L’histoire, ça continue! So, picking up where Matt left off, Tuesday saw us all up, showered and ready to go by 10 am. We piled into Lola and, guided by the occasionally sadistic Natalie (sat-nav), we made our way down to the south-eastern part of the Dordogne.
Our fist stop was the stunning little town of St Léon sur Vézère. Matt and I went there back in January and really enjoyed ourselves, despite having been told it would be 10 degrees and dressing accordingly, only to get there and find it was a mere 3 celcius. This time round though, it was a little cloudy but a pleasant 14 degrees. FAR better. We strolled around a bit, following the Vézère river for a ways and admiring the chateau, then stopped off for lunch al-fresco. We were all still bloated from the previous few days’ excess so made a point of only having the one course (pizzas for Matt and I and & omelettes for Chuck and Marilyn), served with the obligatory wine.
Next stop was Les Eyzies, a touristy, but nonetheless lovely wee town, famed for its proximity to various caves, and for its musée préhistorique, the latter being our intended activity for the afternoon. Unfortunately, it is closed on Tuesdays so we made plans to return the following afternoon. Instead, we strolled about for a bit and then drove on to Rouffignac to visit its famous cave. It was a very interesting tour, with a lively and passionate guide, although he spoke only in French, so our visitors had to get a brief summary from me after the tour had finished. The cave at Rouffignac is an impressive 10km long and boasts a very large amount of etchings and paintings in various styles, dating back to around 11,000 BC.
Next, it was on to Matt & I’s favourite town, Sarlat. We checked in at a nice hotel based a little ways outside of town then headed out to stroll through the lovely old streets. We stopped off for cocktails at Le Bar des Iles on La Place de la Liberté, the main square. Matt and I enjoyed a frozen Margarita each, with Chuck opting for a “mockhito” (a mohito minus the booze) and Marilyn a Stella. Refreshed and almost nearly hungry again, we sought out a place to eat. Our very friendly host had recommended a few restaurants, so we gave one a try. It is called La Rapière. We all ate far too much food, but it was typically divine, if a little overly duck-focused… I had the local specialty, cassoulet, which was to die for – and features duck. Matt & Marilyn had the confit de canard and Chuck went for the magret de canard. In fact, Matt and Marilyn also both had duck in their starter salads, so the poor animal comprised 6 of the 12 courses we consumed collectively. Well, when in Rome…. Afterwards, we made our sluggish way back to the hotel and slept off our over-indulgence.
The next day, we were again up and ready to go by 10. The plan was to visit Les Jardins d’Eyrignac in the afternoon. Matt and I went there in May of last year and were both blown away by it so were eager to return again as locals. After the morning’s activity, though, we decided there was no need. We were expecting a mainly cloudy day, but once outside, we were greeted by clear blue skies, so we decided to stop off and have a stroll in Le Parc de Marqueyssac before lunch. This was a new one for all of us and we are very glad we tried it! The gardens were at least as beautiful as those of Eyrignac, with a small chateau in their midst, and peacocks wondering about the grounds. The highlight, though, was the spectacular view of the Dordogne river and valley spread out below us. Just amazing…
On the road again, we passed through Beynac, one of les plus beaux villages de France, and made our way back to Les Eyzies for a spot of lunch before returning to le musée préhistorique. Luckily, on Wednesdays, they give guided tours in English, so we took advantage of this and were entertained by a lovely and engaging American lady who had come out to study the caves some 20 years ago and loved it out here so much, she never left. Among many interesting facts we picked up, I learned that the common ancestors of man and monkey all used to walk upright originally – monkeys then evolved from there into tree dwellers, while our ancestors stayed on the ground. Huh…
We emerged some time later into blazing sunlight and 18 degree heat (far better than forecast) to hit the road back home. Both thanks to and in spite of Natalie, we made good time and were back in our wee hamlet by 5:30. Regrettably, I then made us spend about 30 minutes on the doorstep while I searched for the house key with which somehow I had been entrusted – but in a dramatic break with tradition, I actually found it. Phew.
We chilled at home for a little while and then returned to Brantôme for our guests’ final meal. We went to Au Fil du Temps, the restaurant we went to for lunch with Kevin back in January, and all of us had excellent meals. Sharon joined us and was very impressed with the quality – apparently, they must have a new chef because it was far better than she remembered. Stuffed as usual, we rolled into the car and back home for an early night. Chuck & Marilyn had to catch a train from Angoulême to Paris at 7:30 am this morning, so we were out of the door by 6.30. Ouch! Fortunately, both of us have quite a bit of (can you believe it!) work to do. Matt is embarking on a new technology project with a few other people, and I am about to be inundated with requests for websites, so at least this gives us a full day to get on with it. Speaking of which, I should really make a start… A bientôt.