Village of Beynac
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The countryside of France is beautiful. From the bucolic fields of Normandy, to the grandeur of the Alps, the dramatic changing landscape varies from département to département (as they call their various regions). Such is the beauty of the country, that it seems to have seeped into the very soul of the French and is reflected back in their food, art and architecture. Even mundane objects like a water spigot or a rustic gate are usually crafted with care and made pretty to the eye. Homes and farms and fields all seem to blend together seamlessly into a harmony with surrounding nature. Nowhere did I see this more evident than in the region known as the Dordogne in Southwestern France.
After visiting the magestic Loire Valley, Brian and I took the toll road south to make good time as we headed for the second part of our three-region exploration of France. Our destination for the night was the prefecture of the département Périgord, as the French commonly call the region, the city of Périgueux.
After driving on country roads through lovely village after village during our first three days, pulling into Périgueux was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn't an ugly city by any stretch, it was just rather uninspiring. We checked into a nice enough but plain Jane hotel catering to business folks and headed out for dinner. It was at that very moment that the skies opened up with a storm the likes of which I hadn't seen in years. In the two blocks we walked to find a restaurant, we were soaked to the bone, even with our umbrellas. The rest of the night we were treated to an awesome show of lightening and thunder. In my opinion, it is the best way to pass time in Périgueux.
Early the next morning we set out to explore the Dordogne. We loosely charted a course toward a castle we had read about that had opened itself up as a hotel. We knew where we started at point A and where we hoped to end up at point B and then just took any small road we ran across that took us in an Easterly direction. Within the first half hour, the France that I had pictured in my minds-eye when dreaming of this trip began to emerge.
The relatively flat landscape of the Loire had given way to gently rolling hills, impossibly beautiful farmhouses and small communities all built out of honey-colored stone and rough hewn lumber. Across the hilltops, intriguing castles loomed all around us. Our speed died down to a crawl as we soaked it all in. The further we drove, the more dramatic the hills became, opening up to vistas of lush green ordered valleys and limestone cliffs.
Outside of the larger cities in France, if you don't eat lunch between the hours of 12:00 and 2:00 p.m., finding an open restaurant is nearly impossible. As luck would have it, we found ourselves just after noon in the little village of Limeuil, one of the
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.
Situated where the rivers Dordogne and Vézère converge, this splendid medieval village would be our first real introduction to the Dordogne and what she offers her travelers. The Dordogne is renowned for its delicacies, particularly paté de foie gras, walnuts and truffles, and our first lunch made us think we had died and gone to heaven. Plate after plate of bread and paté and cheese and picked-fresh produce were all washed down with the delicately delicious local wines.
We walked off our two hour lunch, climbing the steep hillside through the little lanes and charming houses.
Within an hour, we found ourselves at the chateau we had thought about staying at. One look at the estate and we were sold. Again, due to traveling during shoulder season, the hotel was about half of what it would cost during peak tourist season. It was only slightly more costly than the bland beige hotel we stayed at the night before in Périgueux
The Château de Monrecour isn't a true chateau in that it was a manor house during the 16th century and converted to much more luxurious digs in the mid 18th century by the family who inherited the estate. But it was close enough. We were ensconced in the upper most room in one of the towers with an outstanding view of the 12th century Château de Beynac just two miles across the valley. This was the view from our room.
After settling into our room, the extremely hospitable desk staff phoned in a reservation for us at an excellent restaurant in Beynac. After our five course meal (including the best lamb I've ever had) we retired to our castle to get an early start on touring the rest of the region. First off was a thorough exploration of the ancient castle at Beynac and her idyllic village wending itself from the foot of the fortifications to the valley floor below. The introductory picture at the top of the diary was taken here. Enjoy a few more.
After another fine meal at the restaurant we ate at the night before, the weather began to turn. What better time to visit one of the famous caves of the region? Sadly, the cave at Lascaux with the renowned prehistoric paintings was closed so we opted for the huge cavern of
Proumeyssac. It didn't disappoint. Accompanied by a fantastic light show as the braver souls descended into the cave by a dangling basket, it was a fascinating tour.
Photo courtesy of Audrey
The following day, our last in the Dordogne, began with a visit to the garden of Marqueyssac, considered one of the most beautiful in France. We weren't quite prepared for just how gorgeous and huge the garden was. At the entrance to the garden was a whimsical fantasy of sculpted boxwood.
After lingering for a while, we began to climb up through the gardens to a spot called The Belvedere, with a commanding view of the village of La Roque-Gageac perched precariously on a limestone cliff below us.
It was the first place we headed to after leaving the garden.
Our final destination would be the astoundingly restored and intact 14th century town of Sarlat. It was the perfect place to end this part of our trip and this part of my story. You needn't have much of an imagination to take yourself back to what France must have looked like in the 1300s.
All in all, I have to say that the Dordogne was my favorite part of the trip and one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. By the time we left, I can't remember when I felt more relaxed. We barely scratched the surface of what the region has to offer, making it all but a certainty that we will visit again.
This Sunday will be the final installment of my little series as we head to the walled city of Carcassonne in Languedoc before entering neighboring Provence. Thank you much for reading.
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October 15, 2013
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