Two Weeks in the Corrèze, Lot and Dordogne

[French Mystique Tours]

My two week summer vacation, the second and third weeks of August, couldn't have coincided better with the fantastic summer weather we'd been having in Paris, and most of France in general, since early July. This was a major part of why my recent vacation was one of my best, even better than your vacation. The Mrs. and I were headed to the southern part of the Corrèze département, right at the borders with the Lot and Dordogne départements. It was pretty much just by chance that we ended up here. We had only begun looking for August vacation rentals at the end of April, so most of the good stuff was already booked. We searched the few rental websites we always use, looking for stuff in our price range (less than 375€ a week) in a few different regions that interested us. With no preferred region in mind, one of the options was the Dordogne. Having visited the Dordogne several years ago, but never with enough time to fully explore, I had always wanted to go back to see more. The Mrs. knows the area since she's visited it from time to time since childhood but she had no objection to returning.

Our rental search criteria was that we wanted a house/free standing building someplace a bit rural and isolated but not more than a 15 minute drive from any essential shopping and services we required. I didn't want to be in a village or any kind of dwelling where I could see or hear neighbors. This was to be my respite from the dense and confining suburban agglomeration just outside Paris, the area I call home. There were to be no cars, no people, no buildings and no noise. I also wanted a pool or some sort of swimming amenity nearby. Didn't matter if it was a river, lake, pond, sea, ocean etc. Just a body of water for floating in the sun like the rock star I am, and hopefully not like the rock star Brian Jones was.

We found the perfect place, or at least perfect for our budget. It was a gîte a few km outside a tiny village called Jugeals-Nazareth which was itself only about a 10 minute drive south of Brive-la-Gaillarde, a pleasant, small provincial city. We had a good central location for exploring several Plus Beaux Villages and a number of other Plus Beaux Détours and noteworthy sites. Close enough to the action without being right in it. Our gîte was formerly used to house sheep and is known as a bergerie. It has been adapted to human needs, or at least the needs of humans who are less than 5 feet tall, like our landlady. The bathroom sink was at a height somewhere between my knees and my waist. My 5'2'' wife felt like a giant in front of it. But this was just one of the charming/quirky amenities the gîte offered, if you want to look at it that way. It was the isolated building in the islolated location that we wanted.

Coming down the main road if you blinked you would have missed our village. From the village you go down a one lane road, which turns into two paved tracks and after about a km becomes a dirt road. Then you hang a left at the first cow pasture and when you see the two rotted walnut stumps on your right, take a right at the first driveway after that. Yup, that kind of rural and isolated. The landlady's house was about 50 meters from our gîte and she lived alone and was a nice, sweet old lady, so no noisy neighbors. Our view was on an adjacent field where a horse roamed and cows grazed. Beyond the field were patches of forest/trees. Not an astounding view but certainly tranquil and relaxing. Plus, we had access to the owner's pool. She is around 80 or more years in age (I'm guessing) and she does water exercises in the pool once a day to keep limber and fit. So essentially we had the pool to ourselves. I was free to float or drown at my leisure without interference.

Since some people reading trip reports like mine are interested in where people stayed I'll provide below a link to the website for our gîte:

www.a-gites.com/en/advert-38286.html

I don't know if the landlady speaks English or has assistance from anyone who does but if you're interested I'm sure you'll figure out the details. I'll have more observations on the gîte, which I'll talk about shortly.


Saturday, August 10th:

So now that I've got all the background material out of the way I'll get on with my vacation. Like most people in France, I had to take my vacation from a Saturday to a Saturday since those are the days vacation rental leases start and end in the summer. Being that our rental was for the second and third weeks of August we knew we could expect peak holiday traffic heading out of and returning to Paris. The predictions were for heavy traffic heading south out of Paris on Saturday, August 10th, from 6AM to 1PM. I was ready to leave at 5AM but there was no way the Mrs. would ever be up that early so we left the house at 7:15. After smooth sailing at first on the A86 south of Paris we hit the inevitable wall of traffic you should expect on a Saturday morning in August heading south out of Paris. After spending a bit more than an hour in bumper to bumper traffic and not really getting anywhere we decided to take evasive action. The traffic was only getting worse. The traffic signs on the autoroute that give you read outs on projected travel times between upcoming major interchanges kept indicating longer and longer travel times. We were right around the exit for Orly airport at this point. We impulsively decided we were going to get off at this exit and take secondary roads south around Orly airport and then hook up with the A10 autoroute somewhere around exit 12 or 13, about 15km to 25km north of Orléans.

I am always the navigator on vacation and the Mrs. is always the driver. I am an excellent navigator and she is an excellent driver. I have no GPS, or Sat Nav, or other electronic device to guide me. I only use Michelin maps and for the area where we were I only had the scale 1:200,000 maps. In a heavily developed area, like near Orly, these maps only show the major roads so you need to know how to understand the logic behind French road signage, which I find very systematic and well planned, and incorporate that into what you are reading on the map. I was steady and knew where I was on the map and followed the right road signs, successfully getting us around Orly. We continued south on the N20 until we were near Orléans where we got back on the autoroute.

Throughout the drive south we were listening to the autoroute radio station, which gives traffic conditions on autoroutes throughout France a few times an hour, or more if needed. It's 107.7 on the radio dial if you didn't know but you'll see signs along the road indicating this. Listening to the traffic reports on the radio we got off the autoroute to avoid traffic jams a few more times along the way and my old school method of map and radio got us to our gîte without ever being stuck in heavy traffic, or being lost.


The Landlady and our gîte:

Mrs. Landlady was an old woman living alone in a large house on a large piece of property that used to be a farm. The solidly built old stone barn is still standing, the center archstone in the cut block door frame inscribed with the construction date of 1858 still looks fresh. Our gîte, the former bergerie, is built in cut blocks of stone and is as solid as the day it was built. The landlady's house is equally solid looking. Behind the buildings was a forested area and to the front open fields where cows grazed and a friendly horse trotted about. The ensemble of buildings and landscape was reflective of the region's overall look and feel. It felt true to where it was.

Mrs. Landlady was about as sweet as you might imagine a grandmother to be. When we found the place on the website the Mrs. called to see if it was available for our dates, but there was no answer so she left a message. After a couple of days we sill hadn't heard back so The Mrs. called again and talked to the landlady.

Landlady (LL): ''Oh yes, I got your message. I booked the house for you''.

Mrs.: The Mrs. is thinking 'That's great. But couldn't you have let me know?' but she just said ''That's great'' instead.

LL: ''Oh, my son is away for the weekend but when he comes back he'll e-mail you the contract because I don't know how any of that works''.

It was a pretty basic, one page, undetailed contract and we sent a 20% deposit check.

The day before our arrival the Mrs. called landlady to check in but got no answer so she left a message and said

Mrs: ''Hi, this is your tenant for the next two weeks. I was calling to see what time you were expecting us and if we need to bring bedsheets and if so, what size?''

The landlady called back a while later and the conversation between her and my Mrs. went something like this:

LL - ''Oh yes, you can have the house, it's free''.

Mrs. - ''Umm, yes......I booked it three months ago. And I sent you a deposit check.''

LL – ''Oh......well yes......OK then. Come whenever you want. It would be a pleasure. And your name is?''

Mrs. - So the Mrs. gives our name and says ''But you have that already because I gave you all our info 3 months ago over the phone.''

LL - ''Oh yes!! Sorry!!'' And then she laughed and said ''Oh, you must think I'm crazy. We had a major hail storm two weeks ago and the roof was damaged and we've been so busy trying to fix the roof so I'm a little out of it. But now it's coming back to me. Now I remember. Oh dear, you must have been scared, thinking I'm crazy. But I'm glad to hear you're still laughing and not too worried. You're very much expected and you can come whenever we want.''

Mrs. - ''We'll probably arrive between noon and two, depending on traffic.''

LL - ''Oh, but then will you have eaten? Will you be hungry? Should I fix you some lunch?''

Mrs. - ''Oh no, we'll be fine. We'll eat on the road.''

LL - ''Oh, I really can't wait to see you. You're very much expected (vous êtes attendus avec grand plaisir). When you arrive in the village center just call me and I'll meet you to show you the way.''

When we met her in the village center she jumped out of her car and spread her arms wide in joy as if she was about to grab us and kiss us like family members she hadn't seen in a really long time. We were a bit surprised and confused so just smiled widely and reached out to shake hands. Then we felt kind of cold for just shaking hands so we decided that at the end of our stay we would kiss her profusely. She was having a hard time with our last name so she asked if we could all just call each other by our first names, which is not common for her generation. We arrived at the gîte and she showed us inside and gave us a few instructions and then left us alone to settle in.

We knew from the pictures that interior decor was not the strong point of our gîte and our expectations were met. Nothing matched and probably hadn't since the 1960's or 70's. Well, the kitchen and bath were renovated at least. But it was a nice space and had a warm feeling about it, no matter the decor, and we felt right at home within minutes. I stepped outside to check out our outdoor space. Looking back at the veranda, through which you enter the gîte.







There's a little patio, which the landlady said she was expanding.






Looking out on the adjacent field.








It has a little barbecue area, which we never used.




Our next door neighbor.




The landlady's house.




But this is the big reason I was looking forward to renting this gîte.

[French Mystique Tours]

Sunday, August 11th:

Off to go explore the area. Just a few kilometers south of Jugeals-Nazareth is Turenne, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (one of France's Most Beautiful Villages), so that was the first stop. There isn't an unscenic road in the region and the D8 leading south from Jugeals is a designated scenic road on the Michelin map. True that. Jugeals sits on the peak of a plateau and has sweeping views over adjacent valleys and distant hills. The road descends towards Turenne and pulling around a bend in the road you get your first glimpse from a distance.









Turenne lies in the southern Corrèze département, right on the border of the Lot and Dordogne départements. Few tourists think of visiting this département and instead head about 50 or 60 kilometers southwest and jam themselves into Sarlat and its nearby sites in the well known Dordogne département. While August truly is mobbed in and around Sarlat the tourist worthy villages and sites near us in the southern Corrèze and northern Lot were for the most part quiet with only enough tourists to create a lively atmosphere. Of course, not knowing this we pulled into Turenne expecting difficulty in finding a parking space being that it was the second week in August.




As you can see, we had no such difficulty and parked along the road right at the entrance to the village. Turenne was an important seat of power ruled by successive families of powerful Vicomtes and was one of the great fiefs of France, maintaining autonomy to the 18th century. Two Popes of Avignon came from one of the dynastic families, Clement VI and Gregory XI, and a later Vicomte, Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, was a companion in arms with Henri IV, with whom he allied when the region was a hotbed during the religious wars. The last ruling family sold the Vicomte to Louis XV to pay a gambling debt and the region lost its independence and now had to pay taxes to the king. Louis XV ordered the dismantling of the fortress and what remains of the village today dates mostly from the 13th to 18th centuries. For centuries Turenne was the region's power base and just about any town of any importance for dozens of kilomters in any direction from Turenne was within its jurisdiction.

The tourist office was closed for lunch when we arrived or we would have gotten a map and other info there. The natural thing to do is start at the bottom of the village and work your way to the fortress at the top so up we went.




We arrived in the main village plaza during the lunch hours. There were a few restaurants but none seemed to be more than one-third full. Not what you'd expect in a touristy village at lunch time.






It's a pretty steep walk uphill to get to the fortress.








As you arrive just below the fortress there are scenic views in every direction.








The fortress is open for visits but we weren't much interested in going in as our interest mainly lay in being tourists and seeing a pretty medieval village, not in learning anything.







I did, however, check out the little local history museum at the foot of the village and actually spent some time in there. There was an interesting regional architectural heritage exposition and the permanent displays presenting the town's history were well done in a manner that engages the visitor. There were a few historical anecdotes I wish I had remembered.

Once we reached the fortress at the top and decided we didn't want to learn anything there was nothing left to do but go back down and leave.






To plan your visit, unlike us, to Turenne look at the tourist office website:

www.turenne.fr/itineraire-office-tourisme.html

Our next destination was the nearby town of Collonges-la-Rouge, another Plus Beau Village and one of the best known tourist destinations in the area. It's not more than a 15 or 20 minute drive there from Turenne so I got out the map to try and find a scenic route with maybe a lesser known site or two and noted a nearby château and historic church icon that could be incorporated into a pleasant detour. On through the countryside, snapping photos from the moving car..






Here's the château I saw noted on the map.




And here's the village of Saillac, where I had noted the historic church icon.




When I say ''historic church'', I mean that they are registered historic monuments and they have a corresponding icon on the Michelin maps. Here's the historic church.




It's a fortified church from the 12th century and is noted for the sculpted portal above the door, painted in polychrome and representing the biblical scene Adoration of the Magi. Next to just about any registered historic monument in France you'll always find a little plaque, or maybe a large plaque, to inform the visitor as to what you are looking at. I read so many of these during my vacation that I couldn't possibly recall everything but I believe the polychrome paint dates to restoration done in the 19th century.








It's got a pretty cool sculpted pillar too.




With a population of about 184 inhabitants, there's not a lot happening in Saillac.



I will say that like many other small villages, Saillac always has festivals or events throughout the year and the tourist office website has a list of all activities and events and suggestions of things to do. I noted they have a 14.5km cyclotourist trail that is suitable for families. Being that I do a lot of biking I noticed there weren't many cyclists on the roads, which doesn't surprise me with all the steep hills and inclines in the region. Here is the tourist office website if you want to look:

www.ot-collonges.fr/Saillac

Also just like all the other small villages in the area, at least ¼ of the village homes seemed to be for sale, like this one.




If you want to make an offer, here's the number.




Small villages in rural France have been emptying themselves of inhabitants for some time but most notably since WWII, when France shifted from an agricultural to an industrial society. Most of them lack any commerce but you can't run a thriving boulangerie in a village of 184 inhabitants. I wasn't craving a baguette anyway, just seeking the scenic route on my tourist journey.

One of the region's specialties is walnuts and you'll see walnut groves everywhere and stores selling all products walnut related.

[French Mystique Tours]

Here's Collonges-la-Rouge from a distance.




As we approached Collonges we could see that it was very much different from Turenne in terms of crowds with people parking along the road a good 5-10 minute walk outside the village. We drove through the center and the crowd was fairly thick where people funneled themselves down the central street at the entry to the village. The paying parking lots were full and buzzing with cars looking for spaces that didn't exist. We drove right through the village and found a shady spot on a side road (for free) about a 5 minute walk from the primary village entrance. I sat in the car and ate my picnic lunch and the Mrs. went on ahead of me to look around the village. While I was eating lunch the Mrs. texted to tell me it was tourist hell, and there were even the ''living statues''. You know, those people who stand on a pedestal and look like statues, but they're not. They annoy me. If there were living statues then I imagined there were probably art galleries there too, but I didn't care. Collonges is a pretty village and that's all I wanted to see.

The crowds didn't seem too bad to me when I met up with the Mrs., who noted how just after texting me the village started emptying out. Maybe it was because it was about 4PM and the post lunch folks had finished up their visit. There were still lots of people but I kind of enjoyed that. We went to the tourist office and got our tourist map with an outlined tourist trail through the village and started walking.






Real people do actually live in these touristy village and here they are enjoying, or not enjoying, a game of pétanque.




If you're going to watch the living statue and take their picture then you owe them a little gratuity. If they happen to be in the frame of what I'm photographing the only gratuity they'll receive is the pleasure of being in my trip report.








Once we moved away from the central village street and plazas the crowds thinned and the little winding lanes and passageways revealed themselves.








As its name implies, Collonges-la-Rouge is noted for its red sandstones buildings, owing to the fact that the local stone contains 2.4% iron oxide. Historically within the possesion of the Vicomté of Turenne, it was a prominent town and its status was reflected in the quality of its buildings. The buildings are well preserved, or restored, and the notable ones are highlighted on the tourist map.






There were loads of crowded touristy places in the village center to get something to eat or drink but just moving away from there on the little side streets we found a lovely tea garden with a beautiful vine and flowered covered terrace and just a few other customers. We grabbed a table and looked over the menu, which had lots of special teas but also some really delicious-looking original fruity beverages.








The Mrs. said her tea was delicious and had a very unique flavor. I had the citronade maison, or lemonade. It was delicious and came with fruit on the skewer, which I dropped on the ground while trying to stuff them into my mouth. Nobody saw so I just picked them up and ate them. Five second rule. I was surprised that the prices were very reasonable for such a touristy place.

Touristy door photo time.




A photo through the rustic window of a dilapidated building is a very good tourist photo opportunity.








Here's the Castel de Maussac, according to the tourist map.




And the spires and turrets of the Eglise Saint-Pierre.








The tourist loop through the side streets brought us back to the central street.










Our visit complete we got back in the car and headed home. Nothing like getting back home from a great day of sightseeing, sitting by the pool and breaking out a bottle (or maybe several) of the local wine we'd purchased.

[French Mystique Tours]

Monday, August 12th:

Since we were in a remote location and our landlady was not at all part of the computer generation we had no wifi or land line internet access in the gîte. I have a USB modem to resolve this issue but I was having problems with my SFR account and couldn't connect. I needed internet access and the only thing to do was go to the nearest SFR store, which happened to be a 10-minute drive away in Brive-la-Gaillarde. I dread going to the mobile phone / internet store. The ones in and around Paris are always full of people and you know before you even walk through the door that you're pretty much guaranteed to be there for at least 2 hours. We were surprised to be the only ones in the store when we arrived at 12:10 and got helped right away but just seconds after our arrival 3 or 4 customers showed up. The staff were great and the guy that helped us was outstanding, spending about 15 minutes on the phone with technical support to solve our problem. As the store was exceptionally closing at 12:30 for a one hour lunch break he told us to return at 1:30. This gave us time to stroll around Brive, which I knew nothing about. It's kind of a nice place. Not what I would call charming but very pleasant and it has a nice historic downtown. With a population of almost 50,000 it's also got a lot to offer in terms of stores, restaurants, services and amenities. Although being Monday, most of stores were closed. Have a look.


















Our stroll complete we went back to the SFR store and got there at 1:20 but there were already 3 or 4 people ahead of us waiting for the store to re-open. Our helpful customer service guy saw us when he returned from lunch and as soon as he had a chance he got to work on my computer. Basically we hung around the store for an hour while my dinosaur of a computer slowly downloaded new SFR software to update my account.

We didn't feel like doing much of anything on this day so with our primary mission accomplished it was time to return to the gîte and spend the rest of the day lazing by the pool, drinking wine, eating foie gras, allowing the Mrs. the pleasure of cooking me dinner and then repeating the process, without the second dinner.

[French Mystique Tours]

Tuesday, August 13th:

I had picked up a bunch of brochures and pamphlets from the tourist office in Collonges-la-Rouge that pertained to what to see and do in the imediate area where we were staying and I spotted a couple of small local villages I felt like checking out plus some better known sites. Our first stop was the village of Noilhac and on the way I took a couple of pictures of Turenne from a distance.






There is absolutely nothing of touristic interest in Noailhac and that is precisely the reason I went there. I like seeing traditional villages that are unaffected by tourism in any region of France I may be visiting. Noailhac is one of a dozen villages that the local tourist authorities promote as the 12 other villages (besides Collonges) of the Midi-Corrézien. These are villages that best exemplify the heritage and tradition of the region through their architecture or some other patrimonial related aspects. We pulled right into the main square by the village church and got out the camera. Here is the 12th century Eglise Saint-Pierre ès Liens. The tower you see is due to the fact that the church was integrated into a château, which was destroyed during the Wars of Religion in 1580.






Here's the 15th century Tour Leymonerie.
















Everywhere in the region are hiking trails and often when you enter a small town or village there will be some sort of sign indicating the main nearby hiking trail, or a hiking circuit. Starting in Noailhac you can do a 3.5km circuit called Le Sentier du Dolmen (The Trail of the Dolmen). A dolmen is basically an ancient burial feature from the neolithic period characterized by the large stones used in its construction. The region is rich in prehistoric features such as these.







Here's some more info about what you'll see on The Trail of the Dolmen:

www.noailhacpatrimoine.fr/nos-projets-et-realisations/le-sentier-du-dolmen


If you want to do a longer hike here's a 14km circuit starting from the village:

www.noailhac.a3w.fr/Main.aspx?numStructure=40077&numRubrique=541605


Sometimes the smallest villages can have the best websites and Noailhac is a good example of this. There are some interesting things to see in and around the village and the town website gives great information on such places with photos and historical descriptions and it shows that you can really enjoy a few hours walking or hiking in the area and find things of interest along the way. Have a look at the website and see for yourself:

www.noailhacpatrimoine.fr/notre-patrimoine/chateau-de-la-coste


But we weren't doing any hiking today. We were on a journey to see a whole bunch of towns and villages in the area and Noailhac was the first of several we planned on visiting. After leaving Noilhac and passing through the crowds in Collonges we arrived in Meyssac, which we knew nothing about. I'm not sure we even planned on stopping here but on driving through it looked really interesting. It's got the red sandstone and fine architecture of Collonges but seemed full of locals and not tourists so we pulled over to take a look around. Meyssac is a Chef Lieu de Canton, which means it's the chief town of all the nearby communities. This designation also usually means it's the main service provider for the surrounding towns and villages so it was no surprise it seemed to be full of local people. Apparently we arrived on market day.






Strolling around the market place in the village square we noticed plenty of cafés, bakeries, butchers, shops and all the stores one would want to have a lively village. Despite the charm of the place we didn't see more than a handful of tourists. Meyssac was part of the Vicomté of Turenne from the 12th century and was one of the powerful towns in the region. As such, powerful people built impressive homes in the town and that was evident in glancing at the buildings around the village square. We spied some windy streets branching out from here so off we went to explore.




















I couldn't find much in the way of fascinating history about Meyssac but that didn't detract from the pleasure of exploring this pretty little place. People on travel forums often ask what village would make a centrally located base when they want to explore ''xyz'' region. Essential criteria are that it is quaint, charming and lively with restaurants, cafés, bakeries, shops, markets etc. and only locals. A real off the beaten path place that has everything a tourist would want without the other tourists. In retrospect, after exploring this region the Mrs. and I agreed that when people ask this question then the answer is Meyssac. For a small place (population under 1,300) it's got ample stores/shops/services and is centrally located to many towns/sites worthy of exploration in the area, all within an hour's drive. If you drive an hour and a half you can reach Sarlat and many of the more popular (and crowded) places in the Dordogne.

Our next destination was the Plus Beau Village of Curemonte. Didn't know anything about it but figured it must be worth looking at if it got this rating. On the way we passed by a little village perched on a hillside called Marcillac-la-Croze so I took a picture.




Curemonte is a medieval village perched on a rocky promontory with 3 castles, 3 churches, ramparts, bell towers, turrets and old buildings. It's a scenic view on the approach.




Then we spied the castle towers of Curemonte in the distance.



In the early 14th century the important family of the village began construction of a castle and for the next few centuries other important local families added their own impressive buildings, including two more castles. The 3 churches in town have been restored and each maintains some original and noteworthy elements of detail.






With all the beauty and pleasure of life we were experiencing it was a perfect mood enhancer to read the sign on the cemetery gate, telling potential Curemonte visitors that the voices of the dead are calling out to remind you that you'll be dead one day too.



Nothing like the voices of the dead to ruin an otherwise pleasant experience. Full of thoughts of my own mortality, I marched on to the village to meet my fate.







If the whole ''voices of the dead'' greeting at the entrance to the village is supposed to scare off visitors it seems to be working, as there weren't more than a handful there. They seemed to have frightened away shopkeepers too as I think there were only 2 or 3 stores, one of which was a restaurant more or less to facilitate tourist buses and groups. We were going to eat there but they were fully reserved for lunch, even though it was empty at the moment. The restaurant is on the right in the next photo.




So we just continued walking around looking at impressive buildings.










There are scenic views of the surrounding area due to the village's hilltop situation.










After our cheerful visit to Curemonte we headed off to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, one of the Plus Beaux Détours de France. Here is the view on approach.




We pulled into the pleasant village square and were happy to see several restaurants with nice terraces where we could have a nice lunch. We took a seat at one of them and had a nice lunch and then hit the tourist trail around town.









With an abbey founded in the 9th century and owing to its climate, position on a river and being on a major trade route, in the 12th century a village develops around the convent buildings protected by walls, towers and a moat. It becomes a thriving secular center of commerce and with a bourgeois population the town is fought over by greedy local counts, later suffering during the Wars of Religion when it was a Protestant base and restoring itself as a center of commerce again in the 17th century when many more prestigious residences were built that define much of what the visitor sees today. Not knowing anything about the town before I arrived I walked around the side of the church and saw the coolest tympanum above the door. The tympanum depicts The Last Judgement and is supposedly one of the finest in France. I'll agree. I totally dug it.
















We went inside to visit the church, which was pretty churchy, and then moved on.








Then we arrived at the banks of the river and you see why the town name translates as ''beautiful place on the Dordogne''.






We decided to cross the footbridge over the river to get some profile photos of the village.








The other side of the river had a large campground/resort complex of the upscale variety that seemed to have attracted a lot of Brits. What is it that the British like so much about campgrounds? We crossed back over the river.....



...and worked our way back to the village center and towards our car to enjoy a scenic drive back to our gîte, where I engaged in my post-exploration vacation ritual of floating in the pool and drinking wine. Our landlady was too old to clean all the bugs out of the pool so I did regular pool cleaning maintenance, skimming the surface with a net and always rescuing the hapless insects that were unintentionally bathing in the pool with me. One of the creatures I rescued was a really cool Praying Mantis. He was grateful at having been rescued and showed his gratitude by posing for a few pictures.

[French Mystique Tours]

Wednesday, August 14th:

Today was off the beaten path day. Or maybe not since we had no idea if what we were doing was on or off the beaten path but the Mrs. wanted to revisit the Château de Hautefort northwest of Brive, (which she had seen as a child and is most definitely on the beaten path), so I looked through the tourist office material I had acquired and looked over my map and sort of planned a rough route we could explore along the way that would be sort of off the beaten path. Heading northwest of Brive on the D901 I saw an icon on the map for a château called Castel Novel so we pulled in for a look. Over the centuries it has been owned by many powerful families from the area. An owner in the 20th century married the famous French writer Colette, who wrote several of her novels at the château. The present family has owned it since the 1950's when it became a hotel/restaurant and is also used for hosting receptions and seminars.




Our first planned stop was the Plus Beau Village of Saint-Robert and along the way I snapped a few photos of the countryside from the car.








After rounding a bend in the road Saint-Robert was visible in the distance.






Another medieval hilltop village, meaning nice distant views:






We parked below the peak of the village and walked up a windy narrow lane towards the village square.






There were one or two restaurants and cafés and a few other shops but overall pretty quiet and as we had come to expect in this region we were among the handful of tourists in the village.












The notable monument in town is the 12th century fortified church, part of an ancient benedictine priory that was a stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.








The church had a really cool 13th century carved Christ on the Cross, of Spanish origin.






There was a scenic terrace behind the church.




We continued our stroll through the village.










Many of the buildings retain original detail such as this one, which was an ancient medieval shop.






The road from Saint-Robert to our next village of Hautefort is a designated scenic road on the map.




As we entered the village of Badefols-d'Ans it seemed kind of nice so we made quick turn into the village.




The map showed that there was a château in town so we decided to have a look.










We circled the château looking for an entry but just kept seeing the tower of the château. The closest we could get was the high wall next to the village church.



The best view of the château is from a distance down the road as you drive out of town.




Not long after we got our first glimpse of Hautefort.




And here's a glimpse of the Limousine cows for which the region is noted.










We arrived in the village square, which was just as uncrowded as the other village squares we'd seen, and parked next to the church to start our exploration.


















A few weeks before we arrived the region had experienced devastating hailstorms which caused severe roof damage to many of the traditional tiled roofs of the region, including our landlady's. At least half the roofs in Hautefort were covered with tarps.








The big draw in Hautefort is its château, to which its history is inextricably linked.



The earliest written record of a castle dates from the 10th century when it was described as impregnable. One of the first seigneurs was a famous troubadour, Bertran de Born, whose legend was immortalized by Dante in The Divine Comedy where he was presented as roaming in hell with his head in his hand. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries it transformed from a medieval fortress to a Renaissance pleasure palace. The seigneur at the time built a hospice and was known for his generosity to the townsfolk, inviting them once a year to a great festival and lavishing them with gifts in a custom that continued through successive generations. The townsfolk later repaid this generosity during the Revolution by defending the château when the villages nearby gathered in force to attack it, thus saving it from destruction. It remained in the same family from around the 11th century to the end of the 19th century when the last descendants sold it. Let's have a look around.










One of the traditionally famous products of the region are Aubusson tapestries and Hautefort has an excellent collection of them.








The château also has a notable formal French garden.














If you're not a frequent traveler in France you may not be aware of the wealth of information that you'll find in the local tourist offices. At any town or village I had visited to this point I always raided the tourist offices and had begun amassing a fine collection of research material to explore the region.






You've got to stop at as many as possible because each little ''pays'' (country) has its own sites to explore. Always look for the Guide Touristique.




And there are the brochures that will outline every type of activity that could possibly be of interest as well as lots of events, concerts and festivals throughout the various seasons of the year.




Always get the Carte Touristique. These are excellent at placing icons on a regional map to denote the particular sites and attractions each town in the region offers.

[French Mystique Tours]

Thursday, August 15th:

Being that we had explored a few days in a row and felt like relaxing a bit we got a late start and left the house around 2PM. We didn't know where to go but just felt like seeing someplace nearby so we looked at the map and decided to head just north of Brive to do a bit of exploring, starting off in the village of Donzenac.




Without going into history I'll just say that Donzenac is your typical medieval village ruled by successive lords or counts. The focal point is the church in the central square and narrow windy lanes radiate out from there. It still has some homes from the 13th and 14th centuries.










Walking around town you'll see plaques in front of notable buildings that recount some history. Here's La Maison du XIIIe siècle.












It was pretty hot and the village kids were cooling off in the fountain.






Donzenac has the designation of a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire (Village of Art and History) and is also a Village Etape. If you're not familiar with this concept, a Village Etape is usually someplace along a major autoroute that makes a good place to stay overnight to break up a long journey. They always have lodging and restaurants and usually have enough of historic and/or architectural interest to give a visitor a place worthy of a couple hours of exploration.








Here's the 15th century house.








Here's the 14th century Chapel of the Penitents.










Small country villages are not usually reputed centers of fashion. The local coiffeur seems to abide by this sentiment. I imagine it's been a while since they've taken any continuing education courses on current hairstyle trends.



Vintage 1970, or earlier, right down to the radio.




Just stick your head in the hair dryer that looks like some sort of weird sensory deprivation chamber......



…....and voilà! Your stylish new hairdo!



If I hadn't just cut my hair I definitely would have gone for the stylish cut I saw in the poster. Instead of a bad makeover I opted for continuing down the road to see something else. I had no plan other than to head for the nearby Gorges de la Vézère so I picked a route on the map that had some designated scenic roads. We passed through the village of Allassac and got out to have a look around.






Here's the 13th century Tour César, the sole survivor of the 17 towers that used to encircle the village.








Here's Le Manoir des Tours.




Even the châteaux are for sale in the small villages.




We picked up the scenic road I saw on the map and it turned out to be one of those roads Michelin will rate as scenic simply because it goes through a forest, which I find totally uneventful as there's nothing to see. Here's the one scenic view descending into the gorge.




Cliff-lined gorges can be spectacular but I find the narrow gorges with tree lined slopes to be dark and oppressive places and I was happy to ascend back out of the gorge, where we saw the Château de Comborn, or at least what remains of its entry gate. It's one of the oldest seats of power in the region dating to its time as a Gallic oppidum.






Feeling that I might be late for my evening pool / wine ritual we headed back home on the fastest route but I took a couple of photos of the village of Vigeois on the way, which is classed as a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire and may be worthy of more than the few photos I took.

[French Mystique Tours]

Friday, August 16th:

We didn't see anything great the day before so to make up for that I made sure to do a bit of research to plan today's exploration. My planning really only consisted of looking at the Michelin map and noticing there were several villages south of us that were all labeled as one star attractions so we set out to see them. Our first village was Carennac, listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France.








From the description of Carennac on the Plus Beaux Villages website:

''On the banks of the Dordogne, Renaissance houses with sculpted windows and brown roofs are clustered around an 11C Cluniac priory where French writer and prelate Fénelon once lived. Near the Romanesque church and its cloister, the Château des Doyens invites you to discover the treasures of this Pays d’Art et d’Histoire-labelled region to which Carennac belongs.''

The church, priory and château have several examples of exceptional architectural and patrimonial heritage that can be seen by the visitor but we just sort of strolled around town to see what was up. It was livelier than most of the other small villages we saw of similar size and it seemed to be the only village where the ''Sold'' signs outnumbered the ''For Sale'' signs on the houses. In retrospect, after my vacation I thought this might have been one of the prettiest among the Plus Beaux Villages that I visited.




























The tympanum on the 11th century Eglise Saint-Pierre is one of the villages's notable patrimonial features.








After leaving Carennac and on our way to the next village of Loubressac we followed the Michelin designated scenic road along the banks of the Dordogne River. Once again, it was only designated scenic because it ran along a river and through trees so there were no exceptional views. We took a detour onto what I think was the D118 and drove uphill away from the banks of the river. This turned out to be a great scenic road, although it didn't have the scenic designation. We could see the château of Castelnau-Bretenoux off in the distance.






Shortly after we could see the ruined château of Saint-Céré

.




Then Loubressac came into view.






We parked just outside the village and headed for town.














We stopped at the tourist office and got the tourist map to take us through town. We had obviously arrived at the point on the map marked ''Scenic View''.






Loubressac is another of the Plus Beaux Villages. The area is loaded with Plus Beaux Villages and though we weren't necesarily intending on making this a ''Plus Beaux Villages Vacation'' it was impossible not to see these places because they are all fairly close together and you don't have to go out of your way to see them. They're all worth visiting too.

From the description of Loubressac on the Plus Beaux Villages website:

''Perched on a promontory that offers a wonderful panoramic view of the Dordogne valley and the surrounding castles, Loubressac invites visitors to discover its charming medieval houses built of ochre stone and capped with pointed roofs. The church of Saint Jean Baptiste and the château, a manor dating back to the 15C and 18C, are worth the short climb it takes to reach them.''


There's other historic stuff that happened in Loubressac but who cares.




Well alright, the church was interesting historically speaking because some of the original interior paint appeared to have been preserved but I don't know if that's due to restoration.






There were a number of other visitors strolling about.
















I've got a bunch more pictures of Loubressac but I think you get the idea. Looking one last time at Loubressac as we move on.




Approaching the next Plus Beau Village of Autoire.














''Oh geez!'' you're saying to yourself, ''Do I have to look at another hundred photos of some stupid charming village?'' The answer is yes.










We noticed that all of the towns in the area had a sign denoting the fact that ''honor should be given to the mayor'', or perhaps the elected. A unique approach to expressing communty pride and trust in elected officials. I don't think any of these signs exist in the USA at the moment (writing this while the US federal govt. is shut down).
























Enough photos of charming villages. Let's see some photos of a charming château instead, since after leaving Autoire we were driving by the Château de Montal.




From 1519 to 1534 the château was transfomed from its medieval style to an early Renaissance château and elements from both eras remain intact. I might have actually gone inside to visit but it was approaching swimming pool time so I just took a couple of photos.




Just for the heck of it I took another photo of the Château de Saint-Céré on the way home.

[French Mystique Tours]

Saturday, August 17th:

Since we had been pretty active exploring for the last 4 days we decided to have a sort of relaxed down day. The only planned activity was to go to a local market to do some shopping for local products. To make it a bit more interesting we chose to go to the market in nearby Martel, which I knew was a pretty little medieval town.






Martel has origins dating to the 11th century when it became a new city founded by and under the control of the Counts of Turenne. As I mentioned earlier, the Counts of Turenne basically controlled an independent state not subect to taxation by the king of France. Thus, Martel was not founded around the establishment of an abbey or a religious order or for militarily strategic purposes but rather for economic reasons. This type of ''new city'', of which there were many in the Middle Ages, was known as a bastide (sorry if I'm repeating what many of you already know). The purpose was to develop a fief around a market to stimulate economic activity within the fief and create profit. Lords attracted settlers by giving them advantages, such as the right to open a market and well defined and moderate taxes. The real heyday for Martel was between the 12th and 14th centuries and the town definitely has the look and feel of that epoque with remparts, a church and a palace still remaining. It's a very nice place that is small enough to feel charming but with ample stores, restos, cafés and essential services to make it lively. It's very centrally located to many sites in the area and would make a good base to explore this region if you're interested.

We took a stroll around before heading to the market.


















The church had had some notable architectural and artistic features.








The market wasn't too large but had more than enough to stock up on basic essentials (cheese, bread, meats etc.) and offered a wide variety of local products.



We bought lots of local stuff but most importantly bloc de foie gras. For the next several days I horrified my French wife by starting each day with a breakfast of toast covered in confiture and a generous helping of foie gras. Etiquette and respect for tradition be damned, it was delicious.

[French Mystique Tours]

Sunday, August 18th:

We slept late today and then sort of lazed about the house discussing what we might do for an activity. Before we knew it it was 3:15PM and with not much time for a lot of exploration I picked the nearby town of Uzerches, which I had read about in one of the tourist brochures I got. It looked pretty enough in photos and being that it was labeled as a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire it seemed it should have something to keep a visitor interested so that's where we went. Uzerche is also labeled as one of the 100 Plus Beaux Detours in France (Most Beautiful Detours) as well as being a Village Etape.

At first glance it certainly looked worthy of the various touristic labels assigned to it.






Heading for town.








Built atop a spur of rock and surrounded by a meander of the Vézère river above which it dominates, Uzerche was described by the English writer Arthur Young as the "Pearl of the Limousin" due to it's picturesque site and under which nickname it is still known today. There's all kinds of really interesting historical stuff to learn about Uzerche but I really don't feel like getting into it so that's up to you. If you want you can read this French wikipedia entry about Uzerche:

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzerche

I mostly just wanted to kill a couple of hours wandering around and soaking up the ambiance and seeing what I might learn along the way, or what interesting things I might notice. That's pretty much my style. So far I had noticed that it was a picturesque place that had a really good medieval vibe and although not bustling there was a nice blend of locals and visitors in the street.






As you walk around town there are signs on all the notable buildings, in French and English.








I tried really hard not to learn anything but one unavoidable fact that couldn't be unlearned (is that even a word?) was that Uzerhe was a home to artists. Further, it seemed they must be serious artists since none of their shops were open to the public nor were many of their works displayed for sale in the windows of their studios. Art for art's sake, not for tourists. No mass produced nostalgia for dreamy Impressionist style paintings in this town. The preferred medium of artistic expression appeared to be metal.








The town fosters its artists by incorporating their works into various utilitarian objects around town, such as parking barriers and trash bins.












On our wanderings we came across a local museum with an exhibit on the town's history as a Gallo-Roman site so we checked that out and it was interesting enough. Then we continued strolling around.












We had our tourist map that we picked up at the tourist office and some other written info but nowhere was it mentioned that there was a nice walk you could do along the old rail bridge on the other side of the river, yet there were all the tourists walking on this pretty bridge.




It offered a nice view of the town.






Then back into town.






Another thing I couldn't unlearn is that Uzerche is noted for the fine doors and door portals on many of its buildings. I know it's a super touristy motif but since this town in particular is noted for its doors here is yet another tourist photo montage of pretty door pictures.



























After a few hours of exploration in Uzerche we headed back home, content in having learned very little.

[French Mystique Tours]

Monday, August 19th:


Today was a tourist destination day and one of the big tourist destinations in the area is the Gouffre de Padirac, counted among France's most famous caves. This is one of those places that is so popular, and crowded, that you should really reserve your ticket ahead of time on-line, at least in high season. Making plans ahead of time doesn't fit well with my travel style but caves are pretty cool so I just accepted the fact that I was going to stand in line like all the other tourists who were too stupid to buy their ticket ahead of time.

To get to Padirac from our gîte we had to drive back near Carennac and Loubressac so I decided I would drive on the road that I had missed last time I was here. We picked up the D60 just south of Carennac and drove through the tiny village of Gintrac, which couldn't have looked any more like a post card. It was so picturesque we decided to stop and have a look around.






There is a 13th century castle ruin overlooking the town (which we didn't see) that was a Templar Commandery and refuge for lepers. A local tale recounts how the lords of the castle would communicate by means of solar signals (mirrors I assume) with the Château de Turenne (some 30km in distance as the crow flies) and the nearby Château de Castelnau-Bretonoux. At least, that's what French wikipedia says so it must be true.








As the road rises climbing up from Gintrac the landscape stretches out.






Then the tranquility of the countryside is interrupted the hords of humanity. Here we are arriving in one of the six million or so parking lots surrounding the gouffre, each one mostly full.




Walking around from the back of the building where you enter the cave I got my first glimpse at the tourist hell I was about to become part of.




Let's get a good look at this line. I'll follow it from front to back.










Wait, there's more.




Here's a look at what everyone came to see.






Since it was going to be a while standing in line I did what any good husband would do in this situation and left my Mrs to stand in line while I went wandering around with the camera to take pictures of stuff. The only things to take pictures of were the parking lots and the various tourist eateries selling calories to the masses so that's what I did. Let's start with the parking lots.










Now let's move on to the eateries.






You can also buy your souvenirs and local food products.














Realizing that inevitably some folks would get annoyed after standing in line for over an hour some enterprising individual decided to open their own curiosity site just adjacent to the cave. If you decide to bail out on the marvels of the underworld you can pay a visit to the denizens of the microworld.



The person who opened that place has a pretty smart business strategy because I was just about ready to ditch the line and visit Insectopia. But since the Mrs had done most of the standing and waiting in line (I did relieve her of duty from time to time) I hadn't totally lost patience and after a mere 2-1/2 hour wait we were finally inside and on our way to journey to the center of the earth.










From ground level it is a 75 meter descent to the bottom of the chasm via elevator or stairs. The chasm was created at an undetermined point in time when the roof collapsed into a large internal cavern. It is known that the cavern existed in the 3rd century, and was inhabited during the 15th and 16th centuries. The first real modern explorations of the cave took place in 1889 and the first tourists visited the cave in 1898. However, the site was officially opened for tourism in 1899. From the bottom of the cavern you decend into a series of underground passages and visit some 2km of the cave but there are at least another 38km of caves and passages that have been explored with more awaiting future exploration.










After walking for a few minutes is when you'll encounter your next line. How fun.




So we waited another 20-25 minutes in this line. The reason for this is that you need to line up to get onto one of the boats that will take you on an underground river ride through the cave. Once you board the boat you are no longer allowed to take pictures. Since I have no further pictures of the underground I'll give you my impressions. The only reason I can see that they don't want you to take pictures is proprietary. There are no delicate prehistoric paintings and I don't see how rocks could be affected by camera flashes so I'm sure it's a matter of them making money by selling pictures. This is confirmd at the end of the tour when someone takes a picture of your group in the boat and you are offered a chance to buy it.

As for the visit, after you board the boat you are led along the river for 5 or 10 minutes to a point where you dock and get out of the boat to continue your explorations on foot with a guide. You stay with the group that was in your boat throughout the tour as there are several boats operating and several groups at a time in the cave. Our tour was in French but the guide did do some interpretation for the few English speaking visitors in our group. I thought the guide was OK, pretty basic stuff but once you explain how a cave is formed what else is there to talk about? I gave our guide a couple euros for a tip at the end as I noticed a discreet sign, that not many people saw because it wasn't very visible, and it suggested politely (I don't remember the wording) that a tip for the guide is appreciated. The guides all looked to be about student age. Most people didn't see the sign and didn't tip the guide so here's a heads-up reminder to give a euro or two.

As for the impressiveness of the cave....well.....I thought it was OK but it didn't have a whole lot of really impressive geological features. There were a few massive columns and some other oddly shaped calcium accretions but a lot of it looked like, well, rock. In retrospect I'm not sure if I might have enjoyed Insectopia more than a cave visit.

Our visit finished we hopped back in the car and to come down from the buzz of tourist stimulation we shifted gears and took a leisurely, stress relieving scenic drive towards our second destination of the day.








The pictures are all crooked since I was more or less waving my arm out the window and clicking away. Not much thought went into framing or composition. My technique is revealed in the next photo where you can see the shadow of my arm holding the camera.










Perhaps you've heard the horror stories about being stuck forever behind some farm tractor when driving in the countryside. If so, then to help you overcome your fear this next photo will illustrate that passing a tractor isn't such a big deal. Now you see it....



….now you don't.




Driving by the castle in Saint-Céré again.






We drove around the outskirts of the town of Saint-Céré but we didn't stop. I know it has a charming, old downtown and is worth a visit. As we drove through I could see there were some pretty streets. If you're in the area and have the time you might want to give it a look. It's a one starred attraction on the Michelin map. We were on our way to another château that you've already seen, that of Castelnau-Bretenoux, which is a two starred attraction on the Michelin map.










We arrived too late to visit the château but it was a quaint little place so we contented ourselves with a stroll through the village.












More red stone construction, like Collonges and Meyssac.














It was early evening and we were hungry and didn't feel like driving anywhere to find a restaurant. There was a restaurant at the foot of the castle and even though it looked pretty touristy we didn't care. It had a terrace with a beautiful view and though there were several empty tables the hostess told us most of them were reserved but we still managed to get one of the few unreserved terrace tables.






Despite the touristy look of the place the food was actually pretty good. The manager was buzzing around overlooking everything and despite the crowd that they were serving the food arrived without any excessive waiting. It was well presented too. I don't remember what we ate but I think the restaurant was called Les Remparts, if you're interested. It's the only restaurant below the château so you can't miss it.







You can see the restaurant's location in the next photo, all lit up beneath the château.

[French Mystique Tours]

Tuesday, August 20th:

Today was ''be a tourist day''. Our gîte was located in the relatively tourist free southern Corrèze department right on the border with the most highly touristed sites in the more well known department of the Dordogne. Most of our visits had centered on places within an hour's drive from our base and nowhere had we encountered what could be considered significant crowds, Gouffre de Padirac excepted. What better way to break tradition than to head to one of the most popular areas in the region, right in the vicinity of the region's top tourist town, Sarlat. I had been to Sarlat and its environs once, briefly, several years ago and I enjoyed my visit so I thought it would be nice to see some familiar places again and explore some new ones. The Mrs. had been to the area several times as a child but she likes it too and it had been a while since she had been here, the last time with me. We've got nothing against being tourists and always have fun when being one of the crowd so off we went to have some fun.

It was amazing how once we got within about 15km or 20km of Sarlat the previously empty roads produced cars as if they had just tumbled down from the steep riverbanks along the Dordogne river, where we were driving. There were little sandy beaches here and there dotting the riverbanks and each one had a group of folks enjoying it.



Winding along the river we could see a château in the distance.








It was marked on the map as the Cingle de Montfort, taking its name from a meander in the river above which it dominated and from Simon de Montfort, who attacked and razed the château in 1214. It was later rebuilt, three times in fact (or 4 or 5 times, depending on which source you check) and was destroyed each time. In the 19th century it was fancifully renovated. That's about all I have to say about that. We were passing through the village and pulled over to have a look at the château and check out the little village at its base.






Not too many other visitors here.










That was the last time I saw an empty village today because next we went to Domme, which was more or less packed with tourists. Climbing up from the river valley as we approached the outskirts of Domme we could see several large parking lots up to as much as 1km from the village and most of them seemed full. People were buzzing around the lots fighting for spaces but we took a chance and headed straight for the heart of the village and found a parking spot right away, about 100 meters from tourist central. Using psychology I figured that everyone approaching the town would see the packed parking lots on the outskirts and assume there was no way they'd find a spot in town so they wouldn't even try. The strategy worked. Domme is perched at the edge of a cliff high above the river valley.








People on travel forums often ask where they can rent a canoe on the Dordgone river and the best response is, ''Where can't you rent a canoe on the Dordogne?'' It seemed like you couldn't go more than 2km along the river without finding a canoe rental place.



Domme was born in 1281 as a royal bastide. Shortly after in 1307 the village entered Templar legendry when 70 of the knights were imprisoned in the towers that served as the gate to the village and where according to legend they etched graffiti as evidence of their imprisonment that can be seen today. Apparently there are questions about the authenticity of the graffiti since the Templar persecution in Paris didn't commence until 1310. Like every other town and village in the region it played its role in the Hundred Years War and later in the Wars of Religion. Today the village is listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France. It has a population of 1,000 inhabitants and I'd bet during high season that number at least doubles daily.

There are lots of touristy things to do in Domme, like riding on the tourist train.





Or confining yourself to the busiest street in town to marvel at the merchandise on offer.












If you are able to break the hypnotic trance of consumerism, which seems to have held sway over the majority of the visitors, you only need to walk about 2 blocks from the stores to find some solitude.












If you want to visit Domme you can have a look at the tourist office website to learn more:

www.ot-domme.com/

I didn't look at the tourist office website nor did I learn anything about Domme but I assure you there is stuff to learn and you can get a map at the tourist office that highlights the tourist trail through town and indicates the notable monuments and sites. If you are more sophisticated than I am (and who isn't?) you can indulge your intellectual curiosity.

Speaking of intellectual curiosity, who's ever wondered what it would be like to drive a jeep with a dog in the passenger seat? Wonder no more.




Continuing on the tourist trail down the river from Domme is La Roque-Gageac, another Plus Beau Village.





La Roque was traditionally a fishing village and the traditional fisherman's boat, known as a gabarre, now hauls tourists instead of fish.




We parked at the edge of the village and set out on the tourist trail.






It's a nice town to just hang out on the river and watch the canoes and gabarres float by.








The Château de la Malartrie sits at the western extremity of the village, actually located in the adjacent village of Vézac. Originally the site of a hospital for lepers in the 12th century the present château was built in the early 20th century in a neo-Renaissance style. The château is now available for rent at the modest rate of 4,000€ per week and can accommodate 12 people.




Built into the cliff above the village is the manor of the Tarde family, a friend of Galileo.












Sheltered by the cliff and facing south, the village has a microclimate that allows for growing of vegetation more commonly found in Mediterranean climates.








The section of the Dordogne river in this area is a real tourist honey pot and the sites are packed on top of each other. Just a few kilometers down the river lies the lovely Plus Beau Village of Beynac-et-Cazenac, another cliffside site dominated by the partial ruins of a château on the peak above the village.




But on the way there you can stop and visit Marqueyssac, known for its suspended gardens which are the most visited in the region.




It is worth a visit but there are so many other places nearby that are also worth a visit that we didn't have time to see them all in one day. Should you want to learn more about the gardens and/or pay a visit here is the website:

www.marqueyssac.com/

[French Mystique Tours]

Beynac is yet another Plus Beau Village. I swear I wasn't trying to follow the Plus Beaux Villages trail but you can't throw a rock in this area without hitting a Plus Beau Something or Other. Beynac is beautiful, like you'd expect, but it has some sort of presence about it that makes it more than just cute. I suppose having a mighty looking fortress on a commanding position atop a cliff with sweeping majestic views might be the reason for that but it does exude a sense of historical importance so here's a bit about that.

The Dordogne is famous for its prehistoric sites and many of the caves and shelters in the region's cliffs have evidence of human occupation for thousands of years and such places are near Beynac. After the Barbarian invasions a castrum developed in 1050 and when Eleanor of Acquitaine married Henri II the region became English controlled, governed by the local Count of Toulouse who was a vassal to the King of France. Richard the Lionhearted didn't accept this alliance and seized the castle in 1197, but it was retaken two years later. In 1214 Simon de Montfort put Beynac under seige during the Albigensian crusades. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the warlike power of Beynac permitted it to become an important influence within the region. The Hundred Years War had its usual effect of devastation on the town and château and after the fighting it was rebuilt as the Renaissance period took hold. But that didn't last long as it was only a matter of time until the Wars of Religion again devastated the region. Despite the centuries of attack and devastation the heritage of the line of the lords and barons of Beynac was unbroken from the 11th century until 1811 when Marie-Claude, the last heiress of the lineage, died.

We got a late start to the day, not leaving the gîte until 1:30PM, and it was late afternoon by the time we arrived in Beynac so the tourist crowds were thinning. But there were still enough people to make it lively and the stores and shops were still open so it was more or less the perfect time to show up. We parked below the village next to the river.



Then off to see the village.














If you've got cranky knees or some other kind of aches and pains then strolling the seemingly vertical streets of Beynac may not be for you.






From a scenic terrace on the way you can see the Château de Fayrac in the foreground and the Château de Castelnaud over its shoulder.








Really, forget this if you can't walk uphill. People must have had really strong legs back in the day, or perhaps it's just because they didn't have office jobs.








It's at about this point that what was once smooth and modern stone paved roads reverted a century or two to rough cobbles and uneven stone steps.








Despite the rough uneven surface and steep incline we saw some people pushing babies in strollers up the road and they were all laughing at themselves for being in their predicament. The surface gets smoother again near the top but it's no less inclined.






You eventually do arrive at flat terrain once you're in the square at the gates of the château.






And then the reward for the climb is the scenic overlook.








It was too late to visit the castle so nothing to do but go back down.






Really though, if you're half way in shape a climb like this shouldn't be a problem. As you can see in the next photo even little kids were doing it.

[French Mystique Tours]

The next destination on our whistle stop tour of Plus Beaux Places was Castelnaud-la-Chapelle. We were actually going to go there before Beynac but the huge line of traffic on the road leading there made us put it off. It still wasn't quite gone as we approached the castle.










We were a bit hungry and spied a crêperie and thought we might get one.






If you have a crêperie and that is your specialty you should never have this sign in front of your restaurant.




The crowds were starting to empty when we arrived as the castle had just closed for visits.












Our exhaustive exploration of Castelnaud lasted about 25 minutes. It would take me longer to research the history of the place than the amount of time I spent visiting so I won't bother with that. I'll briefly mention that the town has two châteaux and one of them was owned by Josephine Baker (Château des Milandes). Here's a link to the local tourist office site if you want to learn more (in French):

www.tourisme-ceou.com/fr/rubrique/Castelnaud/b40d3ee7d7b274e883bdaa1455d843d6/


We had visited most of the big tourist sites in the area so now it was time to hit the tourist capital of the region, Sarlat. We've been here before and it was getting to be early evening so we were mostly going there to eat dinner and stroll for a bit so just like Castelnaud I'm not going to bother with any historical research. Makes it much easier to do a photo report when I don't have to use my brain. We figured lots of people would be heading here for dinner so didn't bother trying to park close to the old downtown and instead parked about a 10 minute walk away.






The place was buzzing with people.








Diners were already filling the tables.








Ugh. The living statue again.






















Sarlat often gets recommended as a great base to explore the region and despite the large crowd of tourists you're likely to encounter I agree that it is not only a great base but also a beautiful town. It's the kind of place where I can really embrace being part of the tourist crowd. The grace and style in its architectural fabric can't be torn by tourist schlock.

There are loads and loads of restaurants in Sarlat so unless you're a real foodie and have done your research ahead of time it's hard to choose among the options. We had seen several places that had nice ambiance and decor and they all seemed more or less the same so we decided we would check out the waitstaff at a few places to see if that would help in our decision making. The waiter in the next photo looks like he came to work intent on impressing his customers with his totally non-offensive t-shirt.



His customers laughed at the thought that there might be anything inappropriate at all wearing a t-shirt like this to work.




We actually wanted someplace a bit better than your average tourist place but not pricey either and the few places we checked were either full or reserved. We wandered to the periphery of the downtown and found a nice looking place that appeared to have one or two tables open so we inquired. The tables were all reserved but they had a no show so we got the one open table. The menu wasn't extensive but they focused on local produce (duck, of course) and the food was good. I think a 3 course meal cost us between 15€ or 20€ each. The only downside to the restaurant was the service, which was extremely slow. Nice staff, just slow for food to come out. Maybe they were just short on staff that night so who knows. But if you've got enough wine, like I did, and you're not a complainer then it was great. The place was called l'Adresse, if you're interested, located at 8 Place de la Petite Rigaudie.

I know some people read trip reports looking for restaurant recommendations and you're not likely to find much more than ''all you can eat Chinese food buffet'' reviews in my reports. I figure if you've read this much of the report then I owe you at least the courtesy of one properly reviewed restaurant.

[French Mystique Tours]

Wednesday, August 21st:

Yesterday's theme of see as much as possible in as short an amount of time as possible had left us with tourist hangover so the only remedy for that is to do nothing. And that's exactly what we did all day and night. The weather was goregous, we had a pool and there was plenty of good wine and good food so why ruin a good thing? Quite possibly the best day of the vacation. No, definitely the best day of the vacation.


Thursday, August 22nd:

Yesterday was so good that it seemed like the right thing to do today was to repeat yesterday.


Friday, August 23rd:

Feeling well rested from two days of doing nothing we were ready to undertake some exploration on our last day of vacation. We were heading south to see one of the most famous prehistoric caves in France, Pech Merle. I told you that I thought the Gouffre de Padirac was just OK but this cave was going to be different since it has some of the best original prehistoric art that is available for public viewing. A Sistene Chapel, comparatively speaking. If you want to visit Pech Merle you need to reserve in advance. I think we reserved about 2 or 3 days before our visit but I don't know if that's typical or not. We had a 9:30 reservation and it was about a 1-1/2 hour drive to get there so we got up early and planned on making this a full day of exploring.

To get to Pech Merle we took the A20 autoroute south and got off at exit 56. We could have gone further on the A20 but we wanted to do a scenic drive through the Causses region. The Causses are a group of calcitic/limestone plateaus that extend over an area of 8,000km2 between the Dordogne and Lot rivers. I won't dwell on the intellectual aspect of their geologic origins because it is the visual impact of the landscape that most stimulates a visitor's senses. Arid looking, slightly undulating plains with a dry scrubby vegetation and a soil so thick with stone it renders nearly futile any attempt to be cut by the plow. The open expanses are cut into plots by the endless rows of crumbling stone walls that criss-cross the region, testimony to the unceasing effort of centuries of hard labor. The land feels desolate, forlorn, forsaken. But it's precisely these qualities that create an aura of power and presence that captivate the soul. Primitive people must have felt this presence since there remain numerous ceremonial sites in the form of dolmens and menhirs that reverence the sacred nature of the rituals formerly observed.

If anyone is interested in following the route I took then get off the A20 at exit 56 and pick up the D802 for a few kilometers, then head south on the D42 all the way to Pech Merle. You'll pass through a few charming little towns and villages on the way. Unfortunately I have no photos of this journey as we were in a hurry to arrive at Pech Merle for our early appointment.

When you arrive in the visitors center in Pech Merle they have some excellent literature and displays hanging on the walls to inform you about the history of the grotto and what you are about to see. I would suggest arriving a half hour before your meeting so you can learn a bit about what you are going to see.



Most of the info is in French but there is some English translation, albeit not as thorough as the French. Here is a brief summary of some of the important facts and notable events concerning Pech Merle. The first known excursion into the cavity was in 1906 but it was in 1920 when a local 14 year old boy and his friend, fascinated by the stories they had heard, undertook their own explorations and announced to a local geologist the existence of one of the now famous cavities. The geologist proclaimed there was no existence of human occupation but that the cavity was worthy of geological consideration.

The teens continued their study of the cave and in 1922 discovered the famous paintings. Much is made of the difficulty in exploring the cave and the narrow passages and blocked entries they encountered, with only a candle in their hands to guide them. The paintings in the cave are as much as 25,000 years old and concern for their preservation is obviously a priority. Visits to the cave are limited to 700 people a day in groups of no more than 25 people for a duration of 50 minutes. Before you enter the cave your are led to a room in the visitors center where there is a diorama of the cave and your guide gives a brief overview of its various aspects.

It looks kind of strange seeing a normal looking door in a wall to enter the cave. It felt like one of those children's fantasy stories where the kids are about to embark on some incredible adventure as soon as they step into the looking glass or walk into the wardrobe of old clothes where in each case some surreal world reveals itself on the other side.



As you might imagine, photos are not allowed inside the grotto but I'll show you some pix I took in the visitors center that illustrate the interior of the cave. Before I show the paintings I'd like to add that even if there was no art inside the cave I found its geological aspects much more interesting and spectacular than at the Gouffre de Padirac. It was worth a visit simply for the geology.




It was interesting to note that where the artists had chosen to work would sometimes be in proximity to some of the more fantastic geologic marvels, which could be perceived even by the visitor today as having some sort of anthropomorphic features, appearing to have the form of some powerful beast or deity.




















It's impossible to convey in these puny photos the overwhelming impact and the awe and reverence this cave inspires when standing inside it. I have a deep interest in ancient history and archaeology and have several friends who are professional archaeologists (one of whom has the credentials to get me inside the original Lascaux cave should he ever come to France) and when we speak of the experience of being inside Pech Merle it is in hushed tones that come from an unspoken mutual understanding. Words fail.

From silent reverence to bustling commercial enterprise we arrived in the nearby town of Cabrerets to look for a restaurant to lunch in. It was market day.










It's a pretty small place but in walking around we saw four or five places where we could dine. Nothing looked particularly exceptional and it seemed most places were geared towards serving a quick tourist lunch, although I think there was one place that looked a little nicer. We decided on a quaint looking little restaurant with an outdoor terrace. Prices seemed cheap in Cabrerets and I think our lunch menu cost around 8€ or something like that. The waitress was really nice and I think the restaurant might have been on the first floor of her home. I went inside to go to the bathroom and the interior dining rooms had the warmth and character of a rustic, stone built country home and you almost felt like grandma was probably out cooking in the kitchen. Actually, grandma was cooking in the kitchen since the cook was the waitress's mother. No doubt we were going to get some of grandma's good ole home cooking. When our appetizer arrived it appeared that grandma's secret method of food preparation lay in her ability to open tin cans and remove plastic wrapping on low quality charcuterie from discount supermarket chains. Our main course was no different. I can't remember everything I ate but I do remember a wet, droopy mass of boiled celery. When she arrived with our plates our waitress smiled as she placed them on the table and with no small amount of pride announced that she had just purchased the celery at the market that morning. Well, at least something was fresh.

I won't mention the name of this restaurant because this woman is trying her best to make a living in a small town where employment opportunities are not abundant. And I truly believe that she had probably been raised eating food just like this (grandma's good ole ''home'' cooking) and likely found it perfectly acceptable, if not delicious. She's not trying to rip anyone off. Despite the food, I actually enjoyed this place. If you like authentic experiences then it was truly representative of what life is like for a real family in a real small village without the glossy veneer of romanticized fantasies idealizing small village life in rural France. No copious plates of freshly procured local food, no happy peasants tilling the fields and tending the animals. Life in a small village isn't all roses. If you are in Cabrerets it will be fun for you to wander around and try to figure out the restaurant I'm talking about and perhaps you'll have the (mis)fortune of dining there.

Many of the most famous sites in the region, such as Saint-Cirq-la-Popie, lie just south of Cabrerets along the Lot River. We had been to this area a few years back so we decided to explore further east of Cabrerets along the less known Célé River. While in Cabrerets we stopped in the tourist office which once again had loads of great literature of what to see and do in the area. I grabbed loads of local touristic maps, hiking trail and patrimonial heritage maps, and other detailed brochures and pamphlets covering a wide variety of sites and attractions in the area. I studied them for a few minutes to get us started on our route and then we set off along the Célé River.






Our first stop was to be a megalithic site near a town called Marcilhac-sur-Célé. As we were ascending hill we got a glimpse of the village profile.






It looked really charming so we changed plans and turned around to head back down and explore the village. I won't recount the history of the town because you know it already.....the Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion etc. It's an old village built around its 9th century Benedictine Abbey, which was ruined during the Hundred Years War and rebuit 3 or 4 times following this and other devastating events.


































If ever there were a place where the term ''romantic ruins'' could be invoked the Abbaye Saint-Pierre would deserve mention.










The sculpted capitals were outstanding.














The church had preserved bits of old murals.











If you're a tourist needing a hotel this place was designed for you.




And if you're a tourist, like we were, and you're hungry then you should go where all the tourists go.






We stopped in for drinks and a snack and just like in Cabrerets the waitress's mother was also the chef. This time grandma's home cooking was worthy of mention and we had some sort of local desert specialty. I don't know what it was but it was pretty good. It was real down to earth service and the waitress and grandma were trading jokes with some of the regulars and not so regulars (like us) alike. Fun and friendly place.

[French Mystique Tours]

We continued on now in pursuit of the dolmen which had been our original priority.





The local tourist map we got marked it's location but it wasn't very precise so it left some guess work in figuring out its precise location. It actually didn't take much effort since it was right next to the road.






It's amazing that there's no sign to notify an unaware passer-by as to what they might be passing. I've noticed this is generally the case with most megalithic monuents that don't have the designation of a historic monument. So if you're ever driving along and see some weird looking giant rock(s) chances are you're looking at a megalith.




It's interesting to speculate that since this dolmen sits right next to the road it must have been on a well worn local travel route that has existed for thousands of years. Hundreds of generations of local inhabitants must have seen this monument and for it to have been left undisturbed for so long must be an indication of the importance this site played in local lore and legendry.


We were out of the river valley and back up on the causses and here is a semi-representatve photo of that type of landscape.




Then we moved back down to the more fertile river valley.






We needed some fuel and suddenly there in the middle of nowhere was a self serve gas station.




The local bulletin board is chock full of announcements of important local events and festivals.




If I had time I would have stuck around to see these guys.




I bet those guys are totally capable of entertaining huge crowds of people. They posted their phone number so if you're interested it looks like they're avaiable for hire.

Moving upriver we entered the town of Espagnac Sainte-Eulalie.




















The village is established around its old priory and it was once an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Compostela.
















Climbing back up out of the river valley we were once again back in the causse. Once again our next destination was a couple of megalithic sites I had learned about by picking up some brochures at the tourist office in Cabrerets. It was about a hiking circuit around a town called Grèzes known as the Sentier découverte sur le Causse. It was a circuit of 9 kilometers with an estimated completion time of 2 hour 30 minutes (if you're interested) and a well marked map noted the sights to visit along the way. We weren't interested in the hike but I noticed one of its highlights were two dolmens known as Les Dolmens des Ramades et de Coustalou.

Looking for megaliths is always adventurous because inevitably you'll be going down some unknown local road which will eventually turn into just two dirt ruts and lead into a farmers field or some other unusual place. We had a well marked map of the village so we knew where to go but you still never know what the road will be like ahead of time. Turns out it was the two dirt ruts I had just mentioned.




As usual there were no signs marking the dolmen so I had to match a bend in the road that I saw on the map with a bend on the road we were driving on. I kept my eyes peeled looking to the right and spied it sitting in the middle of a field. Here's the Dolmen de Coustalou.








The dolmen dates to around 2,000 to 3,000 B.C. and is one of the 750 megalithic sites in the Quercy Region.

Next we went to look for the second dolmen where we also did in fact end up at some guy's farm.






We spied the dolmen in the distance in the adjacent field.






The skies had been mostly a silvery gray and ovecast all day and now the sun was finally starting to make an appearance.










Since leaving Pech Merle our sightseeing plan was to make pick a route heading back in the direction of our gîte and then visit whatever sites might be along the route. Another of the tourist brochures I picked up noted some megalithic sites in the town of Livernon, which was just a few km from where we were at present, so not long after we arrived at the Le dolmen de la Pierre Martine. This one was actually marked with signs and there was a parking lot too.






On the way there you take a brief hike through the causse landscape.








It's amazing that anything can grow with that much stone in the ground.








The dolmen dates to around 2,000B.C. and is the most famous one in the Quercy region owing to the the enormous size of its capstone, which weighs about 20 tons.






Concrete support pillars have been added at each end of the capstone to prevent it from falling apart.




Then we took a drive through the town of Livernon.










Our next target was a menhir (standing stone) on the outskirts of town. Once again the paved road turned to dirt and gravel.




After about 2km on the dirt road we came to a hand made sign pointing the way.




Or at least it was pointing the way down more dirt roads.




But at last we arrived, once again in the middle of nowhere.






Just after we arrived another group showed up. We're not the only weirdos looking for megaliths.




The menhir is aligned with the four cardinal compass points and for some unknown reason inclines forward. Local lore recounts that it takes its name (Bélinac) from the Celtic sun god. There used to be 4 other menhirs nearby but these were destroyed in the 17th century as the local clergy was not fond of the fertility rites that were being practiced at them.

One of the women in the other group was obviously local and was explaining some of the local legendry of the menhir. She pointed to a smooth circular shaped depression and said that was due to the women who used to come here and rub the stone in order to make them more fertile.



Leaving Livernon our route took us through nearby Assier, which the Michelin map noted as a one star attraction due to the château in the town. We parked and decided to check out the town and château.












Here's the château, or at least what's left of it.





The château was built bewteen 1520 and 1540 by Galiot de Genouillac, Master of Arms to Francis I and known as a military genius in his day. Originally the buildings formed an enormous quadrangle richly decorated with carvings. Only the west wing survives today as the remainder of the château was sold off as building material around 1768. In its day it was said that the château had nothing to envy of the more famous châteaux in the Loire region.




The plaque in front of the château shows an illustration of what it once looked like.




It was getting late in the day so we turned in the direction of our gîte and I just snapped photos out of the car window as we drove along.

















As we neared our gîte the Château of Turenne came into view.






Arriving back at the gîte we were greeted by a familiar friend.






If you ask it nicely, it will turn and smile at the camera.






So ended the last day of our vacation. The next morning we cleaned up and called the landlady over to pay her the remaining balance for the gîte. She dropped by to get the check and didn't even bother to look the place over after we had cleaned up. So we're all standing on the little terrace outside the veranda having a chat and then came that moment when we had to say goodbye. Remembering the promise we had made to ourselves at our first meeting with Mrs. Landlady my Mrs. looked at Mrs Landlady, sort of a little hesitant, and then burst out ''Je vous embrasse!!'' (I'm going to kiss you!!) and spread her ams wide, like Mrs. Landlady had when we met her, and she and the Mrs. exchanged a big hug and kisses. Then I looked at Mrs. Landlady, hesitated a second and exclaimed, ''Je vous embrasse aussi!!'' (I'm going to kiss you too!!) and we exchanged a big hug and kisses. During our stay she had brought us little gifts and there was the one afternoon we spent with her and her neighbors eating and drinking and having a good time and she was such a sweet little old lady so it really was like saying goodbye to your grandmother. There, I'm finally done with this report.