I realise this entry is way overdue but we’ve been very busy since I last posted, mainly wtih visitors. The first was my dad who arrived on Wed from Minneapolis via Paris and then train to Angouleme where we collected him in the early afternoon. We had lunch, then gave him a tour of the grounds and later, he and I walked down to the village and back. We had dinner in that night which was thai-style chicken with veggies from the garden.
Since this was Dad’s second visit, we had saved up a few new places to see. On Thursday, we took advantage of a couple of local tourist attractions. First was the Grotte de Villars, a cave with both prehistoric drawings as well as an impressive collection of stalagtites and stalagmites. This is really the only major cave in the nothern part of the Dordogne; Lascaux and the other more famous ones are further south. What we lack in numbers, though, we make up for in splendor. The other caves we’ve visited have either drawings or interesting rock formations, but not both.
After that, we stopped by the Chateau de Puyguilhem, perched just above the town of Villars. It’s most impressive from the outside and looks the part but the inside was mostly bare. This was the first time we’d been in and now we know it’s not really worth the price of admission. That evening we went to our local fine-dining establishment, the Hotel de France in St Pardoux. We went once with my mom back in June so this was only our second time and I’m happy to report, the first time was not a fluke and we all had a great meal.
On Friday, we went to Perigueux, the capital of the Dordogne. Will and I had been many times, mostly running errands though so we’d not yet played tourist there. It has some Roman ruins plus a medieval city centre. First stop was the Musee du Perigord which has both a fine art collection, as well as natural history. We spent an hour soaking up the culture before heading to lunch which we had outside on a little square. Then we strolled around a bit but it was warm and humid so we left after an hour or two. Dinner that night was greek salad plus bread and cheese – a light meal for these parts.
Whenever Dad visits, we always take a side trip somewhere so in keeping with tradition, we spent Saturday night in Bordeaux. Will drove us there and successfully navigated through the centre city despite the traffic, trams and many cyclists. The centre is a maze of one ways and typically, the sat nav wasn’t aware of many of them so it took a bit of driving around the block before we could pull up in front of the hotel. We first grabbed lunch at a nice bar/cafe where we had salads and a beer since it was in the upper 20’s and humid. We then walked over to a small botanical garden in one of the lovely parks and from there, through the old part of the city and down to the water. The buildings are similar to the ones in Paris and appear to have been built at the same time. It has a nice wide path along the river so we strolled along there and then over to the main pedestrian shopping street called Rue de Ste Catherine. It was mobbed with shoppers and people out enjoying the hot day so we needed a beer once we’d reached the end. From there, we walked home after helping Dad find gifts for the grandkids.
That night, we ate at a South American restaurant that had tables out on a square. We had margaritas, guacamole and then fajitas which was a treat for Will and I, even if they weren’t exactly authentic. Will and I dropped off Dad at the hotel after dinner and then went to explore Bordeaux’s gay nightlife. We found at least four bars, ranging from small neighbourhood tavern, to the more “glamorous” one with brushed metal and mirrored walls and a disco ball over the bar. Everything shut at 2 so we made our way home, happy for having indulged in a bit of night life. Will was pleased that one of the bartenders asked whether he was Swiss or Belgian, thinking he was a native French speaker from another country. Overall, we enjoyed the scene and are happy that one exists close enough to come for the evening.
Sunday morning, we checked out and then visited the Musee d’Aquitaine which is housed in an old university. It covers a lot of history about the area including prehistoric times, the Roman age, Middle Ages and then the city’s heyday during the time of slavery. There is a load of information to get through and we spent nearly two hours there. We were all a bit too full for lunch so grabbed sandwiches and then hit the road, stopping on the outskirts of Perigueux to eat them. I made gazpacho that evening which is one of Dad’s favourites.
Monday night, we went to Sharon’s for dinner where we met her folks for the first time. They’re over for two weeks from Scarborough. Sharon made confit de canard which I bbq’d and she served it along with her delicious cauliflower cheese and potatoes roasted in goose fat. This was followed by a selection of cheese, all served with copious amounts of wine. This was Will’s first time being designated driver so he didn’t enjoy himself as much as the rest of us.
Dad’s flight left Wed morning so he got the train back from Angouleme on Tues afternoon and stayed near the airport. On the way, we stopped for lunch in Nontron and ate at a place that Will’s driving instructor had mentioned. The weather was still nice so we sat on the terrace which overlooks a small pool and a bit of the town. It was a very pleasant setting, especially for being right in the centre of town and the food was really good as well. After dropping Dad at the station, Will drove us to Villebois where we spent a pleasant evening with Lee and Richard. Lee was off to the UK the next day and the rest of us all had things to do so it was a tame evening by our standards. We had a drink with their neighbours, Phil and Pat who have a very pretty house just off the market square in the village. For dinner, Lee made two kinds of curry plus home made veggie samosas that were excellent.
Will and I left early the next day and were home in time to clean up and prepare for our next visitor, Kevin who arrived on Thurs. I will leave that story for Will to tell though so you’ll have to wait for him I’m afraid.