Prehistoric Dordogne

Monday, 5 August

Laundry day again and another washing machine to decipher - pretty easy really.  Certainly not a problem to dry the clothes on this hot sunny day.  Our plan today was to visit the prehistoric site, La Roque Saint Christophe on the Vezere River ( which eventually joins the Dordogne) and then to Sarlat-la-Caneda which is the main town of the Dordogne Valley area with a very medieval quarter.  
Our route to La Roque Saint Christophe was slow and winding, mostly through forested hills, and of course in this land of 1001 chateaux we saw quite a few peeking from the trees, their honey stone towers glowing in the sun.  Many are open to visitors but we have chosen to save our chateau visits for the Loire Valley next week.   All along the way as we approached the Vezere were reminders of the huge significance of this area in the world of archaeology and pre-history. There are caves, grottoes, adventure parks and museums in abundance and the landscape looks as it has changed little in the last 50,000 years - forests, rivers and limestone cliffs.  This is where the skeleton of Cro-Magnon man, one of our ancestors from 30,000 years ago was discovered in 1868 and it is also the where the famous Lascaux cave paintings (17,300 years old)  were found in 1940.   All in all this corner of southwest France is something of the cradle of European man and thus completely compelling and fascinating.
We turned into the site of La Roque Saint Christophe and were completely blown away by the massive eighty metre high limestone cliff that extends for one kilometre along the Vezere River.  Below this wall are some grassy fields that border the river where dozens of canoes were drifting by.  Across the river were hills covered with dense deciduous forest.  The cliff face has been eroded over millions of years and it was in the caves and fissures in the rock that firstly  Neanderthal, then  Cro-Magnon and finally medieval people made their homes.

La Roque Saint Christophe

 A discreet carpark in the forest hid signs of the 21st century and we made our way up a steep path to the entrance which is located about one third of the way up the cliff.   A wide ledge overhung by a rock ceiling extends right along the cliff face and here we were able to view relics of the life that was lived in this unusual place over the past 55,000 years

Jessica at the site of the medieval chapel

 As we walked along the ledge (protected by a modern day steel fence) we saw how past generations had survived by slaughtering animals which they  hunted in the forests and how different communities had adapted to life high above the river.  The last people to live here were the inhabitants of a middle ages town which was destroyed during the Wars of Religion in 1588. 



Model of the medieval town built into the cliff face

 Incidentally the views from up on the rock were pretty good too.  A great lookout spot from which to view marauding armies and suchlike.

View from La Roque Saint Christophe

 The displays are really well presented and a fascinating story of human life unfolds along the whole way.  Apparently this is the oldest site of its kind and certainly the most comprehensive.

Medieval lifting device - a handy tool at La Roque

  Despite all the visitors in shorts and t-shirts wielding high-tech cameras, the atmosphere of the place remains one of wilderness and mystery.  We enjoyed our visit to La Roque Saint  Christophe enormously.

La Roque Saint Christophe - secluded and mysterious

 On the way home we stopped for ice cream at the village (Plus Beaux) of St Leon-sur-Vezere which is ancient and very agricultural - enormous tractors in the narrow streets and a very noticeable pong of cow manure everywhere.  Nevertheless the ice-ream was good (I have a new favourite flavour - salty butter caramel!) although the waitress was a bit frazzled!  She took off home mid-serving and left her hubby to it - and he was more interested in his computer than taking our money.

Ice-cream stop,  St Leon-sur-Vezere - all dressed up for summer festivities

 Last stop for today was Sarlat and after a bit of a struggle for a carpark we wandered the streets of the medieval centre which are a bit film-set like - or would be if the tourists went away.  The golden stone of the buildings looks particularly good in the evening light and I love the houses with the round towers topped by pointy roofs.  I can imagine the scene in medieval times - down to the chamber pots being emptied from the windows!

Main square, Sarlat-la-Caneda

Pointy roofs - Sarlat

 We stayed for dinner - outside in the main square - sort of Italian - pasta and veal and salad.  Although it was still light when we arrived home we have noticed that nightfall is a little earlier in recent days - 9.45 instead of 10.30pm!

Wonderfully preserved old grog machine (of some sort) in Sarlat