Destination Dordogne
Our long travel day of 8 hours from the Luberon to the Dordogne was worth it when we arrived at our hotel Chateau Monrecour.
It rises up from the well-clipped lawns and gardens with two swimming pools close by. Walking up the elegant steps to our bedrooms was a ‘pinch me’ moment and the rooms were another ‘wow’ moment.
Philip and I experienced a delicious lunch here a year before and were not disappointed with our meals this year. Over the next four days, we had our fix of Duck Confit, Foie Gras, Terrines, Cassoulet and Walnut deserts. Each night there were Pre-dinner drinks at the bar followed by an amazing meal in a different dining room including the terrace.
The Dordogne river passes slowly just below the hotel and I find it very soothing and relaxing. Many villages are situated on the banks of the river, including castles and chateau which are perched on the highest point. Essential of course, when the river was used as transport and for defence especially during the hundred years war, between France and Britain.
The village of Beynac de Cazennac is only 5 minutes away. Consequently, by 10 am on our first morning, we were ready to visit Chateau de Beynac. These castles have been restored brilliantly and offer an audio guide on your phone to help you walk at your own pace.
Dordogne has a few special villages and Sarlat is certainly one of those. Sadly, we were visiting on a Sunday so we missed the famous markets held on a Saturday and Wednesday. But, the charm of its beautifully restored streets and many cafes filled with locals meant we had a very pleasant couple of hours.
During our week we visited two notable gardens. Erignac which is still privately owned and is famous for its unique collection of over 300 topiary sculptures. Long walk avenues of clipped yew and box are impressive. It is a little more relaxed than it used to be – but it still has plenty of signs to “keep off the grass”. In contrast, the amazing gardens at Marqueussac sit high above the Dordogne river which provides wonderful views on the 1 km walk to the end. However, the most impressive is the clipped box hedges that seem to fall down the slopping site. Today, there was a huge team of gardeners clipping furiously and it will be over 3,500 hours before they are finished.
The forested hillsides spread down to the river banks, limestone cliffs look down at the river – many with houses tucked under their eves, ochre-coloured villages are scattered endlessly and chateaus rise up out of the trees. This region is quite beautiful and I can see why it is so popular for camping and canoeing. However, it is also known as the ‘Capital of Prehistory’ due to its abundance of prehistoric sites and archaeological discoveries. We spent an informative morning in Les Ezies – home to our bus driver William, who helped guide us to the Museums and cliff walks.
We couldn’t visit Dordogne without doing the self-guided walk through the medieval streets of Bergerac. With an abundance of cafes to stop for lunch, you could admire the wood-timbered houses built by the early merchants of the city.
Our long-time New Zealand friends Murray and Lynda have a house within walking distance of our hotel. They are a fountain of information and help. We loved including them at a dinner at one of Beynacs lovely local restaurants, La Tornelle, and Lynda insisted we must visit the chateau called Milandes, which was home for many years to the famous Josephine Baker. Her story and life are infatuating and the Chateau comes to life with her captivating story. http://www.cmgww.com/stars/baker/ Not only was the Chateau incredibly interesting, but we had a great lunch, walked the beautiful gardens and some of us watched a Birds of Prey display.
The French tour is over. All that remained was a train ride to Paris and for some a flight to Rome. It has been a wonderful adventure, for this our first tour to Cote d’Azur, Provence and the Dordogne. Along with my super travelling group, we had a fun time, experiencing new exciting regions, drinking their wine, tasting their food and sharing each other’s company.
I also need to add, I have had many enquiries regarding 2025 tours. I can confirm this Fench tour will be repeated - but the dates are yet to be decided.
