A New Adventure in France

Well it’s really beginning to feel autumnal, with colours turning and leaves falling. The weather forecast for this week has been dire but the days, apart from one, have actually turned out to be better than predicted so it hasn’t stopped us getting out. The days have generally been dry and quite warm in the sunshine, with the rain falling overnight and we’ve still been eating outside for the most part. This area too has so many places to explore and we’re spoilt for choice, although we’re conscious of an element of ‘château and grotte fatigue’ for both us – and our readers no doubt. Exquisite châteaux or medieval buildings have almost become the norm as we pass them every time we venture out. But we’re still up for more and there are some highlights from the last couple of days.

We’re right at the start of the Vezère river, a tributary of the Dordogne, and the Vezère valley is a UNESCO World Heritage listed site because of the concentration of archaeological and prehistoric sites – caves and troglodyte dwellings can be seen every few kilometres. We travelled from Limeuil up to Montignac, pulling in as the fancy took us to look at various sites. Those included the ‘Maison Forte de Reignac’, a fortified Manor House built into the rock with furnished rooms of the period set way back into the rock. From there we passed by La Roque Saint Christophe, à former troglodyte city set high up in the cliff and stretching along 1km. Château de Losse was another beautiful castle sitting on the banks of the river.

We also made a stop at the lovely village of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil (to give it its full title), an international hub for prehistory in the Dordogne and housing the Musée Nationale de Préhistoire in the cliffs behind the main street. Our circular trip also took in the tiny village of Saint Amand de Coly, with a huge fortified church looming over it, named after Saint Amand, a hermit living in the hills in the 6th century. It was a beautiful spot for a lunch stop but unfortunately the village itself was deserted.

It may be our imagination but the roads don’t seem to be as well maintained here as in the Lot. Joe suggested that perhaps it’s so the Brits in the area feel at home!

On another day out we headed directly north to Périgueux, the capital of the Dordogne department and sitting on the river L’Isle, another tributary of the Dordogne. It’s a town with both Roman and medieval history and a very charming historic centre, but the real highlight is the view, as you cross the bridge into town, of the Byzantine style cathedral with its five cupolas. It’s unlike any others we’ve seen here and was apparently the inspiration for the Sacre-Cœur in Paris. Whilst it’s fairly plain inside, the layout, based on St Mark’s in Venice, is still very impressive. Another favourite building was the 14th century half-timbered L’eschif de Creyssac built into the ramparts of the town and originally a lookout post over the toll bridge into the town.

We ate in one of the many squares in the old town and, as Joe recounts, had just ordered our meal when we heard what seemed to be the sound of an altercation from the far end of the square. The person responsible appeared to be an extra from Les Mis, rake thin, complete with cloth cap, a 4 day old grey beard on a gaunt face and clothes to match the period. He was feeding pressed holed cards into an asthmatic barrel organ whilst cranking its handle and attempting to sing – in the loosest sense of the word. At the end of his performance at each restaurant he would pass amongst the bemused diners with a child’s fishing net to collect his meagre payment whilst ensuring distancing. He worked his way towards our restaurant with each performance as we tried to avoid eye contact. The third playing of his repertoire was no better than the first and any hope that he might have lost his voice was in vain. Judge for yourselves! (assuming the wonders of technology allow the audio file below to play…)