drinks on the patio.
Allie had her dinner in – a delicious plate of Barilla penne with Bolognese
sauce. (There was nothing remotely of interest to her on the menu at the
restaurant.)
Chris and Marisa dined at Daglan’s fine dining establishment, Le Petit
Paris. Guests are seated on the front patio, which was perfect for this fine
evening. We both ordered different courses from the 26E menu. Marisa
made a mess all over the tablecloth trying to get the crevettes off of her
skewers. Chris decided to stress-test his system with the uber-rich boeuf
limousin served with a hockey-puck-size slab of pan-seared fois gras
sitting on top (not necessarily recommended for people who lack a gall
bladder). Overall, it was good food, though perhaps not quite as
exceptional as we had heard. Service was very attentive and friendly. And
our unexpected guest for dinner was Rex, le tres grand chien noir, who
roamed among the tables before deciding to rest for the night at the foot of
ours.
Back at home, we found Allie reading. We relaxed for a while, then off to
bed.
Next > Dordogne-3
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
June 12
We awoke again at 8am via alarm clock and fixed breakfast of scrambled
eggs, fresh cherries, and cereal. The Poste was finally open (about the
only thing in Daglan that is open on Monday), so we mailed the key back to
the Hotel Vigniamont.
This morning we got out of the house shortly after 10:00 and drove to and
through Sarlat on our way to Montignac. The weather was beautiful and the
roads reasonably clear…smooth sailing. Very nice not to be here in peak
season!
We arrived in Montignac around 11:25, and our intent was to buy tickets to
Lascaux II for another day of the week. We didn’t really know where in town
to go, but finally found a parking lot and pulled in. We figured we’d walk to
wherever the ticket office was (how hard could that be?). Looked up…and
there’s the sign. It’s right there. We walked right in and asked when we’d
be able to book an English speaking tour, and the agent said, “we have the
next one leaving at 11:50.” “What, really?” So we bought the tickets, jumped
in the car and took off for the site just a couple of kilometers away. It was
our lucky day!
Chris has wanted to visit Lascaux since he was a small boy, and it surely
did not disappoint. (It has been said that writing about art is like dancing
about architecture, and we are no more equal to the task than anyone
else…but we’ll try anyway.) Lascaux II is, of course, a reproduction, but its
impressive attention to detail is nonetheless breathtaking. The style and
quality of the paintings here is quite different and more elaborate than
those we’d seen the two days prior. The works here are polychromatic,
with an abundance of detail and incredible use of surface features and
textures to create 3D relief. Whereas the other sites seemed ceremonial
and symbolic, this seemed like art for art’s sake. Having the tour in English
was very helpful, and is highly recommended. Our tour guide was
exceptional, not only for language skills but for the way he handled the
crowd – especially a difficult small child. Marisa was a bit skeptical about
seeing a reproduction, but was very glad to have had the experience.
Afterward, we turned out of parking lot and thought we were taking the river
road south…but accidentally took the overland route to the tiny village of La
Chapelle-Aubareil. We drive into the town square while local
schoolchildren were out at lunch recess in the town schoolground. Across
the street was an inviting-looking inn/restaurant with outdoor seating and
several tables occupied. We decided it was time for lunch...and once
again, this turned out to be our lucky day!
The very friendly proprietor of La Cavatine spoke excellent English and was
clearly proud of the quality of their cuisine. We ended up having an
excellent lunch, probably the best meal of the trip so far. 49E: steak au
poivre with potatoes (one degustation menu), one confit du canard with a
very nice rose wine that complemented the duck perfectly. Our hostess’s
husband, the chef, came out to make sure everything was to our liking.
Allie says the star of the show was the potatoes – to die for: Potatoes
Sarladaise. Chris says the duck confit. Marisa says the whole darn thing…
We finished our meal and finally got ourselves headed in the right
direction. Found the Vezere and not much further along, the ancient cliff
dwelling of La Roque St. Christophe. First occupied about 50,000 years
ago, this has been the site of active settlements through the bronze age,
middle ages and beyond. It wasn’t fully abandoned until the 19th century. It
seems amazing that they could live on the side of a cliff and not fall off!
Most exhibits focus on the medieval town that existed there 1000 years
ago. Very interesting place, offering a fascinating history lesson and a
gorgeous setting in the Vezere Valley.
From our reading, we weren't optimistic, but we decided to drive to Font de
Gaum in Les Eyzies to inquire about tickets to an English language tour
later in the week. Our lucky day continues….we were able to get tickets for
Thursday afternoon. We continued on into Les Eyzies, found parking, and
then found the museum of prehistory.
The museum is very impressive indeed. The sheer number of artifacts is
truly spectacular. Comprehensive displays from many eras are neatly
organized laid out in a sensible order, giving the visitor a vivid impression
of the cultural evolution of prehistoric man in this part of the world. But it’s
fairly warm and stuffy inside the museum on a hot day, and we were tired
and thirsty. So we looked around, appreciated what we could, but left fairly
quickly. Down the street, by the river, we stopped to enjoy some drinks and
ice cream on the grounds of a fairly posh hotel.
Returning to the car, we continued along the Vezere to St.-Cirq-le-Bugue,
the miniscule hamlet that is home to the famous Fodorite. Then to Le
Bugue for a grocery stop and gas, then back home (see, we're calling it
'home' already) via Le Buisson, St. Cyprien, Beynac, and St. Cybranet.
A very nice evening awaited us – again. We fixed a picnic dinner for our
back terrace: baguette, crackers, jambon cru, salami, chevre, camembert,
cherry tomatoes and a bottle of local rose. We ate, drank, talked, laughed
and wrote trip notes. Again, our back yard proved to be one of the nicest
spots in the Perigord.
And once again, we did some laundry and played some Uno before retiring.
June 13
This was to be the day for our canoe trip. After a light breakfast in the
house, we picked up picnic supplies and headed for Beynac where we
connected with the Copeyre rental company. They had a van leaving for
Vitrac in one hour and it would cost about 40E for the three of us. Sounded
good. On arrival in Vitrac, they provided oars and lifejackets and a
waterproof container, wished us luck, and shoved us off. We are not
experienced canoeists, so it was a bit tricky at first. We actually ended up
backwards once and sideways a couple of times, but eventually we got the
hang of it.
Canoeing down the Dordogne and a peaceful and very scenic experience.
The river is bound by rocky cliffs and wooded hills, with fairy-tale castles
and manor houses around every corner. The current of the river is fairly
steady and helps pull you along but never gets too fast or dangerous.
There are plenty of rocky areas to pull over for a break. We did that a couple
of times, including once for a picnic lunch on the shore across from La
Roque Gageac.
The sun exacted a toll from all of us, especially Chris’s knees (he did
refuse the sunblock). Hats and shorts are recommended – Marisa had
packed neither, but was surprised to be able to fit into Allie’s size 4 shorts
(woot!).
All in all, it took us about three hours to paddle from Vitrac to Beynac,
including stops. This route covers a distance of about 15 kilometers.
Marisa’s arms were sore and Allie was pretty pooped when we finished. If
Chris was fatigued, he’s not saying so in this report.
For the inexperienced, that route is just about right.
So we rewarded ourselves with (what elese?) drinks and ice cream in
Beynac, then beat a hasty path back to the homestead for rest and
showers.
Later in the afternoon, we decided we wanted to visit a castle. We drove to
Les Milandes, only to find out that we’d missed the last entrance by about
10 minutes. We tried to visit Feyrac, but the only access road we could find
said, “No trespassing.” Undaunted, we pressed on to visit Chateau
Beynac. For some reason, we were of the impression that the road would
be about 3 km west of town. We could not find it (at least not that night).
Failing in our quest to see a castle, we returned to Daglan to prepare for
dinner and have drinks on the patio.
Allie had her dinner in – a delicious plate of Barilla penne with Bolognese
sauce. (There was nothing remotely of interest to her on the menu at the
restaurant.)
Chris and Marisa dined at Daglan’s fine dining establishment, Le Petit
Paris. Guests are seated on the front patio, which was perfect for this fine
evening. We both ordered different courses from the 26E menu. Marisa
made a mess all over the tablecloth trying to get the crevettes off of her
skewers. Chris decided to stress-test his system with the uber-rich boeuf
limousin served with a hockey-puck-size slab of pan-seared fois gras
sitting on top (not necessarily recommended for people who lack a gall
bladder). Overall, it was good food, though perhaps not quite as
exceptional as we had heard. Service was very attentive and friendly. And
our unexpected guest for dinner was Rex, le tres grand chien noir, who
roamed among the tables before deciding to rest for the night at the foot of
ours.
Back at home, we found Allie reading. We relaxed for a while, then off to
bed.
Next > Dordogne-3
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Town square - La-Chapelle-Aubareil
La Roque St Christophe
Stone stairs - La Roque St Christophe
Vezere
Prehistoric tools in Les Eyzies
Les Eyzies
Canoeing on the Dordogne
Limestone cliffs along the Dordogne,
from the canoe
from the canoe
Canoeing on the Dordogne
Ride over - canoes in Beynac
